display error message on constrain violation

i've got a form to edit data or delete a record in sql server. if the delete fails on a constraint violation, nothing happens and of course the record is still there. how can a check to see if this has occured and display a friendly message for the user so they know why the record will not delete. i've tried
ret_string = Connection.execute(sqlstmt)
but that doesn't get anything.

thanks for any help

First of all, you cannot use a statement of the form

x = Conn.Execute (SQL)
It will have to be Conn.Execute (SQL).

Can you describe your problem a little more? I do not know exactly, what you mean....

Yeah, I was hoping I would get an error string returned or something if the execution failed due to the database constraint violation... Anyhow, after studying up on the error object some more I got it figured out. I printed out the error number associated with the constraint violation and now check to see if that error is generated and handle it if it is. Thanks though.