diff --git a/locale/en.php b/locale/en.php
index eef77dc4..163392f7 100644
--- a/locale/en.php
+++ b/locale/en.php
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 <?php
 return [
 	'Exception.JKingWeb/NewsSync/Exception.uncoded'						=> 'The specified exception symbol {0} has no code specified in Exception.php',
+	//this should not usually be encountered
+	'Exception.JKingWeb/NewsSync/Exception.unknown'						=> 'An unknown error has occurred',
 
 	'Exception.JKingWeb/NewsSync/Lang/Exception.defaultFileMissing'		=> 'Default language file "{0}" missing',
 	'Exception.JKingWeb/NewsSync/Lang/Exception.fileMissing'			=> 'Language file "{0}" is not available',
diff --git a/tests/TestLang.php b/tests/TestLang.php
index afd48a86..d5ce7254 100644
--- a/tests/TestLang.php
+++ b/tests/TestLang.php
@@ -5,51 +5,13 @@ use \org\bovigo\vfs\vfsStream;
 
 
 class TestLang extends \PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase {
-	use TestingHelpers;
+	use TestingHelpers, LanguageTestingHelpers;
 
 	static $vfs;
 	static $path;
 	static $files;
 	static $defaultPath;
 
-	static function setUpBeforeClass() {
-		// this is required to keep from having exceptions in Lang::msg() in turn calling Lang::msg() and looping
-		Lang\Exception::$test = true;
-		// test files
-		self::$files = [
-			'en.php'    => '<?php return ["Test.presentText" => "and the Philosopher\'s Stone"];',
-			'en_ca.php' => '<?php return ["Test.presentText" => "{0} and {1}"];',
-			'en_us.php' => '<?php return ["Test.presentText" => "and the Sorcerer\'s Stone"];',
-			'fr.php'    => '<?php return ["Test.presentText" => "à l\'école des sorciers"];',
-			'ja.php'    => '<?php return ["Test.absentText"  => "賢者の石"];',
-			'de.php'    => '<?php return ["Test.presentText" => "und der Stein der Weisen"];',
-			// corrupt files
-			'it.php'    => '<?php return 0;',
-			'zh.php'    => '<?php return 0',
-			'ko.php'    => 'DEAD BEEF',
-			'fr_ca.php' => '',
-			// unreadable file
-			'ru.php'    => '',
-		];
-		self::$vfs = vfsStream::setup("langtest", 0777, self::$files);
-		self::$path = self::$vfs->url();
-		// set up a file without read access
-		chmod(self::$path."/ru.php", 0000);
-		// make the Lang class use the vfs files
-		self::$defaultPath = Lang::$path;
-		Lang::$path = self::$path."/";
-	}
-
-	static function tearDownAfterClass() {
-		Lang\Exception::$test = false;
-		Lang::$path = self::$defaultPath;
-		self::$path = null;
-		self::$vfs = null;
-		self::$files = null;
-		Lang::set("", true);
-		Lang::set(Lang::DEFAULT, true);
-	}
-
 	function testList() {
 		$this->assertCount(sizeof(self::$files), Lang::list("en"));
 	}
diff --git a/tests/bootstrap.php b/tests/bootstrap.php
index da51a19e..470d86a2 100644
--- a/tests/bootstrap.php
+++ b/tests/bootstrap.php
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 <?php
 declare(strict_types=1);
 namespace JKingWeb\NewsSync;
-
 require_once __DIR__.DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR."..".DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR."bootstrap.php";
 
+use \org\bovigo\vfs\vfsStream;
+
 trait TestingHelpers {
 	function assertException(string $msg, string $prefix = "", string $type = "Exception") {
 		$class = NS_BASE . ($prefix !== "" ? str_replace("/", "\\", $prefix) . "\\" : "") . $type;
@@ -16,4 +17,44 @@ trait TestingHelpers {
 		$this->expectException($class);
 		$this->expectExceptionCode($code);
 	}
+}
+
+trait LanguageTestingHelpers {
+	static function setUpBeforeClass() {
+		// this is required to keep from having exceptions in Lang::msg() in turn calling Lang::msg() and looping
+		Lang\Exception::$test = true;
+		// test files
+		self::$files = [
+			'en.php'    => '<?php return ["Test.presentText" => "and the Philosopher\'s Stone"];',
+			'en_ca.php' => '<?php return ["Test.presentText" => "{0} and {1}"];',
+			'en_us.php' => '<?php return ["Test.presentText" => "and the Sorcerer\'s Stone"];',
+			'fr.php'    => '<?php return ["Test.presentText" => "à l\'école des sorciers"];',
+			'ja.php'    => '<?php return ["Test.absentText"  => "賢者の石"];',
+			'de.php'    => '<?php return ["Test.presentText" => "und der Stein der Weisen"];',
+			// corrupt files
+			'it.php'    => '<?php return 0;',
+			'zh.php'    => '<?php return 0',
+			'ko.php'    => 'DEAD BEEF',
+			'fr_ca.php' => '',
+			// unreadable file
+			'ru.php'    => '',
+		];
+		self::$vfs = vfsStream::setup("langtest", 0777, self::$files);
+		self::$path = self::$vfs->url();
+		// set up a file without read access
+		chmod(self::$path."/ru.php", 0000);
+		// make the Lang class use the vfs files
+		self::$defaultPath = Lang::$path;
+		Lang::$path = self::$path."/";
+	}
+
+	static function tearDownAfterClass() {
+		Lang\Exception::$test = false;
+		Lang::$path = self::$defaultPath;
+		self::$path = null;
+		self::$vfs = null;
+		self::$files = null;
+		Lang::set("", true);
+		Lang::set(Lang::DEFAULT, true);
+	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/testLangComplex.php b/tests/testLangComplex.php
index 019c0506..d02ecdbb 100644
--- a/tests/testLangComplex.php
+++ b/tests/testLangComplex.php
@@ -5,51 +5,13 @@ use \org\bovigo\vfs\vfsStream;
 
 
 class TestLangComplex extends \PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase {
-	use TestingHelpers;
+	use TestingHelpers, LanguageTestingHelpers;
 
 	static $vfs;
 	static $path;
 	static $files;
 	static $defaultPath;
 
-	static function setUpBeforeClass() {
-		// this is required to keep from having exceptions in Lang::msg() in turn calling Lang::msg() and looping
-		Lang\Exception::$test = true;
-		// test files
-		self::$files = [
-			'en.php'    => '<?php return ["Test.presentText" => "and the Philosopher\'s Stone"];',
-			'en_ca.php' => '<?php return ["Test.presentText" => "{0} and {1}"];',
-			'en_us.php' => '<?php return ["Test.presentText" => "and the Sorcerer\'s Stone"];',
-			'fr.php'    => '<?php return ["Test.presentText" => "à l\'école des sorciers"];',
-			'ja.php'    => '<?php return ["Test.absentText"  => "賢者の石"];',
-			'de.php'    => '<?php return ["Test.presentText" => "und der Stein der Weisen"];',
-			// corrupt files
-			'it.php'    => '<?php return 0;',
-			'zh.php'    => '<?php return 0',
-			'ko.php'    => 'DEAD BEEF',
-			'fr_ca.php' => '',
-			// unreadable file
-			'ru.php'    => '',
-		];
-		self::$vfs = vfsStream::setup("langtest", 0777, self::$files);
-		self::$path = self::$vfs->url();
-		// set up a file without read access
-		chmod(self::$path."/ru.php", 0000);
-		// make the Lang class use the vfs files
-		self::$defaultPath = Lang::$path;
-		Lang::$path = self::$path."/";
-	}
-
-	static function tearDownAfterClass() {
-		Lang\Exception::$test = false;
-		Lang::$path = self::$defaultPath;
-		self::$path = null;
-		self::$vfs = null;
-		self::$files = null;
-		Lang::set("", true);
-		Lang::set(Lang::DEFAULT, true);
-	}
-
 	function setUp() {
 		Lang::set(Lang::DEFAULT, true);
 	}
diff --git a/vendor/JKingWeb/NewsSync/Exception.php b/vendor/JKingWeb/NewsSync/Exception.php
index c85c32cd..93b869fb 100644
--- a/vendor/JKingWeb/NewsSync/Exception.php
+++ b/vendor/JKingWeb/NewsSync/Exception.php
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ class Exception extends \Exception {
 
 	const CODES = [
 		"Exception.uncoded"                     => -1,
-		"Exception.misc"						=> 10000,
+		"Exception.unknown"						=> 10000,
 		"Lang/Exception.defaultFileMissing"		=> 10101,
 		"Lang/Exception.fileMissing"			=> 10102,
 		"Lang/Exception.fileUnreadable"			=> 10103,