code: def check_hints(self, reply):
          
          try:
              f_ind = reply.index("hints")
              l_ind = reply.rindex("hints")
          except Exception:
              fail_reason = vdp_const.hints_failure_reason % (reply)
              LOG.error("%s", fail_reason)
              return False, fail_reason
          if f_ind != l_ind:
              # Currently not supported if reply contains a filter keyword
              fail_reason = vdp_const.multiple_hints_failure_reason % (reply)
              LOG.error("%s", fail_reason)
              return False, fail_reason
          try:
              hints_compl = reply.partition("hints")[2]
              hints_val = reply.partition("hints")[2][0:4]
              len_hints = int(hints_val)
              hints_val = hints_compl[4:4 + len_hints]
              hints = int(hints_val)
              if hints != 0:
                  fail_reason = vdp_const.nonzero_hints_failure % (hints)
                  return False, fail_reason
          except ValueError:
              fail_reason = vdp_const.format_failure_reason % (reply)
              LOG.error("%s", fail_reason)
              return False, fail_reason
          return True, None
docs: Parse the hints to check for errors.