Error Handling

When to Use

• Implementing input validation at system boundaries
• Designing error responses for APIs or user interfaces
• Building recovery mechanisms for transient failures
• Establishing logging and monitoring patterns
• Distinguishing between errors that need user action vs system intervention

Philosophy

Errors are not exceptional - they are expected. Good error handling treats errors as first-class citizens of the system design, not afterthoughts. The goal is to fail safely, provide actionable feedback, and enable recovery.

Error Classification

Operational Errors

Runtime problems that occur during normal operation. These are expected and must be handled.