Writing Better Errors
summary
Defines two error classes: user errors (bad input) and server errors (bugs), and recommends concrete fixes: show localized, actionable instructions for user errors, add front-end validation to prevent them, and use clear docs for API consumers. For server errors, log full backtraces and params to Rollbar or similar, notify via a channel, and rely on proper HTTP status codes rather than embedding error codes in 200 responses. For payments, confirm proactively whether a charge succeeded.
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chapters (7)
- 0:00Start
- 7:04User Errors
- 7:52Server Errors
- 12:48Developer - Input Errors
- 13:49API User - Input Error
- 18:16Developer - Server Error
- 20:22User Server Error
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