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Implement Elm-Inspired Error Handling #17

@0xjcf

Description

@0xjcf

[Feature Request] Implement Elm-Inspired Error Handling in ignite-element


Description

Enhance error handling in ignite-element to provide clearer, actionable, and context-aware error messages, inspired by Elm's exceptional developer experience.

This feature aims to improve the developer experience by:

  1. Delivering human-centric error messages that explain issues in plain language.
  2. Including contextual information such as file paths, line numbers, and code snippets.
  3. Providing actionable hints with examples and links to relevant documentation.
  4. Offering debugging utilities for advanced troubleshooting.

The result is a consistent, predictable, and educational error-handling system across all ignite-element modules.


Tasks

1. Core Implementation

  • Develop a centralized ErrorHandler utility to standardize error formatting.
  • Define error templates with the following sections:
    • Title (Category and Module).
    • Context (File, line number, snippet).
    • Explanation (Expected vs. Received).
    • Actionable Hint (Examples and suggestions).
    • Debugging Info (Optional).
  • Integrate ErrorHandler into core modules:
    • Adapters:
      • XStateAdapter: Validate stateMachine configuration, handle invalid transitions.
      • ReduxAdapter: Handle invalid store configurations and actions.
      • MobXAdapter: Validate observable states.
    • Core Components:
      • IgniteElement: Handle missing attributes like data-source, ensure event dispatch errors are logged.
      • Shared Decorator: Validate state synchronization and setup.

2. Testing and Validation

  • Write unit tests for the ErrorHandler utility:
    • Verify correct formatting for different error categories (e.g., configuration, runtime).
    • Ensure output includes all required sections (context, hint, etc.).
  • Simulate edge cases:
    • Lazy loading with missing dependencies.
    • Concurrent state updates causing race conditions.
    • Invalid transitions between shared and isolated states.
  • Benchmark performance to ensure minimal impact during error logging.

3. Documentation Updates

  • Add a Debugging and Error Handling section to the ignite-element documentation:
    • Overview of error categories.
    • Examples of common errors and fixes.
    • Guidance on interpreting debugging information.
  • Update individual module docs (e.g., adapters) with error-specific guidance.
  • Provide migration guidance for users upgrading from earlier versions.

Expected Outcome

  1. Consistent Error Handling:

    • Unified, readable format for all errors, providing clear guidance to developers.
  2. Improved Debugging Experience:

    • Contextual information (file paths, line numbers) and optional debugging info eliminate guesswork.
  3. Educational Feedback:

    • Error messages teach developers, reducing reliance on external documentation or support.
  4. Developer Confidence:

    • Clear error handling fosters trust and confidence in using ignite-element for complex projects.

Milestones

Phase 1: Core Implementation

  • Implement the foundational ErrorHandler utility and integrate it with adapters.

Phase 2: Testing and Validation

  • Write tests, simulate edge cases, and benchmark performance.

Phase 3: Documentation Updates

  • Update the documentation with debugging guides and common error scenarios.

Phase 4: Final Release (v2.0.0)

  • Release error handling updates with ignite-element 2.0.0.

Priority: High

This feature is critical for improving developer experience and ensuring robust error handling across ignite-element.

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