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claude-code-source-code-deo…/specs/error_handling.md
Geoffrey Huntley 14b8886eee initial commmit
2025-03-01 20:23:32 +11:00

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# Claude Code CLI - Error Handling Specifications
## Error Classification
### Severity Levels
| Level | Description | User Impact | Handling Approach |
|-------|-------------|------------|-------------------|
| Critical | Application cannot continue | Application termination | Immediate logging, clean shutdown, detailed recovery instructions |
| Major | Feature completely broken | Feature unavailable | Graceful degradation, alternative suggestion, detailed error message |
| Minor | Partial feature limitation | Reduced functionality | Warning message, continue with limited functionality |
| Informational | Non-disruptive issue | Minimal to none | Subtle notification, continue normal operation |
### Error Categories
| Category | Description | Examples |
|----------|-------------|----------|
| Authentication | Issues with user authentication | Invalid token, expired credentials, permission denied |
| Network | Connection and communication errors | API timeout, connection refused, SSL certificate error |
| File System | Issues with reading/writing files | Permission denied, file not found, locked file |
| Command Execution | Problems running terminal commands | Command not found, execution failure, timeout |
| AI Service | Issues with AI processing | Rate limit exceeded, invalid request, model error |
| Configuration | Problems with application setup | Invalid config format, missing required settings |
| Resource | System resource limitations | Out of memory, disk space exhausted |
## Error Handling Strategies
### Retry Mechanisms
- Exponential backoff for transient errors
- Configurable retry limits
- Progress notification during retries
- Fallback mechanisms after exhausting retries
### Graceful Degradation
- Feature-specific fallback modes
- Reduced functionality operation
- Local-only operation when cloud services unavailable
- Cache utilization for resilience
### User Notification
- Clear, actionable error messages
- Technical details available on demand
- Suggested remediation steps
- Links to relevant documentation
### Recovery Procedures
- Session state preservation
- Auto-save mechanisms
- Crash recovery on restart
- Transaction rollback for failed operations
## Error Tracking and Reporting
### Telemetry Collection
- Error frequency and patterns
- Environment context capture
- Anonymized error reports
- User-permitted crash reports
### Sentry Integration
- Real-time error tracking
- Exception grouping and analysis
- Performance impact assessment
- Release correlation
### Error Aggregation
- Pattern recognition across instances
- Prioritization based on impact
- Trend analysis for recurring issues
- User impact assessment
## Specific Error Handling Cases
### Authentication Errors
- Clear re-authentication instructions
- Token refresh attempts
- Credential validation checks
- Security-focused error messages
### API Communication Errors
- Connection diagnostics
- Network environment checks
- Request/response logging
- API status verification
### File System Errors
- Permission verification
- Path validation
- Resource availability checks
- Alternative storage suggestions
### Command Execution Errors
- Shell environment validation
- Dependency verification
- Command path verification
- Output/error stream capture
### AI Processing Errors
- Query validation
- Context size management
- Rate limit handling
- Model fallback options
## Error Logging
### Log Levels
| Level | Description | Information Included |
|-------|-------------|----------------------|
| ERROR | Significant problems | Error details, stack trace, context, user action |
| WARN | Potential issues | Warning details, related context, potential impact |
| INFO | Normal but significant events | Event description, relevant parameters |
| DEBUG | Detailed diagnostic information | Verbose execution details, state information |
| TRACE | Very detailed diagnostic information | Full execution path, variable states |
### Log Structure
```json
{
"timestamp": "ISO-8601 timestamp",
"level": "ERROR|WARN|INFO|DEBUG|TRACE",
"message": "Human-readable message",
"category": "Error category",
"code": "Error code",
"user": {
"id": "Anonymized user identifier",
"action": "User action that triggered the error"
},
"context": {
"command": "Executed command",
"file": "Relevant file path",
"operation": "Operation being performed"
},
"technical": {
"stack": "Stack trace (if applicable)",
"raw": "Raw error details"
},
"session": {
"id": "Session identifier",
"duration": "Session duration in seconds"
}
}
```
### Log Storage and Rotation
- Local log files with rotation
- Size and time-based rotation policies
- Compression of archived logs
- Automated cleanup of old logs
## User-Facing Error Messages
### Message Structure
- Clear problem statement
- Probable cause
- Suggested action
- Further information reference
### Localization
- Error message translation framework
- Locale-specific error resources
- Fallback to English for missing translations
- Cultural sensitivity in error messaging
### Visual Presentation
- Color-coding by severity
- Icons for error categories
- Progressive disclosure of technical details
- Contextual help links