Error Handling and User Feedback @ helixml/chat-widget

Error Handling and User Feedback

This section outlines the error handling and user feedback mechanisms implemented in the chat widget. The objective is to provide a robust and user-friendly experience by gracefully managing errors during API calls and offering clear, informative feedback to users.

Error Handling Mechanisms

The chat widget employs a layered approach to error handling, encompassing both client-side and server-side checks to ensure comprehensive error management.

1. Client-Side Validation:

Prior to sending API requests, basic input validation is performed on the client-side. This involves checks for:
- Required fields: Ensuring that all mandatory fields are populated.
- Data format: Verifying that data adheres to the expected format (e.g., email address, phone number).
Example:

// chat-widget/src/components/ChatInput/ChatInput.js
          const handleSend = () => {
            if (!message) {
              // Display error message to user
              setError('Please enter a message');
              return;
            }
          
            // Send message to server
            sendMessage(message);
          };

2. Server-Side Validation:

API endpoints perform additional validation on received data, ensuring data integrity and adherence to business logic.
Example:

// chat-widget/server/routes/messages.js
          const sendMessage = async (req, res) => {
            const { message } = req.body;
          
            if (!message) {
              return res.status(400).json({ error: 'Message is required' });
            }
          
            // ...
          };

3. API Error Handling:

When an API request fails, the chat widget captures the error response and handles it accordingly. This includes:
- Error codes: Mapping error codes from the API to specific error messages for user feedback.
- Retry mechanisms: Implementing retries for transient errors (e.g., network issues) with configurable retry intervals.
- Error logging: Recording error details for troubleshooting and debugging.
Example:

// chat-widget/src/services/api.js
          const sendMessage = async (message) => {
            try {
              const response = await fetch('/api/messages', {
                method: 'POST',
                body: JSON.stringify({ message }),
              });
          
              if (!response.ok) {
                throw new Error(response.statusText);
              }
          
              // Handle successful response
            } catch (error) {
              // Handle error, e.g., display error message to user, log error details
            }
          };

User Feedback

The chat widget provides clear and concise feedback to users during API calls and error handling.

1. Loading States:

When an API request is in progress, a loading indicator is displayed to notify the user that the operation is ongoing.
Example:

// chat-widget/src/components/ChatInput/ChatInput.js
          const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
          
          const handleSend = async () => {
            setIsLoading(true); 
          
            try {
              // Send message to server
              await sendMessage(message); 
          
              // ...
            } catch (error) {
              // Handle error
            } finally {
              setIsLoading(false); 
            }
          };

2. Error Indicators:

If an API request fails, an appropriate error message is displayed to the user, providing information about the issue.
Example:

// chat-widget/src/components/ChatInput/ChatInput.js
          const [error, setError] = useState(null);
          
          const handleSend = async () => {
            try {
              // Send message to server
              await sendMessage(message); 
          
              // ...
            } catch (error) {
              setError(error.message); 
            } 
          };

3. Retry Mechanisms:

For transient errors, the chat widget offers a retry option to the user, enabling them to reattempt the failed operation.
Example:

// chat-widget/src/components/ChatInput/ChatInput.js
          const handleRetry = async () => {
            try {
              // Retry sending message
              await sendMessage(message); 
          
              // ...
            } catch (error) {
              // Handle error
            }
          };

4. Graceful Degradation:

In cases of network connectivity issues, the chat widget gracefully degrades functionality by:
- Displaying a message informing the user about the network error.
- Enabling offline message storage for later submission once connectivity is restored.
Example:

// chat-widget/src/services/api.js
          const sendMessage = async (message) => {
            try {
              // ...
            } catch (error) {
              // ... 
              if (error.name === 'NetworkError') {
                // Store message offline
                storeMessageOffline(message);
          
                // Display error message to user
                setError('Network error. Message stored offline. Will be sent when connection is restored.');
              }
            }
          };

Error Handling Best Practices

Descriptive Error Messages: Provide informative error messages to help users understand the issue and troubleshoot.
Consistent Error Handling: Ensure consistency in error handling across different API endpoints and components.
Robust Logging: Implement comprehensive error logging to facilitate debugging and performance analysis.
User-Friendly Feedback: Provide clear and concise feedback to users during error handling and loading states.
Graceful Degradation: Design the chat widget to gracefully degrade functionality in the event of errors or network issues.