Error Handling and Logging

Overview

The switchvsversion tool employs a comprehensive error handling and logging system to ensure robust operation and provide informative feedback to users. This system consists of three primary mechanisms:

1. Error Handling: Utilizing Python’s try...except blocks, the tool gracefully catches and handles exceptions.

2. Logging: Employing the Python logging module, the tool records critical events, warnings, and errors to the console and a dedicated log file.

3. User Feedback: User-friendly messages are presented to the user through the console, informing them about encountered issues and providing guidance on potential solutions.

Error Handling Mechanisms

The switchvsversion tool incorporates the following error handling mechanisms:

• Catching Specific Exceptions: For anticipated errors, specific exceptions are caught and handled gracefully. This approach enhances code readability and error management.

• Generic Exception Handling: A general except Exception block is used to catch unexpected errors, preventing application crashes. However, these errors are logged for later investigation.

• Raising Custom Exceptions: In situations requiring more specific error handling, the tool defines custom exceptions that provide detailed error messages to the user.

Example:

# From: switchvsversion/switchvsversion.py
          # Catching a specific exception (FileNotFoundError)
          try:
              with open(filename, 'r') as f:
                  # Process file content
          except FileNotFoundError:
              print(f"Error: File not found: {filename}")
              sys.exit(1)
          
          # Generic exception handling
          try:
              # Code that could potentially raise an exception
          except Exception as e:
              print(f"An unexpected error occurred: {e}")
              logging.error(f"Unexpected error: {e}")
          

Logging Framework

The switchvsversion tool utilizes the Python logging module for robust logging capabilities. This framework allows for configurable logging levels, destinations (console and file), and format.

• Logging Levels: Different logging levels (DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR, CRITICAL) are used to categorize the severity of events. This allows for selective filtering of log messages based on the desired level.

• Logging Destinations: Logs are directed to both the console and a dedicated log file (switchvsversion.log) for comprehensive record-keeping.

• Logging Format: The logging format is customizable to include timestamps, log levels, module names, and error messages. This provides detailed information for debugging and troubleshooting.

Example:

# From: switchvsversion/switchvsversion.py
          import logging
          
          # Setting up logging
          logging.basicConfig(
              filename='switchvsversion.log',
              level=logging.INFO,
              format='%(asctime)s - %(levelname)s - %(module)s - %(message)s'
          )
          
          # Logging messages at different levels
          logging.debug("This is a debug message.")
          logging.info("This is an informational message.")
          logging.warning("This is a warning message.")
          logging.error("This is an error message.")
          logging.critical("This is a critical error message.")
          

User Feedback

The tool provides informative messages to the user through the console, ensuring they are aware of any issues encountered during execution.

• Error Messages: Clear and concise error messages are displayed in the console, indicating the nature of the error and providing guidance on potential solutions.

• Progress Messages: Informative messages are presented to the user during execution, providing feedback on the progress of the tool.

Example:

# From: switchvsversion/switchvsversion.py
          # Displaying an error message
          print(f"Error: Could not process file: {filename}")
          
          # Providing progress feedback
          print("Processing file...")