Error Handling

Error Extraction (frontend/src/api/errors.ts)

Errors are typed via GraphQLErrorEntry interface (in errors.ts) — no as any:

• extensions.code is string | undefined
• getGraphQLErrorCode(error) extracts the error code from extensions

import { getGraphQLErrorMessage, getGraphQLErrorCode, isAuthError } from '../api';

getGraphQLErrorMessage(error); // → errors[0].message, or "An unexpected error occurred"
getGraphQLErrorCode(error); // → errors[0].extensions.code, or null
isAuthError(error); // → true if code is UNAUTHORIZED or FORBIDDEN

Never access extensions.originalError — dev-only, breaks in production.

Global Handlers (frontend/src/lib/queryClient.ts)

import { queryKeys } from './queryKeys.js';

let isHandlingAuthError = false;

export const queryClient = new QueryClient({
  queryCache: new QueryCache({
    onError: async (error) => {
      if (typeof window === 'undefined') return;
      if (isAuthError(error) && !isHandlingAuthError) {
        isHandlingAuthError = true;

        toast.info('Session expired. Please log in again.');

        await queryClient.cancelQueries();
        mutation()({ user: { logout: true } }).catch(() => {}); // best-effort (non-awaited)

        queryClient.setQueryData(queryKeys.me, null);
        queryClient.clear();
        window.location.href = '/login';
      }
    },
  }),
  mutationCache: new MutationCache({
    onError: (error) => {
      if (isAuthError(error)) return; // QueryCache handles it
      toast.error(getGraphQLErrorMessage(error));
    },
  }),
});

• Auth error flow: SSR guard → de-dupe guard → cancel queries → best-effort non-awaited logout mutation → clear auth/cache state → window.location.href = '/login'
• Non-auth mutation error → toast.error() with extracted message
• Do NOT add onError to individual hooks — the global handler covers it

Auth errors must suppress retries — add to defaultOptions:

defaultOptions: {
  queries: {
    retry: (failureCount, error) => {
      if (isAuthError(error)) return false;
      return failureCount < 1;
    },
  },
},

Per-Hook Pattern (success only)

const createMutation = useMutation({
  mutationFn: async (input) => {
    /* ... */
  },
  onSuccess: () => {
    queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: queryKeys.items });
    toast.success('Item created!');
    // ⛔ no onError here
  },
});

// For form flow — return boolean so forms know success/failure
const submit = async (input) => {
  try {
    await createMutation.mutateAsync(input);
    return true;
  } catch {
    return false;
  } // error toast already shown globally
};

Error Code Conventions

• UNAUTHORIZED — missing/invalid auth token or session
• FORBIDDEN — valid session, insufficient permission
• INVALID_CREDENTIALS — wrong email/password on login
• EMAIL_EXISTS — registration with existing email
• INVALID_INPUT — input fails validation rules
• NOT_FOUND — requested resource doesn't exist

Backend Throw Pattern

import { GraphQLError } from 'graphql'; // NOT from graphql-yoga

throw new GraphQLError('Invalid email or password', {
  extensions: { code: 'INVALID_CREDENTIALS' },
});
// Plain Error → masked to "Unexpected error." on client (use for internal crashes only)

Error Masking

GraphQL Yoga has error masking enabled by default — DO NOT disable it. Only GraphQLError messages reach the client; plain Error messages are masked to "Unexpected error." This is intentional for security.

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