How to handle exceptions in OutSystems with error handlers and user-friendly messages?

Handling Exceptions in OutSystems with Error Handlers and User-Friendly Messages

Effectively managing exceptions in OutSystems involves using built-in error handling mechanisms to catch errors and presenting user-friendly messages. This comprehensive step-by-step guide will walk you through setting up error handlers in OutSystems and creating user-centric error messages.

Prerequisites

• An OutSystems account with a valid environment to implement error handling.
• Basic understanding of OutSystems development and error handling concepts.
• Access to an existing OutSystems application where error handling is to be implemented.
• Basic understanding of server actions and UI design in OutSystems.

Understanding Error Handling in OutSystems

• OutSystems uses try-catch logic to manage exceptions and provides built-in exceptions that can be handled within the flow.
• Error handling in OutSystems involves defining catch-all error handlers to capture unexpected exceptions at each action level.

Setting Up Error Handlers in OutSystems

• Open your OutSystems application where you need to implement error handlers.
• Navigate to the action flow (e.g., server action) where you want to add the error handler.
• Drag and drop an "Error Handler" widget from the toolbox onto the flow.
• Connect the "Error Handler" to the action, ensuring it follows the steps where errors might occur.
• Configure the error handler:
  • Specify the type of exceptions you want the handler to catch (e.g., "All Exceptions" or specific exceptions like "DatabaseException").
  • Configure output handling options, like writing error details to logs for further diagnosis.

Creating User-Friendly Messages

• Once an error is caught by the error handler, provide meaningful feedback to the user:
  • Utilize the "Notify" action within the logic of your error handler to show messages to users.
  • Create a variable to store the user-friendly message specific to the caught error.
  • Use conditions to determine which message to display based on the type of exception caught.
• Design user interface components to display these error messages:
  • Incorporate message areas or widgets within the UI to show error prompts.
  • Style the error message areas to be distinct and informative (e.g., use contrasting colors for error notifications).
• Example of displaying a user-friendly message:

      if (isAccountLocked) {
        NotifyException("Account is locked. Please contact support.");
      } else if (isDatabaseError) {
        NotifyException("Unable to process your request at this moment. Try again later.");
      }
      

Testing Error Handling and User Messages

• Run the application in a debugger or simulation environment to test error handling functionality.
• Trigger different error scenarios to ensure the error handlers work as intended and display appropriate messages.
• Check log entries to confirm error details are logged for later analysis.
• Ensure user messages are clear, concise, and instruct users on corrective actions.

Deploying Error-Handled OutSystems Applications

• After thorough testing, publish the OutSystems application with its new error-handling capabilities.
• Monitor application logs in the production environment to validate the handling of real-world errors.
• Gather user feedback about error messages to continuously improve the user experience.

By following these steps, you can create robust error-handling mechanisms in your OutSystems applications, ensuring exceptions are properly caught, logged, and communicated to users through friendly messages. This approach helps in maintaining application stability and enhancing user satisfaction.