ErrorResponse

Namespace: RA.Utilities.Api.Results

The ErrorResponse class is a specialized model for creating standardized 500 Internal Server Error responses. It is designed to be a "catch-all" for any unexpected or unhandled exceptions that occur within your application. It inherits from Response<T>, with the Result property typed as an ErrorResult object.

🎯 Purpose

The ErrorResponse class is a specialized model for creating standardized 500 Internal Server Error API responses. It serves as a "catch-all" for any unexpected or unhandled exceptions that occur during request processing. It inherits from the base Response<T> class.

Its primary functions are:

1. Handles Unexpected Failures: It provides a consistent and safe way to respond when something goes wrong on the server that wasn't anticipated by a more specific exception (like NotFoundException or ConflictException).

2. Prevents Information Leaks: By default, it returns a generic error message. In a production environment, it avoids sending sensitive details like exception messages or stack traces to the client, which could be a security risk.

3. Provides Rich Debugging Info: In a development environment, it can be configured to include detailed information in its ErrorResult payload, such as the exception type, the full exception message, and the stack trace. This is invaluable for developers during debugging.

4. Reduces Boilerplate: It automatically sets the response properties for a server error:

• ResponseCode: Set to 500 (from BaseResponseCode.InternalServerError).
• ResponseType: Set to ResponseType.Error.
• ResponseMessage: Defaults to "An unexpected error occurred on the server.".

The GlobalExceptionHandler in the RA.Utilities.Api package is designed to automatically catch unhandled exceptions and generate this ErrorResponse, ensuring your API always returns a structured JSON response, even when things go wrong.

⚙️ How It Works

When you create an instance of ErrorResponse, it pre-configures the following properties:

• ResponseCode: Set to 500 (from BaseResponseCode.InternalServerError).
• ResponseType: Set to ResponseType.Error.
• ResponseMessage: Defaults to "An unexpected error occurred on the server.".
• Result: An ErrorResult object containing details about the exception.

🚀 Usage with GlobalExceptionHandler

The most common use case for ErrorResponse is in conjunction with a global exception handler. The GlobalExceptionHandler provided in the RA.Utilities.Api package automatically catches any unhandled exceptions and uses ErrorResponse to generate the final output.

You typically do not need to create an ErrorResponse manually.

// Program.cs
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

builder.Services.AddRaExceptionHandling(); // Registers the handler

var app = builder.Build();

app.UseRaExceptionHandling(); // Adds the handler to the pipeline

app.MapGet("/test-error", () =>
{
    // This will be caught by the GlobalExceptionHandler
    throw new InvalidOperationException("Something went wrong!");
});

app.Run();

Example JSON Output

The response format depends on the environment.

Production Environment

In production, the stack trace is omitted to prevent leaking sensitive information.

{
  "responseCode": 500,
  "responseType": "Error",
  "responseMessage": "An unexpected error occurred on the server.",
  "result": {
    "exceptionType": "System.InvalidOperationException",
    "message": "An error occurred while processing your request.",
    "stackTrace": null
  }
}

Development Environment

In development, the full exception details are included for easier debugging.

{
  "responseCode": 500,
  "responseType": "Error",
  "responseMessage": "An unexpected error occurred on the server.",
  "result": {
    "exceptionType": "System.InvalidOperationException",
    "message": "Something went wrong!",
    "stackTrace": "at Program.<>c... in /path/to/Program.cs:line 15"
  }
}