peterbamuhigire/api-error-handling

Platform Notes

• Optional helper plugins may help in some environments, but they must not be treated as required for this skill.

API Error Handling

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Use When

• Comprehensive, standardized error response system for PHP REST APIs with SweetAlert2 integration. Use when building REST APIs that need consistent error formatting, specific error message extraction from database exceptions, validation error...
• The task needs reusable judgment, domain constraints, or a proven workflow rather than ad hoc advice.

Do Not Use When

• The task is unrelated to api-error-handling or would be better handled by a more specific companion skill.
• The request only needs a trivial answer and none of this skill's constraints or references materially help.

Required Inputs

• Gather relevant project context, constraints, and the concrete problem to solve; load references, examples only as needed.
• Confirm the desired deliverable: design, code, review, migration plan, audit, or documentation.

Workflow

• Read this SKILL.md first, then load only the referenced deep-dive files that are necessary for the task.
• Apply the ordered guidance, checklists, and decision rules in this skill instead of cherry-picking isolated snippets.
• Produce the deliverable with assumptions, risks, and follow-up work made explicit when they matter.

Quality Standards

• Keep outputs execution-oriented, concise, and aligned with the repository's baseline engineering standards.
• Preserve compatibility with existing project conventions unless the skill explicitly requires a stronger standard.
• Prefer deterministic, reviewable steps over vague advice or tool-specific magic.

Anti-Patterns

• Treating examples as copy-paste truth without checking fit, constraints, or failure modes.
• Loading every reference file by default instead of using progressive disclosure.

Outputs

• A concrete result that fits the task: implementation guidance, review findings, architecture decisions, templates, or generated artifacts.
• Clear assumptions, tradeoffs, or unresolved gaps when the task cannot be completed from available context alone.
• References used, companion skills, or follow-up actions when they materially improve execution.

References

• Use the references/ directory for deep detail after reading the core workflow below.
• Use the examples/ directory for concrete patterns when implementation shape matters.

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Implement comprehensive, standardized error response system for PHP REST APIs with consistent JSON envelopes, specific error message extraction, and SweetAlert2 integration.

Core Principles:

• Consistent JSON envelope across all endpoints
• Specific error messages extracted from all exception types
• Appropriate HTTP status codes for all error categories
• Machine-readable error codes for programmatic handling
• Human-readable messages for SweetAlert2 display
• Secure error handling (no stack traces in production)
• Comprehensive logging with request IDs
• CRITICAL: Always show error messages to users in SweetAlert (never silent failures)

Security Baseline (Required): Always load and apply the Vibe Security Skill for PHP API work. Do not leak sensitive data in responses or logs.

Cross-Platform: APIs deploy to Windows (dev), Ubuntu (staging), Debian (production), all running MySQL 8.x. Use utf8mb4_unicode_ci collation. Match file/directory case exactly in require paths (Linux is case-sensitive). Use forward slashes in paths.

See subdirectories for:

• references/ - Complete PHP classes (ApiResponse, ExceptionHandler, Exceptions)
• examples/ - Full endpoint implementation, frontend client

Additional Guidance

Extended guidance for api-error-handling was moved to references/skill-deep-dive.md to keep this entrypoint compact and fast to load.

Use that deep dive for:

• Response Envelope Standard
• HTTP Status Codes
• ApiResponse Helper (Quick Reference)
• Exception Handler (Quick Reference)
• Custom Exception Classes
• API Bootstrap Pattern
• Endpoint Implementation Pattern
• Frontend Integration
• Critical Error Display Pattern
• Debugging Data Shape Mismatches
• API Contract Validation (Frontend-Backend Alignment)
• Error Message Extraction
• Additional deep-dive sections continue in the reference file.