Handling HTTP Errors

Introduction

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the foundation of data communication on the Web. As part of HTTP, status codes are issued by a server in response to a client's request. This lesson focuses on handling HTTP errors effectively.

HTTP Status Codes

HTTP status codes are categorized into five classes:

• 1xx: Informational responses
• 2xx: Successful responses
• 3xx: Redirection messages
• 4xx: Client error responses
• 5xx: Server error responses

Common HTTP error codes include:

• 400: Bad Request
• 401: Unauthorized
• 403: Forbidden
• 404: Not Found
• 500: Internal Server Error
• 502: Bad Gateway
• 503: Service Unavailable

Handling Errors

Properly handling HTTP errors can enhance user experience and provide meaningful feedback. Below are steps to handle HTTP errors effectively:

Example Code

fetch('https://api.example.com/data')
    .then(response => {
        if (!response.ok) {
            throw new Error(`HTTP error! status: ${response.status}`);
        }
        return response.json();
    })
    .then(data => console.log(data))
    .catch(error => {
        console.error('There was an error!', error);
        // Display user-friendly message
    });
            

Best Practices

• Always log errors for further analysis.
• Use consistent error messages across the application.
• Implement user-friendly error pages for common errors.
• Provide feedback to users about what went wrong.
• Test error handling in various scenarios.

FAQ