Error Handling & Exception Management

Centralized Error Handling

Use Django's built-in error handling and middleware to manage exceptions globally. Customize error views for common HTTP errors (404, 500, 403).

Example:

# In settings.py
HANDLER404 = 'app.views.custom_404_view'
HANDLER500 = 'app.views.custom_500_view'

Custom Exceptions

Define custom exception classes for domain-specific errors. Raise exceptions with clear messages and handle them in views or middleware.

Example:

class PaymentError(Exception):
    pass

Logging & Reporting

Use Django's logging framework to record errors and important events. Integrate with external error tracking tools (e.g., Sentry).

Example:

import logging

logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

try:
    # ...code...
except PaymentError as e:
    logger.error(f'Payment failed: {e}')

User-Friendly Error Messages

Display clear, actionable error messages to users. Avoid exposing sensitive information in error responses.

Best Practices

• Handle exceptions at the appropriate level (view, middleware, global).
• Log errors with context for debugging.
• Test error handling logic and custom error views.
• Document error handling conventions for new team members.