Client-Side Error Handling in Portlet Development

Displaying Alerts Using JavaScript

JavaScript's alert() function provides a simple way to display a modal dialog box containing an error message to the user. This method is suitable for simple, immediate feedback but can be disruptive to the user experience if overused. Consider alternative approaches for more complex error scenarios.

Custom Error Message Display

For a more refined user experience, developers can create custom error message displays using HTML elements and JavaScript. This offers greater control over styling, placement, and the overall presentation of error messages. This approach typically involves dynamically modifying the Document Object Model (DOM) to insert or update elements containing error information.

• Dynamic Element Creation: JavaScript can create new HTML elements (e.g., `
  `, ``) to display errors. These elements can be styled with CSS for visual clarity.
• Element Manipulation: Existing HTML elements can be updated with error messages using JavaScript's DOM manipulation methods (e.g., innerHTML, textContent).
• Error Handling Libraries: JavaScript libraries can simplify the process of creating and managing error messages, offering features such as automatic error detection and sophisticated display mechanisms.

Integrating with Liferay's Framework

When working within the Liferay framework, developers should adhere to Liferay's best practices for error handling. This might involve using Liferay's built-in mechanisms for displaying messages or integrating with Liferay's logging system for recording errors for debugging purposes. Proper integration ensures consistency with the overall application behavior and simplifies maintenance.

Best Practices for Error Handling

• User-Friendly Messages: Error messages should be clear, concise, and easily understandable by users, avoiding technical jargon.
• Specific Error Information: Provide specific details about the error, where possible, to aid in troubleshooting and resolution.
• Error Logging: Log errors to a server-side log for debugging and monitoring. Sensitive information should be handled securely.
• Contextual Error Placement: Display error messages near the source of the error to improve user understanding and interaction.
• Accessibility Considerations: Ensure error messages are accessible to users with disabilities (e.g., screen readers).

Server-Side Error Handling

Client-side JavaScript error handling is often complemented by server-side error handling mechanisms. Server-side code should be robust enough to handle potential exceptions and return appropriate responses to the client. This may involve using mechanisms like exception handling and returning structured error responses in a format suitable for client-side processing (e.g., JSON).