[User Story]: Comprehensive Error Handling and User Feedback Implementation Across the Platform

[kallewesterling]

Role

As a user

Desired Feature

I want the system to provide meaningful error messages and prevent blank screens when errors occur, ensuring transparency and guidance on how to proceed

Benefit

So that I can understand what went wrong and how to potentially correct it, enhancing my experience and trust in the system's reliability

Acceptance Criteria

GIVEN any error occurs in the backend, WHEN the error impacts the user interface or user experience, THEN the system should display a relevant and understandable error message to the user, AND ensure the UI does not remain unresponsive or display a blank screen.

Dependencies

• [ ] Access to a comprehensive list of potential backend errors including database connections, data retrieval failures, and form validation errors, see #452
• [ ] Collaboration in the dev team to ensure all errors are correctly captured and categorised.
• [ ] Updates to the UI to handle error messages appropriately and maintain user engagement even during failures.

Technical Notes

• Develop a centralised error handling service that captures and logs all backend errors.
• Implement a mapping system that translates technical error codes or messages into user-friendly text.
• Enhance the UI to gracefully handle errors by providing context-specific feedback and maintaining the interface's responsiveness.
• Review and possibly refactor existing error handling mechanisms to align with the new comprehensive approach.

Definition of Done

• [X] The feature fulfills all acceptance criteria.
• [X] The code is reviewed and meets team coding standards.
• [X] All unit, integration, and end-to-end tests are passed.
• [X] The feature meets accessibility standards set for the project.
• [X] The code passes the CI/CD pipeline quality controls (style and linting).
• [X] The feature is merged into the main branch.
• [X] The feature is deployed and functional in the QA environment.
• [X] The feature was demonstrated to the team and accepted by the product owner.