Error Handling and Edge Cases
This tutorial covers robust error handling patterns and edge case management when working with the BSV TypeScript SDK. You'll learn to build resilient applications that gracefully handle network failures, wallet issues, validation errors, and other common scenarios.
Prerequisites
- Basic familiarity with the BSV TypeScript SDK
- Understanding of WalletClient usage
- Knowledge of async/await and Promise handling
- Basic TypeScript/JavaScript error handling concepts
Learning Goals
By the end of this tutorial, you will:
- Understand common error types in the BSV ecosystem
- Implement robust retry mechanisms and recovery strategies
- Handle wallet-specific errors and edge cases
- Build production-ready error handling patterns
- Debug and troubleshoot common SDK issues
- Create user-friendly error reporting systems
Error Types and Categories
WalletErrorObject Interface
The SDK uses a standardized error interface for wallet operations:
import { WalletClient, WalletErrorObject } from '@bsv/sdk'
function isWalletError(error: any): error is WalletErrorObject {
return error && typeof error === 'object' && error.isError === true
}
async function handleWalletOperation() {
try {
const wallet = new WalletClient('auto', 'localhost')
const result = await wallet.createAction({
description: 'Test transaction',
outputs: [{
satoshis: 100,
lockingScript: '006a0474657374', // "test"
outputDescription: 'Test output'
}]
})
console.log('Transaction successful:', result.txid)
} catch (error) {
if (isWalletError(error)) {
console.error('Wallet error occurred:', error.message)
// Handle wallet-specific error
} else {
console.error('General error:', error)
// Handle other types of errors
}
}
}
Common Error Categories
enum ErrorCategory {
NETWORK = 'network',
WALLET = 'wallet',
VALIDATION = 'validation',
AUTHENTICATION = 'authentication',
INSUFFICIENT_FUNDS = 'insufficient_funds',
SCRIPT = 'script',
CRYPTOGRAPHIC = 'cryptographic'
}
interface CategorizedError {
category: ErrorCategory
message: string
originalError: Error
retryable: boolean
suggestedAction?: string
}
function categorizeError(error: Error): CategorizedError {
const message = error.message.toLowerCase()
if (message.includes('insufficient funds')) {
return {
category: ErrorCategory.INSUFFICIENT_FUNDS,
message: error.message,
originalError: error,
retryable: true,
suggestedAction: 'Check wallet balance and available UTXOs'
}
}
if (message.includes('rpc error') || message.includes('no header should have returned false')) {
return {
category: ErrorCategory.NETWORK,
message: error.message,
originalError: error,
retryable: true,
suggestedAction: 'Wait for wallet synchronization or restart wallet'
}
}
if (message.includes('not authenticated') || message.includes('authentication')) {
return {
category: ErrorCategory.AUTHENTICATION,
message: error.message,
originalError: error,
retryable: true,
suggestedAction: 'Re-authenticate with wallet'
}
}
if (message.includes('script') || message.includes('validation')) {
return {
category: ErrorCategory.VALIDATION,
message: error.message,
originalError: error,
retryable: false,
suggestedAction: 'Check transaction inputs and script validity'
}
}
return {
category: ErrorCategory.NETWORK,
message: error.message,
originalError: error,
retryable: false
}
}
Retry Mechanisms and Recovery Strategies
Exponential Backoff Implementation
interface RetryOptions {
maxAttempts: number
baseDelay: number
maxDelay: number
backoffMultiplier: number
retryableErrors: string[]
}
class RetryManager {
private defaultOptions: RetryOptions = {
maxAttempts: 3,
baseDelay: 1000,
maxDelay: 30000,
backoffMultiplier: 2,
retryableErrors: [
'insufficient funds',
'rpc error',
'no header should have returned false',
'network error',
'timeout'
]
}
async executeWithRetry<T>(
operation: () => Promise<T>,
options: Partial<RetryOptions> = {}
): Promise<T> {
const config = { ...this.defaultOptions, ...options }
let lastError: Error
for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= config.maxAttempts; attempt++) {
try {
console.log(`Attempt ${attempt}/${config.maxAttempts}`)
return await operation()
} catch (error: any) {
lastError = error
const categorized = categorizeError(error)
console.log(`Attempt ${attempt} failed:`, categorized.message)
if (!categorized.retryable || attempt === config.maxAttempts) {
break
}
const isRetryableError = config.retryableErrors.some(
retryableError => error.message.toLowerCase().includes(retryableError)
)
if (!isRetryableError) {
console.log('Error is not retryable, stopping attempts')
break
}
// Calculate delay with exponential backoff
const delay = Math.min(
config.baseDelay * Math.pow(config.backoffMultiplier, attempt - 1),
config.maxDelay
)
console.log(`Waiting ${delay}ms before retry...`)
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay))
}
}
throw new Error(`Operation failed after ${config.maxAttempts} attempts: ${lastError.message}`)
}
}
// Example usage
const retryManager = new RetryManager()
async function robustTransactionCreation() {
const wallet = new WalletClient('auto', 'localhost')
const result = await retryManager.executeWithRetry(async () => {
return await wallet.createAction({
description: 'Robust transaction with retry logic',
outputs: [{
satoshis: 100,
lockingScript: '006a0e526f6275737420746573742074786e', // "Robust test txn"
outputDescription: 'Retry demo output'
}]
})
}, {
maxAttempts: 5,
baseDelay: 2000
})
console.log('Transaction successful:', result.txid)
}
// Example usage
const walletManager = new WalletManager()
async function demonstrateWalletErrorHandling() {
try {
const result = await walletManager.safeCreateAction({
description: 'Wallet error handling demo',
outputs: [{
satoshis: 100,
lockingScript: '006a0f57616c6c657420657272206465616c', // "Wallet err deal"
outputDescription: 'Error handling demo'
}]
})
console.log('Transaction created successfully:', result.txid)
} catch (error) {
console.error('Final error after all recovery attempts:', error.message)
}
}
## Network and Chain Tracker Error Handling
### HTTP Client Error Management
```typescript
import { ChainTracker } from '@bsv/sdk'
class RobustChainTracker {
private tracker: ChainTracker
private retryManager: RetryManager
constructor(baseURL: string = 'https://api.whatsonchain.com/v1/bsv/main') {
this.tracker = new ChainTracker(baseURL)
this.retryManager = new RetryManager()
}
async safeIsValidRootForHeight(root: string, height: number): Promise<boolean> {
return this.retryManager.executeWithRetry(async () => {
try {
return await this.tracker.isValidRootForHeight(root, height)
} catch (error: any) {
if (error.message.includes('404')) {
throw new Error(`Block height ${height} not found on chain`)
}
if (error.message.includes('429')) {
console.log('Rate limited, waiting longer...')
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 5000))
throw error // Will be retried
}
if (error.message.includes('timeout') || error.message.includes('ECONNRESET')) {
console.log('Network timeout, retrying...')
throw error // Will be retried
}
// For other HTTP errors, don't retry
throw new Error(`Chain tracker error: ${error.message}`)
}
}, {
maxAttempts: 5,
baseDelay: 2000,
retryableErrors: ['timeout', 'econnreset', '429', 'network error']
})
}
}
// Example with fallback chain trackers
class FallbackChainTracker {
private trackers: RobustChainTracker[]
private currentTrackerIndex: number = 0
constructor() {
this.trackers = [
new RobustChainTracker('https://api.whatsonchain.com/v1/bsv/main'),
new RobustChainTracker('https://api.taal.com/api/v1/bsv/main'),
// Add more fallback endpoints as needed
]
}
async isValidRootForHeight(root: string, height: number): Promise<boolean> {
for (let i = 0; i < this.trackers.length; i++) {
const trackerIndex = (this.currentTrackerIndex + i) % this.trackers.length
const tracker = this.trackers[trackerIndex]
try {
console.log(`Trying chain tracker ${trackerIndex + 1}/${this.trackers.length}`)
const result = await tracker.safeIsValidRootForHeight(root, height)
// Success - update current tracker for next time
this.currentTrackerIndex = trackerIndex
return result
} catch (error: any) {
console.log(`Chain tracker ${trackerIndex + 1} failed:`, error.message)
if (i === this.trackers.length - 1) {
throw new Error(`All chain trackers failed. Last error: ${error.message}`)
}
}
}
throw new Error('No chain trackers available')
}
}
Practical Retry Implementation
Here's a practical example that handles common wallet errors with specific recovery strategies:
import { WalletClient } from '@bsv/sdk'
async function robustTransactionCreation() {
try {
const wallet = new WalletClient('auto', 'localhost')
const { authenticated } = await wallet.isAuthenticated()
if (!authenticated) {
await wallet.waitForAuthentication()
}
// Implement retry logic for common wallet issues
async function createActionWithRetry(args: any, maxRetries = 3) {
for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= maxRetries; attempt++) {
try {
console.log(`Transaction attempt ${attempt}/${maxRetries}`)
const result = await wallet.createAction(args)
console.log('Transaction successful!')
return result
} catch (error: any) {
console.log(`Attempt ${attempt} failed:`, error.message)
if (error.message?.includes('Insufficient funds')) {
console.log('Checking available UTXOs...')
const { outputs } = await wallet.listOutputs({
basket: 'tutorial',
limit: 20
})
const spendableValue = outputs
.filter(o => o.spendable)
.reduce((sum, o) => sum + o.satoshis, 0)
console.log(`Total spendable: ${spendableValue} satoshis`)
if (spendableValue < 500) {
throw new Error('Insufficient confirmed funds available')
}
// Try with a smaller amount
if (args.outputs && args.outputs[0]) {
args.outputs[0].satoshis = Math.min(100, spendableValue - 50)
console.log(`Retrying with reduced amount: ${args.outputs[0].satoshis} satoshis`)
}
} else if (error.message?.includes('no header should have returned false')) {
console.log('Wallet synchronization issue detected')
console.log('Waiting for wallet to sync...')
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 5000))
} else if (error.message?.includes('RPC Error')) {
console.log('RPC communication error, retrying...')
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 2000))
} else {
// For other errors, don't retry
throw error
}
if (attempt === maxRetries) {
throw new Error(`Transaction failed after ${maxRetries} attempts: ${error.message}`)
}
}
}
}
// Use the robust transaction creation
const result = await createActionWithRetry({
description: 'Robust transaction with error handling',
outputs: [
{
satoshis: 100,
lockingScript: '006a0e526f6275737420746573742074786e', // "Robust test txn"
outputDescription: 'Error handling demo'
}
]
})
if (result && result.txid) {
console.log(`Robust transaction created: ${result.txid}`)
} else {
console.log('Transaction completed but no TXID returned')
}
} catch (error: unknown) {
console.error('Final error:', error)
}
}
robustTransactionCreation().catch(console.error)
This example demonstrates:
- Specific error pattern matching for different error types
- Dynamic amount adjustment for insufficient funds
- Wallet synchronization handling with appropriate delays
- RPC error recovery with retry logic
- Graceful degradation when all retries are exhausted
SPV Verification Error Handling
import { Transaction, MerklePath } from '@bsv/sdk'
class SPVVerificationManager {
private chainTracker: FallbackChainTracker
constructor() {
this.chainTracker = new FallbackChainTracker()
}
async verifyTransactionSPV(
transaction: Transaction,
merklePath?: MerklePath,
chainTracker?: ChainTracker
): Promise<{ verified: boolean; error?: string }> {
try {
// Use provided chain tracker or fallback
const tracker = chainTracker || this.chainTracker
const isValid = await transaction.verify(tracker, merklePath)
return { verified: isValid }
} catch (error: any) {
const errorMessage = error.message.toLowerCase()
if (errorMessage.includes('missing source transaction')) {
return {
verified: false,
error: 'BEEF structure incomplete - missing input transactions'
}
}
if (errorMessage.includes('merkle root')) {
return {
verified: false,
error: 'Merkle proof verification failed - invalid proof or root mismatch'
}
}
if (errorMessage.includes('script')) {
return {
verified: false,
error: 'Script validation failed - invalid unlocking script'
}
}
if (errorMessage.includes('chain tracker')) {
return {
verified: false,
error: 'Chain tracker unavailable - cannot verify block headers'
}
}
return {
verified: false,
error: `SPV verification failed: ${error.message}`
}
}
}
async batchVerifyTransactions(
transactions: Transaction[],
merkleProofs?: MerklePath[]
): Promise<Array<{ txid: string; verified: boolean; error?: string }>> {
const results = []
for (let i = 0; i < transactions.length; i++) {
const tx = transactions[i]
const proof = merkleProofs?.[i]
const txid = Buffer.from(tx.id()).toString('hex')
try {
console.log(`Verifying transaction ${i + 1}/${transactions.length}: ${txid}`)
const result = await this.verifyTransactionSPV(tx, proof)
results.push({ txid, ...result })
// Add small delay to avoid overwhelming the chain tracker
if (i < transactions.length - 1) {
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 100))
}
} catch (error: any) {
results.push({
txid,
verified: false,
error: `Batch verification error: ${error.message}`
})
}
}
return results
}
}
Cryptographic Operation Error Handling
Key Validation and Recovery
import { PrivateKey, PublicKey, SymmetricKey } from '@bsv/sdk'
class CryptographicErrorHandler {
static validatePrivateKey(key: PrivateKey): { valid: boolean; error?: string } {
try {
// Test key operations
const publicKey = key.toPublicKey()
const wif = key.toWif()
// Verify the key can sign and verify
const testMessage = 'validation test'
const signature = key.sign(Buffer.from(testMessage, 'utf8'))
const isValid = publicKey.verify(Buffer.from(testMessage, 'utf8'), signature)
if (!isValid) {
return { valid: false, error: 'Key failed signature verification test' }
}
return { valid: true }
} catch (error: any) {
return { valid: false, error: `Key validation failed: ${error.message}` }
}
}
static validatePublicKey(key: PublicKey): { valid: boolean; error?: string } {
try {
// Test key operations
const point = key.point
const der = key.toDER()
// Verify point is on curve
if (!point.isOnCurve()) {
return { valid: false, error: 'Public key point is not on the secp256k1 curve' }
}
return { valid: true }
} catch (error: any) {
return { valid: false, error: `Public key validation failed: ${error.message}` }
}
}
static safeECDHKeyExchange(
privateKey: PrivateKey,
publicKey: PublicKey
): { success: boolean; sharedSecret?: number[]; error?: string } {
try {
// Validate inputs first
const privateValidation = this.validatePrivateKey(privateKey)
if (!privateValidation.valid) {
return { success: false, error: `Invalid private key: ${privateValidation.error}` }
}
const publicValidation = this.validatePublicKey(publicKey)
if (!publicValidation.valid) {
return { success: false, error: `Invalid public key: ${publicValidation.error}` }
}
// Perform ECDH
const sharedSecret = privateKey.deriveSharedSecret(publicKey)
// Validate the result
if (!sharedSecret || sharedSecret.length !== 32) {
return { success: false, error: 'ECDH produced invalid shared secret' }
}
return { success: true, sharedSecret }
} catch (error: any) {
return { success: false, error: `ECDH key exchange failed: ${error.message}` }
}
}
static safeSymmetricEncryption(
data: string,
key?: SymmetricKey
): { success: boolean; encrypted?: number[]; key?: SymmetricKey; error?: string } {
try {
const encryptionKey = key || SymmetricKey.fromRandom()
if (!data || data.length === 0) {
return { success: false, error: 'Data cannot be empty' }
}
const encrypted = encryptionKey.encrypt(data) as number[]
if (!encrypted || encrypted.length === 0) {
return { success: false, error: 'Encryption produced empty result' }
}
// Verify we can decrypt
const decrypted = encryptionKey.decrypt(encrypted, 'utf8') as string
if (decrypted !== data) {
return { success: false, error: 'Encryption verification failed - decrypt mismatch' }
}
return { success: true, encrypted, key: encryptionKey }
} catch (error: any) {
return { success: false, error: `Symmetric encryption failed: ${error.message}` }
}
}
}
// Example usage with comprehensive error handling
async function demonstrateCryptographicErrorHandling() {
console.log('=== Cryptographic Error Handling Demo ===')
try {
// Test private key validation
const privateKey = PrivateKey.fromRandom()
const validation = CryptographicErrorHandler.validatePrivateKey(privateKey)
if (!validation.valid) {
console.error('Private key validation failed:', validation.error)
return
}
console.log('Private key validation: PASSED')
// Test ECDH with error handling
const otherPrivateKey = PrivateKey.fromRandom()
const otherPublicKey = otherPrivateKey.toPublicKey()
const ecdhResult = CryptographicErrorHandler.safeECDHKeyExchange(privateKey, otherPublicKey)
if (!ecdhResult.success) {
console.error('ECDH failed:', ecdhResult.error)
return
}
console.log('ECDH key exchange: PASSED')
// Test symmetric encryption with error handling
const testData = 'Sensitive data for encryption testing'
const encryptionResult = CryptographicErrorHandler.safeSymmetricEncryption(testData)
if (!encryptionResult.success) {
console.error('Symmetric encryption failed:', encryptionResult.error)
return
}
console.log('Symmetric encryption: PASSED')
console.log('All cryptographic operations completed successfully')
} catch (error) {
console.error('Unexpected error in cryptographic demo:', error)
}
}
Production Error Monitoring
Comprehensive Error Logging
interface ErrorLogEntry {
timestamp: Date
category: ErrorCategory
operation: string
message: string
stack?: string
context?: any
retryCount?: number
resolved?: boolean
}
class ErrorLogger {
private logs: ErrorLogEntry[] = []
private maxLogs: number = 1000
log(
category: ErrorCategory,
operation: string,
error: Error,
context?: any,
retryCount?: number
): void {
const entry: ErrorLogEntry = {
timestamp: new Date(),
category,
operation,
message: error.message,
stack: error.stack,
context,
retryCount,
resolved: false
}
this.logs.push(entry)
// Keep only recent logs
if (this.logs.length > this.maxLogs) {
this.logs = this.logs.slice(-this.maxLogs)
}
// Console output for development
console.error(`[${category.toUpperCase()}] ${operation}: ${error.message}`)
if (context) {
console.error('Context:', context)
}
}
markResolved(operation: string, timestamp: Date): void {
const entry = this.logs.find(
log => log.operation === operation &&
Math.abs(log.timestamp.getTime() - timestamp.getTime()) < 1000
)
if (entry) {
entry.resolved = true
}
}
getErrorSummary(): { [key in ErrorCategory]: number } {
const summary = {} as { [key in ErrorCategory]: number }
for (const category of Object.values(ErrorCategory)) {
summary[category] = this.logs.filter(
log => log.category === category && !log.resolved
).length
}
return summary
}
getRecentErrors(minutes: number = 60): ErrorLogEntry[] {
const cutoff = new Date(Date.now() - minutes * 60 * 1000)
return this.logs.filter(log => log.timestamp > cutoff)
}
exportLogs(): string {
return JSON.stringify(this.logs, null, 2)
}
}
// Global error logger instance
const errorLogger = new ErrorLogger()
User-Friendly Error Messages
class UserErrorHandler {
private errorLogger: ErrorLogger
constructor() {
this.errorLogger = errorLogger
}
getUserFriendlyMessage(error: Error, operation: string): string {
const categorized = categorizeError(error)
this.errorLogger.log(categorized.category, operation, error)
switch (categorized.category) {
case ErrorCategory.INSUFFICIENT_FUNDS:
return 'Insufficient funds available. Please check your wallet balance and try again with a smaller amount.'
case ErrorCategory.AUTHENTICATION:
return 'Wallet authentication required. Please unlock your wallet and try again.'
case ErrorCategory.NETWORK:
if (error.message.includes('no header should have returned false')) {
return 'Wallet is synchronizing with the network. Please wait a moment and try again.'
}
return 'Network connection issue. Please check your internet connection and try again.'
case ErrorCategory.VALIDATION:
return 'Transaction validation failed. Please check your transaction details and try again.'
case ErrorCategory.SCRIPT:
return 'Transaction script error. Please verify your transaction parameters.'
case ErrorCategory.CRYPTOGRAPHIC:
return 'Cryptographic operation failed. Please try again or contact support if the issue persists.'
default:
return 'An unexpected error occurred. Please try again or contact support if the issue persists.'
}
}
async handleOperationWithUserFeedback<T>(
operation: () => Promise<T>,
operationName: string,
onProgress?: (message: string) => void,
onError?: (userMessage: string, technicalError: Error) => void
): Promise<T> {
const retryManager = new RetryManager()
try {
return await retryManager.executeWithRetry(async () => {
if (onProgress) {
onProgress(`Executing ${operationName}...`)
}
return await operation()
}, {
maxAttempts: 3,
baseDelay: 2000
})
} catch (error: any) {
const userMessage = this.getUserFriendlyMessage(error, operationName)
if (onError) {
onError(userMessage, error)
}
throw new Error(userMessage)
}
}
}
// Example usage in a user interface
async function demonstrateUserErrorHandling() {
const userErrorHandler = new UserErrorHandler()
const wallet = new WalletClient('auto', 'localhost')
try {
await userErrorHandler.handleOperationWithUserFeedback(
async () => {
return await wallet.createAction({
description: 'User-friendly error handling demo',
outputs: [{
satoshis: 100,
lockingScript: '006a0f5573657220667269656e646c79', // "User friendly"
outputDescription: 'User error demo'
}]
})
},
'Create Transaction',
(message) => console.log('Progress:', message),
(userMessage, technicalError) => {
console.log('User Message:', userMessage)
console.log('Technical Details:', technicalError.message)
}
)
console.log('Transaction completed successfully!')
} catch (error) {
console.log('Operation failed with user-friendly error:', error.message)
}
}
Testing Error Scenarios
Error Simulation for Testing
class ErrorSimulator {
private shouldSimulateError: boolean = false
private errorType: ErrorCategory = ErrorCategory.NETWORK
private errorMessage: string = 'Simulated error'
enableErrorSimulation(type: ErrorCategory, message: string): void {
this.shouldSimulateError = true
this.errorType = type
this.errorMessage = message
}
disableErrorSimulation(): void {
this.shouldSimulateError = false
}
checkAndThrowSimulatedError(operation: string): void {
if (this.shouldSimulateError) {
console.log(`Simulating ${this.errorType} error for operation: ${operation}`)
throw new Error(this.errorMessage)
}
}
async simulateNetworkDelay(minMs: number = 100, maxMs: number = 1000): Promise<void> {
const delay = Math.random() * (maxMs - minMs) + minMs
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay))
}
}
// Test suite for error handling
class ErrorHandlingTestSuite {
private simulator: ErrorSimulator
private userErrorHandler: UserErrorHandler
constructor() {
this.simulator = new ErrorSimulator()
this.userErrorHandler = new UserErrorHandler()
}
async testInsufficientFundsHandling(): Promise<boolean> {
console.log('Testing insufficient funds error handling...')
this.simulator.enableErrorSimulation(
ErrorCategory.INSUFFICIENT_FUNDS,
'Insufficient funds: 101 more satoshis are needed'
)
try {
await this.userErrorHandler.handleOperationWithUserFeedback(
async () => {
this.simulator.checkAndThrowSimulatedError('createAction')
return { txid: 'simulated-success' }
},
'Test Transaction'
)
return false // Should have thrown
} catch (error: any) {
const isCorrectMessage = error.message.includes('Insufficient funds available')
console.log('Insufficient funds test:', isCorrectMessage ? 'PASSED' : 'FAILED')
return isCorrectMessage
} finally {
this.simulator.disableErrorSimulation()
}
}
async testNetworkErrorHandling(): Promise<boolean> {
console.log('Testing network error handling...')
this.simulator.enableErrorSimulation(
ErrorCategory.NETWORK,
'RPC Error: no header should have returned false'
)
try {
await this.userErrorHandler.handleOperationWithUserFeedback(
async () => {
this.simulator.checkAndThrowSimulatedError('createAction')
return { txid: 'simulated-success' }
},
'Test Transaction'
)
return false // Should have thrown
} catch (error: any) {
const isCorrectMessage = error.message.includes('synchronizing with the network')
console.log('Network error test:', isCorrectMessage ? 'PASSED' : 'FAILED')
return isCorrectMessage
} finally {
this.simulator.disableErrorSimulation()
}
}
async runAllTests(): Promise<void> {
console.log('=== Error Handling Test Suite ===')
const tests = [
this.testInsufficientFundsHandling(),
this.testNetworkErrorHandling()
]
const results = await Promise.all(tests)
const passedTests = results.filter(result => result).length
console.log(`\nTest Results: ${passedTests}/${results.length} tests passed`)
if (passedTests === results.length) {
console.log('All error handling tests PASSED! ✅')
} else {
console.log('Some error handling tests FAILED! ❌')
}
}
}
Best Practices Summary
Production-Ready Error Handling Checklist
// Production error handling implementation example
class ProductionWalletService {
private wallet: WalletClient
private retryManager: RetryManager
private errorLogger: ErrorLogger
private userErrorHandler: UserErrorHandler
constructor() {
this.wallet = new WalletClient('auto', 'localhost')
this.retryManager = new RetryManager()
this.errorLogger = new ErrorLogger()
this.userErrorHandler = new UserErrorHandler()
}
async createTransaction(
description: string,
outputs: any[],
options?: any
): Promise<{ success: boolean; txid?: string; userMessage?: string }> {
const operation = 'createTransaction'
try {
const result = await this.userErrorHandler.handleOperationWithUserFeedback(
async () => {
return await this.retryManager.executeWithRetry(async () => {
// Ensure authentication
const { authenticated } = await this.wallet.isAuthenticated()
if (!authenticated) {
await this.wallet.waitForAuthentication()
}
// Create transaction
return await this.wallet.createAction({
description,
outputs,
...options
})
})
},
operation
)
return {
success: true,
txid: result.txid
}
} catch (error: any) {
const userMessage = this.userErrorHandler.getUserFriendlyMessage(error, operation)
return {
success: false,
userMessage
}
}
}
getHealthStatus(): {
status: 'healthy' | 'degraded' | 'unhealthy'
errors: { [key in ErrorCategory]: number }
uptime: number
} {
const errors = this.errorLogger.getErrorSummary()
const totalErrors = Object.values(errors).reduce((sum, count) => sum + count, 0)
let status: 'healthy' | 'degraded' | 'unhealthy'
if (totalErrors === 0) {
status = 'healthy'
} else if (totalErrors < 5) {
status = 'degraded'
} else {
status = 'unhealthy'
}
return {
status,
errors,
uptime: process.uptime()
}
}
}
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Quick Diagnostic Guide
async function diagnoseCommonIssues(): Promise<void> {
console.log('=== BSV SDK Diagnostic Tool ===')
const wallet = new WalletClient('auto', 'localhost')
// Test 1: Wallet Connection
try {
console.log('1. Testing wallet connection...')
const { authenticated } = await wallet.isAuthenticated()
console.log(` Wallet authenticated: ${authenticated}`)
if (!authenticated) {
console.log(' ⚠️ Wallet not authenticated - this may cause transaction failures')
} else {
console.log(' ✅ Wallet connection OK')
}
} catch (error) {
console.log(` ❌ Wallet connection failed: ${error.message}`)
}
// Test 2: UTXO Availability
try {
console.log('2. Checking UTXO availability...')
const { outputs, totalValue } = await wallet.listOutputs({ limit: 10 })
const spendable = outputs.filter(o => o.spendable)
console.log(` Total outputs: ${outputs.length}`)
console.log(` Spendable outputs: ${spendable.length}`)
console.log(` Total value: ${totalValue} satoshis`)
if (spendable.length === 0) {
console.log(' ⚠️ No spendable UTXOs available')
} else if (totalValue < 1000) {
console.log(' ⚠️ Low balance - may cause insufficient funds errors')
} else {
console.log(' ✅ UTXO availability OK')
}
} catch (error) {
console.log(` ❌ UTXO check failed: ${error.message}`)
}
// Test 3: Simple Transaction
try {
console.log('3. Testing simple transaction creation...')
const result = await wallet.createAction({
description: 'Diagnostic test transaction',
outputs: [{
satoshis: 100,
lockingScript: '006a0a4469616720746573742074786e', // "Diag test txn"
outputDescription: 'Diagnostic test'
}]
})
console.log(` ✅ Transaction created successfully: ${result.txid}`)
} catch (error: any) {
console.log(` ❌ Transaction creation failed: ${error.message}`)
if (error.message.includes('Insufficient funds')) {
console.log(' 💡 Try reducing the transaction amount or funding your wallet')
} else if (error.message.includes('no header should have returned false')) {
console.log(' 💡 Try restarting your wallet or waiting for synchronization')
} else if (error.message.includes('not authenticated')) {
console.log(' 💡 Ensure your wallet is unlocked and authenticated')
}
}
console.log('\n=== Diagnostic Complete ===')
}
Conclusion
You've now mastered comprehensive error handling for the BSV TypeScript SDK. You can:
- Categorize and handle different types of errors appropriately
- Implement robust retry mechanisms with exponential backoff
- Handle wallet-specific errors and authentication issues
- Manage network failures and chain tracker problems
- Validate cryptographic operations and handle edge cases
- Build production-ready error monitoring and logging systems
- Create user-friendly error messages and recovery strategies
- Test error scenarios systematically
These patterns enable you to build resilient Bitcoin applications that gracefully handle failures and provide excellent user experiences even when things go wrong.
Next Steps
- Review the Large Transactions Guide for efficiency patterns
- Check out Security Best Practices for comprehensive security
- Explore specific error handling in other tutorials for your use case