docs(claude): add Error Messages four-ingredient strategy#1254
Merged
John-David Dalton (jdalton) merged 1 commit intomainfrom Apr 22, 2026
Merged
docs(claude): add Error Messages four-ingredient strategy#1254John-David Dalton (jdalton) merged 1 commit intomainfrom
John-David Dalton (jdalton) merged 1 commit intomainfrom
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Adds the four-ingredient error-message strategy (What / Where / Saw vs. wanted / Fix) from socket-repo-template's CLAUDE.md. Keeps the existing Error handling bullet (InputError/AuthError/ CResult) and adds a new Error Messages section underneath it. Foundation for a series of follow-up PRs that fix socket-cli's existing error messages to match this strategy. No source changes in this PR — docs only.
Martin Torp (mtorp)
approved these changes
Apr 22, 2026
John-David Dalton (jdalton)
deleted the
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Summary
Adds an Error Messages section to
CLAUDE.mdwith the four-ingredient strategy we're using across the fleet (copied fromsocket-repo-template):Plus rules on imperative voice, naming colliding records, and not silently auto-correcting.
Why
Right now socket-cli has a lot of errors like
Invalid value for --limit: foo— true but not helpful. After this PR lands, the agent has a written rule to reach for so error messages are consistent and actionable.What's NOT in this PR
Zero source-code changes. This is just the strategy doc. The actual error-message cleanup across
src/will land in follow-up PRs split by area (commands, dlx, utils, env, test, etc.) so each PR stays reviewable.Test plan
InputError, one usesAuthError, each shows the 4 ingredients).Note
Low Risk
Docs-only change to
CLAUDE.mdwith no runtime or behavioral impact. Low risk aside from potentially influencing future error wording conventions.Overview
Adds a new
### Error Messagessection toCLAUDE.mdthat standardizes how CLI errors should be written using a four-part format (what/where/saw-vs-wanted/fix) and a few concrete rules (imperative voice, avoid vague “invalid”, name collisions explicitly, don’t silently auto-correct), with good/bad examples usingInputError/AuthError.Reviewed by Cursor Bugbot for commit 31b7466. Configure here.