Make error type record constructors extend JavaScript Errors.

lib/types.js

@@ -1169,20 +1169,22 @@ function RecordType(schema, opts) {
     return new Field(f, opts);
   });
 
-  this._constructor = this._createConstructor();
+  this._constructor = this._createConstructor(schema.type === 'error');
   this._read = this._createReader();
   this._skip = this._createSkipper();
   this._write = this._createWriter();
   this.isValid = this._createChecker();
 }
 util.inherits(RecordType, Type);
 
-RecordType.prototype._createConstructor = function () {
+RecordType.prototype._createConstructor = function (isError) {
   // jshint -W054
   var outerArgs = [];
   var innerArgs = [];
-  var innerBody = '';
   var ds = []; // Defaults.
+  var innerBody = isError ? '  Error.call(this);\n' : '';
+  // Not calling `Error.captureStackTrace` because this wouldn't be compatible
+  // with browsers other than Chrome.
   var i, l, field, name, getDefault;
   for (i = 0, l = this._fields.length; i < l; i++) {
     field = this._fields[i];
@@ -1217,6 +1219,11 @@ RecordType.prototype._createConstructor = function () {
   // The names of these properties added to the prototype are prefixed with `$`
   // because it is an invalid property name in Avro but not in JavaScript.
   // (This way we are guaranteed not to be stepped over!)
+  if (isError) {
+    util.inherits(Record, Error);
+    // Not setting the name on the prototype to be consistent with how object
+    // fields are mapped to (only if defined in the schema as a field).
+  }
 
   return Record;
 };

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "avsc",
-  "version": "2.2.0",
+  "version": "2.2.1",
   "description": "A serialization API to make you smile",
   "homepage": "https://github.com/mtth/avsc",
   "keywords": [

test/test_types.js

@@ -1688,6 +1688,17 @@ suite('types', function () {
       }); });
     });
 
+    test('error type', function () {
+      var t = fromSchema({
+        type: 'error',
+        name: 'Ouch',
+        fields: [{name: 'name', type: 'string'}]
+      });
+      var E = t.getRecordConstructor();
+      var err = new E('MyError');
+      assert(err instanceof Error);
+    });
+
   });
 
   suite('fromSchema', function  () {