Package Exports

@ebec/core
@ebec/core/package.json

Readme

@ebec/core

Core error class library for TypeScript. Provides BaseError with automatic code derivation, message interpolation, and JSON serialization. Zero runtime dependencies.

Table of Contents

Installation
Quick Start
Code Derivation
Message Interpolation
Wrapping Errors
Serialization
Type Guards
Error Grouping
Error Catalog
API Reference
License

Installation

npm install @ebec/core

Quick Start

The constructor accepts a string or an ErrorOptions object:

import { BaseError } from '@ebec/core';

// String message
const error = new BaseError('something went wrong');

// Options object
const error = new BaseError({
    message: 'something went wrong',
    code: 'SOMETHING_WRONG',
});

// No arguments — defaults to message "An error occurred"
const error = new BaseError();

Code Derivation

When no code is provided, it is derived from the class name by converting PascalCase to CONSTANT_CASE:

const error = new BaseError();
console.log(error.code);
// "BASE_ERROR"

class NotFoundError extends BaseError {}
const notFound = new NotFoundError();
console.log(notFound.code);
// "NOT_FOUND_ERROR"

An explicit code always takes priority:

const error = new BaseError({ code: 'CUSTOM_CODE' });
console.log(error.code);
// "CUSTOM_CODE"

Message Interpolation

Use messageData to fill {placeholder} tokens in the message. The data is used for interpolation only and is not stored on the error instance.

const error = new BaseError({
    message: 'User {id} not found in {service}',
    messageData: { id: 42, service: 'auth' },
});

console.log(error.message);
// "User 42 not found in auth"

Missing keys are left as-is:

const error = new BaseError({
    message: 'Missing {field}',
    messageData: { other: 'value' },
});

console.log(error.message);
// "Missing {field}"

Wrapping Errors

Use the cause option to preserve the original error:

try {
    await db.query('...');
} catch (err) {
    throw new BaseError({
        message: 'query failed',
        code: 'DB_ERROR',
        cause: err,
    });
}

Serialization

toJSON() returns a plain object with name, message, code, and optionally cause. If cause is a BaseError, it is serialized recursively.

const cause = new BaseError({ message: 'inner', code: 'INNER' });
const error = new BaseError({ message: 'outer', code: 'OUTER', cause });

console.log(JSON.stringify(error, null, 2));
// {
//   "name": "BaseError",
//   "message": "outer",
//   "code": "OUTER",
//   "cause": {
//     "name": "BaseError",
//     "message": "inner",
//     "code": "INNER"
//   }
// }

Type Guards

import { isBaseError, isErrorWithCode } from '@ebec/core';

// Check if any value is a BaseError-shaped object
if (isBaseError(error)) {
    console.log(error.code);
}

// Narrow by specific code
if (isErrorWithCode(error, 'NOT_FOUND')) {
    // error.code is narrowed to 'NOT_FOUND'
}

// Match against multiple codes
if (isErrorWithCode(error, ['NOT_FOUND', 'GONE'])) {
    // error.code is 'NOT_FOUND' | 'GONE'
}

Error Grouping

Use the errors option to collect multiple errors into a single error:

const errors = [
    new BaseError({ message: 'field "name" is required', code: 'VALIDATION' }),
    new BaseError({ message: 'field "email" is invalid', code: 'VALIDATION' }),
];

throw new BaseError({
    message: 'validation failed',
    errors,
});

Plain Error instances work too — no wrapping needed:

const results = await Promise.allSettled([taskA(), taskB(), taskC()]);
const failures = results
    .filter((r) => r.status === 'rejected')
    .map((r) => r.reason);

if (failures.length > 0) {
    throw new BaseError({ message: 'batch operation failed', errors: failures });
}

Use isBaseErrorGroup to check if an error carries grouped errors:

import { isBaseErrorGroup } from '@ebec/core';

if (isBaseErrorGroup(error)) {
    for (const child of error.errors) {
        console.log(child.message);
    }
}

toJSON() includes errors when present, serializing each child via its toJSON() method if available:

const error = new BaseError({
    message: 'batch failed',
    errors: [
        new BaseError({ message: 'step 1', code: 'STEP_1' }),
        new Error('step 2'),
    ],
});

console.log(JSON.stringify(error, null, 2));
// {
//   "name": "BaseError",
//   "message": "batch failed",
//   "code": "BASE_ERROR",
//   "errors": [
//     { "name": "BaseError", "message": "step 1", "code": "STEP_1" },
//     { "message": "step 2" }
//   ]
// }

Error Catalog

Define a centralized catalog of error factories with interpolation support:

import { defineErrorCatalog } from '@ebec/core';

const errors = defineErrorCatalog({
    USER_NOT_FOUND: { message: 'User {id} not found' },
    INVALID_INPUT: { message: 'Invalid input: {reason}', code: 'VALIDATION_ERROR' },
});

// Create errors with interpolation data
throw errors.USER_NOT_FOUND({ id: 42 });
// ^ message: "User 42 not found", code: "USER_NOT_FOUND"

// Override via second argument
throw errors.INVALID_INPUT({ reason: 'email required' }, { code: 'MISSING_EMAIL' });
// ^ message: "Invalid input: email required", code: "MISSING_EMAIL"

When code is not specified in the catalog entry, the key name is used as the code.

API Reference

BaseError

class BaseError extends Error {
    readonly code: string;
    readonly errors?: ReadonlyArray<Error>;
    cause?: unknown;

    constructor(input?: string | ErrorOptions);
    toJSON(): { name: string; message: string; code: string; cause?: unknown; errors?: unknown[] };
}

ErrorOptions

Property	Type	Description
`message`	`string`	Error message. Defaults to `"An error occurred"`.
`code`	`string`	Error identifier. Derived from class name if not set.
`messageData`	`Record<string, unknown>`	Data for `{placeholder}` interpolation. Not stored.
`cause`	`unknown`	Underlying cause of the error.
`errors`	`Error[]`	Collection of errors for batch/group scenarios.
`stack`	`string`	Override the stack trace.

Type Guards

Function	Returns	Description
`isBaseError(input)`	`input is IBaseError`	Checks for Error with string `code`
`isBaseErrorGroup(input)`	`input is IBaseErrorGroup`	Checks for `isBaseError` + `errors` array
`isErrorWithCode(input, code)`	`input is IBaseError & { code: C }`	Narrows code to specific value(s)
`isError(input)`	`input is Error`	Duck-type check for Error-shaped objects
`isErrorOptions(input)`	`input is ErrorOptions`	Validates options shape

Helpers

Function	Description
`sanitizeErrorCode(input)`	Converts PascalCase to CONSTANT_CASE
`extractErrorOptions(input)`	Normalizes `string \| ErrorOptions` to `ErrorOptions`
`defineErrorCatalog(definitions)`	Creates typed error factory functions
`toSerializable(input)`	Converts to JSON-safe form via `toJSON()` or `{ message }` fallback

License

Made with 💚

Published under MIT License.