Making send return errors for simpler debugging

Author: Derek Dowling

error_test.go

@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@ func TestError(t *testing.T) {
 				}, testError}}
 
 				Convey("should send a properly formatted JSON error list", func() {
-					Send(writer, request, testErrors)
+					err := Send(writer, request, testErrors)
+					So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 					So(writer.Code, ShouldEqual, http.StatusForbidden)
 
 					contentLength, convErr := strconv.Atoi(writer.HeaderMap.Get("Content-Length"))

list_test.go

@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ func TestList(t *testing.T) {
 			Convey("should send a properly formatted List response", func() {
 
 				writer := httptest.NewRecorder()
-				Send(writer, req, testList)
+				err := Send(writer, req, testList)
+				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 				So(writer.Code, ShouldEqual, http.StatusOK)
 
 				contentLength, convErr := strconv.Atoi(writer.HeaderMap.Get("Content-Length"))

object_test.go

@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@ func TestObject(t *testing.T) {
 		Convey("->Send(Object)", func() {
 			request.Method = "POST"
 			writer := httptest.NewRecorder()
-			Send(writer, request, testObject)
+			err := Send(writer, request, testObject)
+			So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 			So(writer.Code, ShouldEqual, http.StatusCreated)
 		})
 	})

parse.go

@@ -40,11 +40,11 @@ const (
 //		response, err := jsh.NewObject(yourType.ID, "yourtype", &yourType)
 //		if err != nil {
 //			// log error
-//			jsh.Send(w, r, err)
+//			err := jsh.Send(w, r, err)
 //			return
 //		}
 //
-//		jsh.Send(w, r, response)
+//		err := jsh.Send(w, r, response)
 //	}
 func ParseObject(r *http.Request) (*Object, SendableError) {
 

response.go

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ package jsh
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
-	"log"
+	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"strconv"
 )
@@ -54,47 +54,54 @@ func (r *Response) Validate() SendableError {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// Send fires a JSON response if the payload is prepared successfully, otherwise it
-// returns an Error which can also be sent.
-func Send(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, payload Sendable) {
+// Send will return a JSON payload to the requestor. If the payload response validation
+// fails, it will send an appropriate error to the requestor and will return the error
+func Send(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, payload Sendable) error {
+
 	response, err := payload.prepare(r, true)
 	if err != nil {
-		response, err = err.prepare(r, true)
 
-		// If we ever hit this, something seriously wrong has happened
+		response, err = err.prepare(r, true)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Printf("Error preparing JSH error: %s", err.Error())
 			http.Error(w, DefaultErrorTitle, http.StatusInternalServerError)
-			return
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error preparing JSH error: %s", err.Error())
 		}
+
+		return fmt.Errorf("Error preparing JSON payload: %s", err.Error())
 	}
 
-	SendResponse(w, r, response)
+	return SendResponse(w, r, response)
 }
 
 // SendResponse handles sending a fully packaged JSON Response allows API consumers
 // to more manually build their Responses in case they want to send Meta, Links, etc
-func SendResponse(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, response *Response) {
+// The function will always, send but will return the last error it encountered
+// to help with debugging
+func SendResponse(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, response *Response) error {
 
 	err := response.Validate()
 	if err != nil {
 		response, err = err.prepare(r, true)
 
 		// If we ever hit this, something seriously wrong has happened
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Printf("Error preparing JSH error: %s", err.Error())
 			http.Error(w, DefaultErrorTitle, http.StatusInternalServerError)
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error preparing JSH error: %s", err.Error())
 		}
+
+		return fmt.Errorf("Response validation error: %s", err.Error())
 	}
 
 	content, jsonErr := json.MarshalIndent(response, "", "  ")
 	if jsonErr != nil {
-		log.Printf("Unable to prepare JSON content: %s", jsonErr)
 		http.Error(w, DefaultErrorTitle, http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		return fmt.Errorf("Unable to marshal JSON payload: %s", jsonErr.Error())
 	}
 
 	w.Header().Add("Content-Type", ContentType)
 	w.Header().Set("Content-Length", strconv.Itoa(len(content)))
 	w.WriteHeader(response.HTTPStatus)
 	w.Write(content)
+
+	return nil
 }

response_test.go

@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ func TestSend(t *testing.T) {
 
 					request.Method = "GET"
 
-					Send(writer, request, object)
+					err := Send(writer, request, object)
+					So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 					So(writer.Code, ShouldEqual, http.StatusOK)
 
 					contentLength, convErr := strconv.Atoi(writer.HeaderMap.Get("Content-Length"))