ADR-012: Error Handling
=======================

Status
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Accepted

Context
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Consistent error handling is critical for maintainability, debugging, and user experience. Using a unified exception hierarchy ensures that all exceptions are handled in a predictable and centralized manner.

Decision
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Exceptions should exclusively be subclassed from `smarter.common.exceptions`, without exception.

Alternatives Considered
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- Allowing exceptions to be subclassed from Python’s built-in exceptions or other libraries.
- Using ad-hoc exception classes in different modules.

Consequences
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- **Positive:**
  - Ensures consistency and predictability in error handling.
  - Simplifies debugging and logging.
  - Centralizes exception management for easier maintenance.
- **Negative:**
  - Requires all contributors to follow the exception subclassing rule.
  - May require refactoring of existing exception handling code.

Related ADRs
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- [ADR-000: Introduction](000-intro)