Errorsignaling

Errorsignaling, sometimes written as error signaling, is the process by which a system communicates that an error or abnormal condition has occurred. It aims to enable detection, diagnosis, and remediation, and is central to reliability and safety across software, hardware, networks, and human interfaces.

In computing, errorsignaling encompasses software constructs such as exceptions and return codes, as well as hardware and network mechanisms like interrupts, status flags, parity checks, and protocol error messages. Standardized error codes or messages facilitate consistent handling. Common examples include HTTP status codes (such as 404 and 500), TCP reset segments, ICMP error messages, and database SQLSTATE codes.

Key design considerations include timeliness, clarity, and actionability of signals, along with concerns about security and privacy, information overload, and cross-system interoperability. Signals should be precise enough to guide remediation, yet generalized enough to be useful across components. Synchronous signaling provides immediate feedback, while asynchronous signaling allows long-running processes to report status or failure.

Error signaling can be explicit, directly communicating the reason for the fault, or implicit, indicated by degraded performance or missing expected events. It can be localized to a single component or propagated through a system to support coordinated fault handling, retries, and graceful degradation.

Applications of errorsignaling include debugging, monitoring, alerting, and fault-tolerant design. Related concepts include exception handling, fault isolation, retry and backoff strategies, and observability through logs and metrics.