errorfriendly
Errorfriendly is a concept used in software engineering and user experience to describe systems and interfaces designed to be forgiving of mistakes. An errorfriendly design aims to prevent errors when possible, detect them early, explain them clearly, and enable smooth recovery with minimal disruption to the user.
Core principles include input validation and constraints, sensible defaults, and non-destructive operations; informative, plain-language error messages;
Common techniques include proactive validation, progressive disclosure of constraints, forgiving data entry (such as auto-correct or
Applications span web forms, mobile apps, desktop software, and enterprise systems. In safety- or uptime-sensitive domains,
Critics note that excessive forgiveness can mask underlying problems or create performance and complexity costs. When