responseObject

ResponseObject is a generic term used in software development to describe a structured object that carries information returned by a function, service, or API call. The goal is to provide a consistent, predictable container that callers can inspect to determine success, extract data, and handle errors.

Typically a responseObject includes fields such as success or ok (boolean), status or code (numeric HTTP status), data (the payload), message or error, and often a timestamp or meta or traceId for correlation. Some implementations embed an error object or code for programmatic handling. In web APIs, responseObject is usually serialized to JSON and transmitted as the HTTP response body; in client libraries, the runtime may wrap a fetch or Ajax response into a responseObject for uniformity.

Common design patterns include standardizing on a single shape across endpoints, documenting the contract, and distinguishing between domain errors and transport errors. Advantages include simpler client code, easier testing, and clearer error reporting; drawbacks can be extra wrapping overhead and potential ambiguity if fields are inconsistent. When crafting a responseObject, teams often agree on field names, types, and encoding schemes, and consider localization of message strings and security of error details.

Example: { "success": true, "statusCode": 200, "data": { "user": { "id": 123, "name": "Alice" } }, "message": "Request completed successfully" }