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atelier/domains/errors/first-principles.md
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Jon Chery 496303471d docs(milestone): complete v0.1 — initial framework
---ci---
project: atelier
phase: 7
milestone: v0.1
status: complete
phase_role: final
milestone_complete: true
requirements:
  covered: [ATELIER-01, ATELIER-02, ATELIER-03, ATELIER-04, ATELIER-05, ATELIER-06, ATELIER-07, ATELIER-08, ATELIER-09, ATELIER-10, ATELIER-11, ATELIER-12, ATELIER-13, ATELIER-14, ATELIER-15, ATELIER-16, ATELIER-17, ATELIER-18, ATELIER-19, ATELIER-20, ATELIER-21, ATELIER-22, ATELIER-23, ATELIER-24, ATELIER-25, ATELIER-26, ATELIER-27, ATELIER-28, ATELIER-29, ATELIER-30, ATELIER-31, ATELIER-32, ATELIER-33, ATELIER-34, ATELIER-35]
  partial: []
ship:
  milestone: v0.1
  type: NFR
  tag: v0.0.7
  merge: milestone/v0.1-atelier -> main
  release: https://git.cloudinit.dev/cloudinit-bot/atelier/releases/tag/v0.0.7
---/ci---

Milestone v0.1 — Initial Framework (NFR, complete).
8 core principles (C1-C8), 11 domains, 110 domain principles, 27 derived docs, 4 good + 3 bad examples, 4 language docs, full matrix, 3 review docs.
All 35 requirements covered. 7 patches (v0.0.0 pre-execution through v0.0.7 final). v0.0.7 IS the v0.1.0 milestone release.
2026-08-05 00:36:55 +00:00

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1.2 KiB
Markdown

# Error Handling — First Principles
## 1. The Principles
### P1. Errors are Data
Errors are structured, typed, and intentional. They are values, not
exceptions to the flow of code.
### P2. Fail Loudly
Never swallow an error. Silent failure is worse than visible failure.
### P3. Fail Specifically
Generic errors are debugging enemies. "Something went wrong" is
never acceptable.
### P4. Preserve Context
Errors carry where (file, line, function), when (timestamp, request),
why (cause), and what (user-facing message).
### P5. Recoverable When Possible
Retry, fallback, or degrade. Do not crash what can be salvaged.
### P6. Unrecoverable Means Stop
When recovery is impossible or unsafe, fail fast. Do not limp on
after fatal errors.
### P7. Errors are Boundaries
Define how errors cross API, service, and module boundaries. Translation
is explicit, not accidental.
### P8. User-Facing Errors are UX
Error messages are a feature. They are written for the user, not the
developer.
### P9. Errors are Logged
Even when handled, errors are recorded. The handling is the recovery;
the log is the memory.
### P10. Errors Don't Lie
Never catch what you cannot handle. Never claim success on failure.
Never claim failure on success.