Mock Exception Handling in Host Add-in Environments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Software architectures that support plug-ins often lack integrated exception handling mechanisms, leading to inconsistencies and inflexibility in managing exceptions between host and plug-in interactions, particularly in scenarios involving network connection failures.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a mock exception mechanism, where a mock exception is raised in a plug-in, serialized, and transported to the host for further handling, allowing for sanitization and mapping to a real exception, enabling consistent and version-resilient exception handling across the host and plug-in boundaries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If exception handling code is centralized in the host, then exception handling consistency is improved, but plug-in implementation flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces mock exceptions as an intermediary mechanism between plug-ins and the host. Plug-ins raise mock exceptions that are serialized and transported to the host, where they are converted to real exceptions. This intermediary approach allows plug-ins to have flexible implementation while maintaining consistent exception handling in the host, resolving the contradiction between centralization and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The exception handling process is segmented into distinct phases: mock exception creation in the plug-in, serialization and transport, and conversion to real exceptions in the host. This segmentation allows each component to operate independently with its own flexibility while maintaining overall system consistency through the structured exception handling pipeline.
2Adaptability or versatility
If plug-in implementation details are hidden inside the plug-in, then plug-in vendor flexibility is improved, but exception handling integration with host deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Mock exceptions serve as an intermediary that enables plug-ins to maintain implementation flexibility while ensuring proper integration with host exception handling. The mock exception mechanism allows plug-ins to handle exceptions internally without exposing implementation details, yet still integrates seamlessly with the host's exception handling system through serialization and conversion.
3Reliability
If mock exceptions are serialized and transported to host, then exception handling consistency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mock exception class is designed as a universal mechanism that handles multiple functions: representing exceptions from any plug-in, carrying serialized exception data, and enabling conversion to various host exception types. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate handling mechanisms for different exception scenarios, thereby managing system complexity while maintaining consistency.
4Ease of repair
If exception handling is separated from main logic, then maintenance ease is improved, but exception handling integration between host and plug-in deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mock exception mechanism acts as an intermediary that maintains separate exception handling logic in plug-ins while ensuring proper integration with the host. By serializing mock exceptions and converting them to host exceptions, the system achieves both separation of concerns for maintenance ease and proper integration for reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Mock exceptions, including mock exception types, are defined by a host to be raised in a plug-in. The mock exceptions might be sanitized. They might be transported from the plug-in to the host. Mock exceptions might also be mapped to real exceptions, which are raised in the host and handled by the host.