Error Handling Patterns for FileMaker API Integrations

Beginner

Build a robust error handling layer that distinguishes network failures, FM application errors, and business logic errors, with structured logging and user-friendly messages.

What you'll learn

How to classify errors into network, FM application, and business logic categories
How to create a custom error hierarchy for FM integrations
How to translate FM error codes into user-facing messages
How to log errors with sufficient context for debugging

FileMaker integrations fail in at least three distinct ways: the network is unreachable, the FM server is up but the operation failed (application error), or the data itself violates a business rule. Treating these uniformly produces confusing error messages and obscures root cause. A layered error handling strategy surfaces the right information to the right audience.

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Custom error hierarchy

Create distinct error classes for each failure category. This lets catch blocks pattern-match on the error type and respond appropriately.

FileMaker Script

export class FmNetworkError extends Error {
  constructor(public readonly cause: unknown) {
    super('Could not reach the FileMaker server. Check your connection.');
    this.name = 'FmNetworkError';
  }
}

export class FmApplicationError extends Error {
  constructor(public readonly code: string, message: string) {
    super(message);
    this.name = 'FmApplicationError';
  }
}

export class FmBusinessError extends Error {
  constructor(message: string, public readonly field?: string) {
    super(message);
    this.name = 'FmBusinessError';
  }
}

Documenting FileMaker API Integrations Rate Limiting Strategies for FileMaker API Integrations