[ZOOKEEPER-246] review error code definition in both source and docs

• Type: Improvement
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Minor
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 3.0.0, 3.0.1
• Fix Version/s: 3.1.0
• Component/s: c client, documentation, java client
• Hadoop Flags: Incompatible change, Reviewed
• Assignee: Patrick D. Hunt
• Reporter: Patrick D. Hunt
• Created: 05/Dec/08 00:16
• Updated: 13/Feb/09 21:18
• Resolved: 22/Dec/08 22:23

Description

A number of users have mentioned that our use of "calculated" values for error codes makes it very difficult to track error reports from the logs. In both c/java we have:

int ERROR = 100
int X_ERROR= ERROR + 1
int Y_ERROR= ERROR + 2
etc...

which makes it difficult to grep/search for "101" and find these references. A number of users have mentioned that having non-calculated values (ie X_ERROR=101) would make it easier.

I personally find calculated constants like this an anti-pattern.

We should convert these values to non-calculated at a minimum, perhaps even redefine them as enums if possible.

Also documentation, esp in the c code (the names btw c and java don't match btw) is lacking. We need to beef up docs in this area.

Issue Links

• relates to: ZOOKEEPER-291 regression for legacy code using KeeperException.Code constants (due to 246)