Friendlier build-time errors: WorkflowBuildError + builders sites#1840
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🦋 Changeset detectedLatest commit: efaba3a The changes in this PR will be included in the next version bump. This PR includes changesets to release 21 packages
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Pull request overview
This PR extends the “friendlier errors” initiative into build-time by introducing a dedicated WorkflowBuildError (with an optional hint) in @workflow/errors and switching key @workflow/builders failure sites to throw it for more actionable build output.
Changes:
- Add
WorkflowBuildError(withhintand.is()discriminator) to@workflow/errors. - Update
@workflow/buildersto throwWorkflowBuildErrorfor esbuild failures, unresolved built-in steps, and empty esbuild output, including user-action hints. - Add tests for
WorkflowBuildErrorand publish a changeset for the patch releases.
Reviewed changes
Copilot reviewed 4 out of 4 changed files in this pull request and generated 4 comments.
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| packages/errors/src/index.ts | Adds WorkflowBuildError class and documentation. |
| packages/errors/src/build-error.test.ts | Adds vitest coverage for WorkflowBuildError behavior. |
| packages/builders/src/base-builder.ts | Replaces generic Error throws with WorkflowBuildError + hints at key build failure sites. |
| .changeset/friendlier-build-errors.md | Declares patch releases for @workflow/errors and @workflow/builders. |
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| throw new WorkflowBuildError( | ||
| `${chalk.red('Failed to resolve built-in steps sources.')}\n\nCaused by: ${chalk.red(String(err))}`, | ||
| { | ||
| hint: `${chalk.yellow.bold('hint:')} run \`${chalk.cyan.italic('npm install workflow')}\` to resolve this issue.`, |
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options.hint is stored on the error (and appended to the message). Including a formatted hint: label + Chalk styling inside the hint field makes the hint harder to re-render in other contexts (e.g. structured UI/JSON) and can lead to double “hint:” prefixes. Consider keeping hint as plain text (no label/styling) and applying formatting at the presentation layer (or using @workflow/errors Ansi helpers if appropriate).
| hint: `${chalk.yellow.bold('hint:')} run \`${chalk.cyan.italic('npm install workflow')}\` to resolve this issue.`, | |
| hint: 'run `npm install workflow` to resolve this issue.', |
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Fixed in efaba3a — hint is now stored as plain text ('run \pnpm install workflow` to resolve this issue.') without the hint:label or chalk styling. Per the updated JSDoc onWorkflowBuildError`, the rendering layer is responsible for styling + any "hint:" label. I also stripped the chalk wrappers from the message string in the same throw so it renders cleanly in non-TTY contexts (CI logs, structured serialization).
| * by the workflow engine) — `WorkflowBuildError` fires during `pnpm build`, | ||
| * `next build`, or equivalent, before any workflow has started executing. | ||
| * | ||
| * Prefer attaching a short, actionable `hint` (e.g. `run \`npm install workflow\``) |
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The JSDoc example for hint uses npm install workflow, but other new/updated text in this PR uses pnpm install workflow. Please align this example with the recommended guidance (or switch to a package-manager-agnostic example) so docs and error hints don’t conflict.
| * Prefer attaching a short, actionable `hint` (e.g. `run \`npm install workflow\``) | |
| * Prefer attaching a short, actionable `hint` (e.g. `run \`pnpm install workflow\``) |
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Fixed in efaba3a — JSDoc example now uses pnpm install workflow, matching the test and the actual call site.
| hint: 'run `pnpm install workflow` and try again', | ||
| }); | ||
| expect(err.hint).toBe('run `pnpm install workflow` and try again'); | ||
| expect(err.message).toMatchInlineSnapshot(` | ||
| "Build failed during steps | ||
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|
||
| run \`pnpm install workflow\` and try again" |
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This test uses pnpm install workflow in the sample hint string, while some other new hints/docs in this PR use npm install workflow. If the intent is to be package-manager-agnostic (or to standardize on one), consider updating the test string accordingly so it doesn’t implicitly encode the chosen guidance.
| hint: 'run `pnpm install workflow` and try again', | |
| }); | |
| expect(err.hint).toBe('run `pnpm install workflow` and try again'); | |
| expect(err.message).toMatchInlineSnapshot(` | |
| "Build failed during steps | |
| run \`pnpm install workflow\` and try again" | |
| hint: 'run `npm install workflow` and try again', | |
| }); | |
| expect(err.hint).toBe('run `npm install workflow` and try again'); | |
| expect(err.message).toMatchInlineSnapshot(` | |
| "Build failed during steps | |
| run \`npm install workflow\` and try again" |
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Fixed in efaba3a — all three sites (the hint in base-builder.ts, this test, and the WorkflowBuildError JSDoc example in packages/errors/src/index.ts) now use pnpm install workflow.
| throw new WorkflowBuildError( | ||
| `${chalk.red('Failed to resolve built-in steps sources.')}\n\nCaused by: ${chalk.red(String(err))}`, | ||
| { | ||
| hint: `${chalk.yellow.bold('hint:')} run \`${chalk.cyan.italic('npm install workflow')}\` to resolve this issue.`, |
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The hint text here hard-codes npm install workflow, but elsewhere in this PR (e.g. WorkflowBuildError docs/tests) the guidance mentions pnpm install workflow. Please standardize the suggested command across the repo (or make it package-manager-agnostic, e.g. “install the workflow package”) to avoid confusing users.
| hint: `${chalk.yellow.bold('hint:')} run \`${chalk.cyan.italic('npm install workflow')}\` to resolve this issue.`, | |
| hint: `${chalk.yellow.bold('hint:')} install the \`${chalk.cyan.italic('workflow')}\` package to resolve this issue.`, |
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Fixed in efaba3a — the hint now reads run \pnpm install workflow` to resolve this issue.` (standardized on pnpm across the hint string, the test, and the JSDoc example).
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Add `WorkflowBuildError` class in `@workflow/errors` with optional `hint` for an actionable next step, and apply it in `@workflow/builders` at user-facing sites: failed esbuild phases, unresolved built-in steps, and empty esbuild output now throw `WorkflowBuildError` with a hint pointing at the likely fix. Runtime invariants remain plain `Error`.
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Superseded by #1849 — consolidated friendlier-errors PR with all 8 phases + follow-up fixes (ANSI leak, non-retry semantics, shared captureStackTrace helper). |
Summary
Phase 8 (final) of the friendlier-errors stack — extends the error-quality work from runtime into build-time.
WorkflowBuildErrorin@workflow/errorswith an optionalhintfield (appended after a blank line) and a.is()discriminator.@workflow/builders/base-builder.ts:pnpm install workflow"use workflow"/"use step"directivesError.Scope note: deliberately kept to
@workflow/builders(ESM). ExtendingWorkflowBuildErrorinto@workflow/next(CJS) needs a dynamic-import bridge similar to the existingeval('import("@workflow/builders")')pattern — can follow up in a separate PR.Manual test plan
All tests here exercise the build pipeline, not the runtime. Use
workbench/nextjs-turbopackand runpnpm build(notpnpm dev).Syntax error in a workflow file → failed esbuild phase:
Run
pnpm build. Expect in build output:WorkflowBuildErrorwith title mentioning the phase (e.g. "Build failed during workflows bundle").hint: Review the esbuild errors above — they come from the workflows bundle. Fix the offending source files and re-run the build.Unresolved built-in steps — temporarily rename
node_modules/workflowtonode_modules/workflow-bak:Expect:
WorkflowBuildError: "Failed to resolve built-in steps sources."hint: run \pnpm install workflow` to resolve this issue.`cause:preserves the underlying resolution error.Empty workflow directory — move all your workflow files aside (or create a fresh workspace with none):
Or: delete all
"use workflow"/"use step"directives from your files. Expect:WorkflowBuildError: "No output files generated from esbuild"hintmentions"use workflow"/"use step"directives..is()discriminator — in a scratch script:Hint renders below a blank line — verify the
hintoutput appears after a blank line, not jammed onto the title line (visual formatting check).Runtime paths unaffected — run a normal workflow at runtime (
pnpm devand trigger a workflow). Confirm noWorkflowBuildErrorshows up at runtime; this class should only appear in build output.Unit tests
pnpm --filter @workflow/errors test— 19 total (4 newWorkflowBuildErrortests)pnpm --filter @workflow/builders typecheck+ test (129 pass)📚 Friendlier errors stack
Multi-PR initiative inspired by @Schniz's stalled #706:
Ansirendering primitives + context-violation errorsSerializationErrorat serialization / stream / encryption boundariesdescribeError)throw new Error(...)sitesdescribeRunError+ public subpathWorkflowBuildError+ applications in@workflow/buildersfunctionNameleak, simplify docs framing, redirect stack to user codeEach PR is stacked on the previous one; merge in order.
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