Error Handling

When GTK or GLib operations fail, GTKX throws a NativeError that wraps the underlying GError.

NativeError

When GTK operations fail, GTKX throws NativeError with the error message and code from the underlying GLib error:

import { NativeError } from "@gtkx/ffi";

try {
  await someGtkOperation();
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof NativeError) {
    console.log(`Error: ${error.message}`);
    console.log(`Code: ${error.code}`);
  }
}

Error Codes

The error.code property contains GTK/GLib error codes. Import the relevant enum and compare:

import * as Gtk from "@gtkx/ffi/gtk";
import * as Gio from "@gtkx/ffi/gio";

if (error.code === Gtk.DialogError.DISMISSED) {
  // User cancelled dialog
}

if (error.code === Gio.IOErrorEnum.NOT_FOUND) {
  // File not found
}

All GTK/GLib error enums are available through @gtkx/ffi. See the GTK and GLib documentation for the complete list of error codes.

Handling Dialog Cancellation

Dialogs throw NativeError when the user cancels. This is expected behavior:

import * as Gtk from "@gtkx/ffi/gtk";
import { NativeError } from "@gtkx/ffi";

const pickFile = async (window: Gtk.Window) => {
  try {
    return await new Gtk.FileDialog().openAsync(window);
  } catch (error) {
    if (
      error instanceof NativeError &&
      error.code === Gtk.DialogError.DISMISSED
    ) {
      return null; // User cancelled - not an error
    }
    throw error; // Actual error
  }
};

See Async Operations for more dialog examples.

Distinguishing Error Types

Use instanceof to distinguish GTKX native errors from JavaScript errors:

import { NativeError } from "@gtkx/ffi";

const handleError = (error: unknown) => {
  if (error instanceof NativeError) {
    // Error from GTK/GLib
    console.log(`Native: [${error.code}] ${error.message}`);
  } else if (error instanceof Error) {
    // Regular JavaScript error
    console.log(`JS: ${error.message}`);
  }
};

Best Practices

1. Check for NativeError — Use instanceof NativeError to identify GTK/GLib errors
2. Handle dismissal gracefully — Dialog cancellation is expected; check for Gtk.DialogError.DISMISSED
3. Use error codes — Check error.code against enum values for specific handling
4. Don't swallow errors — Log errors to aid debugging