gleam-lang/gleam

Error message when reverting version that doesn't exist could be improved

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#5709 opened on May 13, 2026

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 (2 comments) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)Rust (21,417 stars) (960 forks)batch import
good first issuehelp wanted

Description

When trying to revert a version that doesn't exist we get the following error message:

> gleam hex revert --package birdie --version 1.234234.2
error: Hex API failure

There was a problem when using the Hex API.

This was error from the Hex client library:

    Resource was not found

I think a much better error would look something like this:

> gleam hex revert --package birdie --version 1.234234.2

error: Hex API failure

There is no version 1.234234.2 of the package birdie.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
rust
Domain
clibackend
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
under 1 hour
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Rust basicsGleam CLI structure
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
90
Research direction
Locate the source of the error message 'Resource was not found' in the hex ffi crate or the gleam CLI's hex module. The error is likely generated when the Hex API returns a 404 for a non existent version. Modify the error handling to produce a more descriptive message like 'There is no version 1.234234.2 of the package birdie'. Check the existing error handling in the hex ffi crate for similar patterns.