inkle/ink

Don't throw exception from ContentAtPath

Open

#211 opened on Oct 16, 2016

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enhancementhelp wanted

Description

Container's ContentAtPath currently throws an exception if it fails, which creates some rather ugly try/catch code in a number of places where we want to be able to fail gracefully if the content can't be found.

Convert ContentAtPath to return null if it doesn't find the content, and throw exceptions at the call site where it's still intended. (Such as in the main Step() function).

Note that this should be relatively straightforward if anyone wants to give it a try! (Though not before #210 is fixed so you can verify your code!)

Contributor guide

Tech stack
csharp
Domain
backend
Issue type
refactor
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.
blocked
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
C# basicsfamiliarity with ink's Container classissue #210 fixed
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
65
Research direction
First, locate the Container class in the ink codebase and study the ContentAtPath method. Understand how it currently throws an exception on failure. Identify all call sites that rely on this behavior, especially the main Step() function. Check the status of issue #210, as it is a prerequisite for testing changes. Review any discussion or comments on this issue for additional context. Then implement the change to return null and adjust call sites accordingly.