How do you handle exceptions and errors within a Pega case?

Anil (Product Manager): Hey team, we need to discuss handling exceptions and errors in our Pega cases. We've had some issues lately. How do we ensure our application is robust and user-friendly when things go wrong?

Priya (UI/UX Expert): Good point, Anil. From a user experience perspective, clear and helpful error messages are crucial. We don't want users feeling lost or frustrated. Ravi, what do you think?

Ravi (Developer): Absolutely. In Pega, we can handle exceptions and errors using several mechanisms. Let's start with the basics. First, we need to use the "Error Handling" feature in our flows. This allows us to define what should happen when an error occurs in a flow.

Anil (Product Manager): That sounds essential. Can you give us an example of how this works?

Ravi (Developer): Sure, let’s say we have a flow for processing insurance claims. If a step fails, we can configure the flow to route the case to an error handling flow or to a specific work queue where it can be reviewed manually. This ensures that the case doesn't just stop without any resolution.

Priya (UI/UX Expert): And for user-facing errors? How do we ensure users understand what went wrong and what they can do about it?

Ravi (Developer): For user-facing errors, we use Validation Rules and Property-Level Error Messages. These are configured to check the inputs and provide immediate feedback if something’s not right. For instance, if a user enters an invalid date, we can show a clear error message next to the input field.

Anil (Product Manager): What about unexpected errors that aren't related to user input?

Ravi (Developer): For those, we use Activity Steps with proper error handling. We can use the “Step Status Good” and “Step Status Fail” methods. If an activity step fails, we can capture the error and take appropriate action, like logging the error, sending a notification to an admin, or even trying an alternative action.

Priya (UI/UX Expert): That's great. How do we make sure we capture all these errors for future analysis?

Ravi (Developer): Pega’s Log-Message method is handy for this. We can log errors to the system log, which can then be reviewed by the development team. Additionally, setting up Service-Level Agreements (SLAs) on assignments can help track and manage cases that are stuck due to errors.

Anil (Product Manager): Can we also alert users when something goes wrong in real-time?

Ravi (Developer): Yes, we can use Alert Messages and Correspondence Rules. For example, if a background process fails, we can send an email or show a notification to the user informing them of the issue and any steps they might need to take.

Priya (UI/UX Expert): And for more complex scenarios, like integrations with external systems?

Ravi (Developer): In such cases, we use Connect-Wait and Connect-Timeout methods to handle timeouts and retries. We can also use the Error Handler flow for integrations, which allows us to manage errors gracefully when connecting to external systems.

Anil (Product Manager): Excellent. It sounds like we have a comprehensive plan. Let’s ensure we document these practices and train our team to implement them effectively. Our goal is to make our application as reliable and user-friendly as possible.

Priya (UI/UX Expert): Agreed. Clear error messages and robust handling can significantly improve user trust and satisfaction.

Ravi (Developer): I’ll start integrating these best practices into our current project. We’ll set up regular reviews to ensure everything’s working as expected.

Anil (Product Manager): Great teamwork, everyone. Let’s make sure our users have a seamless experience, even when things go wrong.

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