cc-error-handling

A circuit breaker in Python prevents cascading failures by tripping after repeated external call errors, stopping traffic to failing services. This Skill implements the pattern alongside retry logic and graceful degradation to maintain service quality during partial outages.

The best way to structure a custom exception hierarchy in Python is by defining domain-specific errors with explicit context and categorization. This approach standardizes error handling across service boundaries, translating errors at API layers to improve debuggability.

Retry with backoff handles transient failures in Python by automatically re-executing failed operations after incremental delays. You can wrap function calls with a retry decorator to manage transient external service issues without manual intervention.

You should catch exceptions in Python when you can handle the failure gracefully, and propagate them across API layers when translating errors to domain-specific categories. Clear guidelines dictate catching for retry logic while propagating structural failures for centralized diagnostics.

Graceful degradation maintains API quality during partial system failures by returning fallback responses instead of hard errors. This Skill applies graceful degradation across input validation and external calls to ensure your application remains partially functional.