From Callback hell to try/catch hell and the solution

In this article, we will explore the evolution of error handling in JavaScript, from the infamous callback hell to the more recent try/catch hell. We will also discuss how to effectively manage errors in asynchronous code using modern techniques.

Callback Hell

Callback hell refers to the situation where multiple nested callbacks make the code difficult to read and maintain. This often occurs in asynchronous operations, such as user registration flows, where each step depends on the previous one. The code becomes deeply nested, leading to what is often called "pyramid of doom".

try/catch Hell

With the introduction of async/await, error handling in asynchronous code became more manageable. However, it also led to a new problem known as try/catch hell. This occurs when multiple asynchronous operations are wrapped in try/catch blocks, leading to deeply nested structures that can be hard to read and maintain.

Quick fix

We could just use one try/catch block to wrap the entire function.

But now if any of the functions throw an error, we will not know which one it was. This is because we are catching all errors in a single block.

Solution

The solution is create a custom function that executes the async functions and catches any errors, allowing us to handle them individually. This way, we can still use async/await syntax without falling into the trap of try/catch hell.