Start by clarifying requirements: which errors are retryable (e.g., 503, 429) vs. non-retryable (e.g., 401, 403, 404), and what the caller expects. Then outline a robust HTTP client with exponential backoff and jitter for retries, and a clear error-surfacing strategy for non-retryable errors, including logging and user-friendly messages.
Pro tip: Mention that 401 should trigger a token refresh flow (if applicable) before surfacing an error, and that retries should be idempotent to avoid side effects. Also, use a circuit breaker to prevent cascading failures when a service is persistently down.
Determine which HTTP status codes are retryable (e.g., 5xx, 429) and which are not (e.g., 4xx except 429). Consider the semantics of the request (idempotent vs. non-idempotent).
Implement exponential backoff with jitter, set a maximum number of retries, and respect Retry-After headers. Ensure retries are only attempted for idempotent operations or when safe.
For 401, attempt to refresh credentials (e.g., OAuth token) once and retry the request. If refresh fails, surface an authentication error to the caller.
For non-retryable errors, log details and return a clear, actionable error to the caller. Avoid exposing sensitive information and consider user experience.
Add logging, metrics, and alerts for error rates. Use a circuit breaker to stop retries when failure threshold is exceeded, preventing resource exhaustion.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.
I had too much debug printing going on and completely missed that some responses were returning a key.
Walk through a systematic debugging and implementation process: first, inspect the response from the new endpoint to locate the embedded key, then parse it out, construct the required authentication headers (e.g., Authorization: Bearer <key>), and finally make the authenticated request. Emphasize validation and error handling at each step to demonstrate production-ready thinking.
Pro tip: Mention that you would log or inspect the raw response before parsing to avoid assumptions about the key's location or format, and use a library like jq or a JSON parser rather than regex for robustness.
Examine the raw response body from the new endpoint to identify where the key is embedded (e.g., JSON field, header, or nested object). Use logging or a tool like curl to see the exact structure.
Parse the response using a proper parser (e.g., JSON.parse, jq) to reliably extract the key value, handling potential variations or missing fields gracefully.
Build the appropriate authentication headers, such as Authorization: Bearer <key> or a custom header like X-API-Key: <key>, based on the API documentation or observed requirements.
Send the subsequent request with the constructed headers, ensuring you use the correct HTTP method, URL, and any additional required parameters.
Check the response status and body for success, and implement error handling for cases like invalid key, expired token, or network issues.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.