How to report error to $.ajax without throwing exception in MVC controller?

Question

I have a controller, and a method as defined...

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult UpdateUser(UserInformation model){

   // Instead of throwing exception
   thr         


        

Answer 1

You can create a helper method in a base controller that will return an server error but with your custom status code. Example:

public abstract class MyBaseController : Controller
{
    public EmptyResult ExecutionError(string message)
    {
        Response.StatusCode = 550;
        Response.Write(message);
        return new EmptyResult();
    }
}

You will call this method in your actions when needed. In your example:

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult UpdateUser(UserInformation model){

   // Instead of throwing exception
   // throw new InvalidOperationException("Something went wrong");


   // The thing you need is 
   return ExecutionError("Error Message");

   // which should be received as an error to my 
   // $.ajax at client side...

}

The errors (including the custom code '550') can be handled globally on client side like this:

$(document).ready(function () {
    $.ajaxSetup({
        error: function (x, e) {
            if (x.status == 0) {
                alert('You are offline!!\n Please Check Your Network.');
            } else if (x.status == 404) {
                alert('Requested URL not found.');
/*------>*/ } else if (x.status == 550) { // <----- THIS IS MY CUSTOM ERROR CODE
                alert(x.responseText);
            } else if (x.status == 500) {
                alert('Internel Server Error.');
            } else if (e == 'parsererror') {
                alert('Error.\nParsing JSON Request failed.');
            } else if (e == 'timeout') {
                alert('Request Time out.');
            } else {
                alert('Unknow Error.\n' + x.responseText);
            }
        }
    });
});