TypeScript · correctness

no-sentinel-return-on-catch

eslint:no-sentinel-return-on-catch

Disallow swallowing a caught error by returning an empty sentinel unless the error is handled or the sentinel is part of the function contract.

Default: error
Fix: none
Languages: typescript

Why

An unreported fallback makes operational failure indistinguishable from a legitimate empty result.

Fix

Rethrow, report the error before returning, or model expected absence with an explicit predicate, safe-parse, or result contract.

Before / after

Executed by this rule’s unit tests.

Before

Do not turn an unreported error into absence

src/load.ts · focus

function load() { try { return read(); } catch { return null; } }

After

Report an error before returning a fallback

src/load.ts · focus

function load() { try { return read(); } catch (error) { logger.warn('load failed', error); return null; } }

Limits

Recognized predicate, safe-parse, normal-path sentinel, deliberate parse, generated-client, and configured logging patterns are excluded.

Message IDs

noSentinelReturn

Options

{
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "properties": {
    "logFunctions": {
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "type": "array"
    },
    "loggerNames": {
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "type": "array"
    }
  },
  "type": "object"
}