unicode-org · eemeli · Feb 1, 2023 · Dec 19, 2022 · Dec 22, 2022 · Jan 2, 2023
diff --git a/spec/formatting.md b/spec/formatting.md
@@ -18,3 +18,248 @@ the local variable takes precedence.
 
 It is an error for a local variable definition to
 refer to a local variable that's defined after it in the message.
+
+## Error Handling
+
+Errors in messages and their formatting may occur and be detected
+at multiple different stages of their processing.
+Where available,
+the use of validation tools is recommended,
+as early detection of errors makes their correction easier.
+
+During the formatting of a message,
+various errors may be encountered.
+These are divided into the following categories:
+
+- **Syntax errors** occur when the syntax representation of a message is not well-formed.
+
+  Example invalid messages resulting in a Syntax error:
+
+  ```
+  {Missing end brace
+  ```
+
+  ```
+  {Unknown {#placeholder#}}
+  ```
+
+  ```
+  let $var = {(no message body)}
+  ```
+
+- **Data Model errors** occur when a message is invalid due to
+  violating one of the semantic requirements on its structure:
+
+  - **Variant Key Mismatch errors** occur when the number of keys on a Variant
+    does not equal the number of Selectors.
+
+    Example invalid messages resulting in a Variant Key Mismatch error:
+
+    ```
+    match {$one}
+    when 1 2 {Too many}
+    when * {Otherwise}
+    ```
+
+    ```
+    match {$one} {$two}
+    when 1 2 {Two keys}
+    when * {Missing a key}
+    when * * {Otherwise}
+    ```
+
+  - **Missing Fallback Variant errors** occur when the message
+    does not include a Variant with only catch-all keys.
+
+    Example invalid messages resulting in a Missing Fallback Variant error:
+
+    ```
+    match {$one}
+    when 1 {Value is one}
+    when 2 {Value is two}
+    ```
+
+    ```
+    match {$one} {$two}
+    when 1 * {First is one}
+    when * 1 {Second is one}
+    ```
+
+- **Resolution errors** occur when the runtime value of a part of a message
+  cannot be determined.
+
+  - **Unresolved Variable errors** occur when a variable reference cannot be resolved.
+
+    For example, attempting to format either of the following messages
+    must result in an Unresolved Variable error if done within a context that
+    does not provide for the variable reference `$var` to be successfully resolved:
+
+    ```
+    {The value is {$var}.}
+    ```
+
+    ```
+    match {$var}
+    when 1 {The value is one.}
+    when * {The value is not one.}
+    ```
+
+  - **Unknown Function errors** occur when an Expression includes
+    a reference to a function which cannot be resolved.
+
+    For example, attempting to format either of the following messages
+    must result in an Unknown Function error if done within a context that
+    does not provide for the function `:func` to be successfully resolved:
+
+    ```
+    {The value is {(horse) :func}.}
+    ```
+
+    ```
+    match {(horse) :func}
+    when 1 {The value is one.}
+    when * {The value is not one.}
+    ```
+
+- **Selection errors** occur when message selection fails.
+
+  - **Selector errors** are failures in the matching of a key to a specific selector.
+
+    For example, attempting to format either of the following messages
+    might result in a Selector error if done within a context that
+    uses a `:plural` selector function which requires its input to be numeric:
+
+    ```
+    match {(horse) :plural}
+    when 1 {The value is one.}
+    when * {The value is not one.}
+    ```
+
+    ```
+    let $sel = {(horse) :plural}
+    match {$sel}
+    when 1 {The value is one.}
+    when * {The value is not one.}
+    ```
+
+- **Formatting errors** occur during the formatting of a resolved value,
+  for example when encountering a value with an unsupported type
+  or an internally inconsistent set of options.
+
+  For example, attempting to format any of the following messages
+  might result in a Formatting error if done within a context that
+
+  1. provides for the variable reference `$user` to resolve to
+     an object `{ name: 'Kat', id: 1234 }`,
+  2. provides for the variable reference `$field` to resolve to
+     a string `'address'`, and
+  3. uses a `:get` formatting function which requires its argument to be an object and
+     an option `field` to be provided with a string value,
+
+  ```
+  {Hello, {(horse) :get field=name}!}
+  ```
+
+  ```
+  {Hello, {$user :get}!}
+  ```
+
+  ```
+  let $id = {$user :get field=id}
+  {Hello, {$id :get field=name}!}
+  ```
+
+  ```
+  {Your {$field} is {$id :get field=$field}}
+  ```
+
+Syntax and Data Model errors must be emitted as soon as possible.
+
+During selection, an Expression handler must only emit Resolution and Selection errors.
+During formatting, an Expression handler must only emit Resolution and Formatting errors.
+
+In all cases, when encountering an error,
+a message formatter must provide some representation of the message.
+An informative error or errors must also be separately provided.
+When a message contains more than one error,
+or contains some error which leads to further errors,
+an implementation which does not emit all of the errors
+should prioritise Syntax and Data Model errors over others.
+
+When an error occurs in the resolution of an Expression or Markup Option,
+the Expression or Markup in question is processed as if the option were not defined.
+This may allow for the fallback handling described below to be avoided,
+though an error must still be emitted.
+
+When an error occurs within a Selector,
+the selector must not match any VariantKey other than the catch-all `*`
+and a Resolution or Selector error is emitted.
+
+## Fallback String Representations
+
+The formatted string representation of a message with a Syntax or Data Model error
+is the concatenation of U+007B LEFT CURLY BRACKET `{`,
+a fallback string,
+and U+007D RIGHT CURLY BRACKET `}`.
+If a fallback string is not defined,
+the U+FFFD REPLACEMENT CHARACTER `�` character is used,
+resulting in the string `{�}`.
+
+When an error occurs in a Placeholder that is being formatted,
+the fallback string representation of the Placeholder
+always starts with U+007B LEFT CURLY BRACKET `{`
+and ends with U+007D RIGHT CURLY BRACKET `}`.
+Between the brackets, the following contents are used:
+
+- Expression with Literal Operand: U+0028 LEFT PARENTHESIS `(`
+  followed by the value of the Literal,
+  and then by U+0029 RIGHT PARENTHESIS `)`
+
+  Examples: `{(horse)}`, `{(42)}`
+
+- Expression with Variable Operand: U+0024 DOLLAR SIGN `$`
+  followed by the Variable Name of the Operand
+
+  Example: `{$user}`
+
+- Expression with no Operand: U+003A COLON `:` followed by the Expression Name
+
+  Example: `{:platform}`
+
+- Markup start: U+002B PLUS SIGN `+` followed by the MarkupStart Name
+
+  Example: `{+tag}`
+
+- Markup end: U+002D HYPHEN-MINUS `-` followed by the MarkupEnd Name
+
+  Example: `{-tag}`
+
+- Otherwise: The U+FFFD REPLACEMENT CHARACTER `�` character
+
+  Example: `{�}`
+
+Option names and values are not included in the fallback string representations.
+
+When an error occurs in an Expression with a Variable Operand
+and the Variable refers to a local variable Declaration,
+the fallback string is formatted based on the Expression of the Declaration,
+rather than the Expression of the Placeholder.
+
+For example, attempting to format either of the following messages within a context that
+does not provide for the function `:func` to be successfully resolved:
+
+```
+let $var = {(horse) :func}
+{The value is {$var}.}
+```
+
+```
+let $var = {(horse)}
+{The value is {$var :func}.}
+```
+
+would result in both cases with this formatted string representation:
+
+```
+The value is {(horse)}.
+```