Error Handling

All API methods that interact with the editor or Maya return a result dict with a success field. Always check it — Maya may not be connected, files may not exist, and the editor state can change between calls.

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The Result Pattern

Most API methods return:

{
    "success": bool,
    "result": ...,   # Return value on success, None on failure
    "error": str     # Error message on failure, "" on success
}

The safe pattern:

result = api.save_file()
if result["success"]:
    api.write_output("Saved.", level="success")
else:
    api.write_output("Save failed: {}".format(result["error"]), level="error")

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Handling Maya Disconnection

execute_in_dcc() fails silently if Maya isn't connected. Always guard against it:

def _run_in_maya(self, code):
    state = self._api.get_state()
    if not state["dcc"]["connected"]:
        self._api.show_notification(
            "Maya is not connected.", level="warning"
        )
        return None

    result = self._api.execute_in_dcc(code)
    if not result["success"]:
        self._api.write_output(
            "Execution failed: {}".format(result["error"]), level="error"
        )
        return None

    return result["output"]

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Guarding Against Missing Editor State

get_text(), get_active_file_path(), and get_cursor_position() return None when no editor tab is active. Always check:

text = self._api.get_text()
if text is None:
    self._api.show_notification("No file open.", level="warning")
    return

# Safe to use text here

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Wrapping activate() Safely

If your activate() raises an exception, the plugin will fail to load. Wrap anything that can fail:

def activate(self, api):
    self._api = api
    try:
        self._setup_ui()
        self._load_settings()
    except Exception as e:
        api.write_output("Plugin failed to load: {}".format(e), level="error")
        raise  # Re-raise so the Plugin Manager knows activation failed

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Common Pitfalls

Problem	Cause	Fix
execute_in_dcc() always fails	Maya disconnected	Check get_state()["dcc"]["connected"] first
get_text() returns None	No active tab	Guard with if text is None
Panel appears empty	Qt imported at module level	Move imports inside activate()
Settings lost between sessions	Wrong key format	Namespace keys with your plugin ID
Plugin crashes on reload	Timer not stopped	Always stop timers in deactivate()