| name | masm-error-constants |
| description | Use when adding or editing MASM `assert*` / `panic` instructions — give every assertion a descriptive named error code. |
MASM Error Constants
Rule
Every MASM assertion must carry a descriptive error code:
assert.err=ERR_NOTE_NOT_FOUND
assert_eqw.err=ERR_COMMITMENT_MISMATCH
The error constant must:
- Use the
ERR_ prefix.
- Live in the file's dedicated errors section (see
masm-constants skill).
- Have a descriptive string value, not a bare numeric code:
const ERR_NOTE_NOT_FOUND = "note not found".
- Be unique per distinct failure condition — do not share one
ERR_ across two unrelated asserts.
Why
A bare assert traps with a generic message that tells the debugger nothing about which check failed; a descriptive ERR_ constant ties each trap site to a specific failure mode. Distinct constants per condition also let tests pin the expected error (see assert-specific-error-in-tests).
Examples
# Good
const ERR_NOTE_NOT_FOUND = "note not found"
const ERR_COMMITMENT_MISMATCH = "stored commitment does not match recomputed value"
proc verify_note
# ...
assert.err=ERR_NOTE_NOT_FOUND
# ...
assert_eqw.err=ERR_COMMITMENT_MISMATCH
end
# Bad: bare assertion
proc verify_note
assert
end
# Bad: shared generic constant for unrelated cases
const ERR_INVALID = "invalid"
assert.err=ERR_INVALID # used in 6 places, each meaning something different
