add nicer error messages to IDL encode and decode

src/build/stable/commands/compile/candid_and_method_meta/execute.ts

@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ export async function execute(
                 );
                 const message = new TextDecoder('utf8').decode(memory);
 
-                throw message;
+                throw new Error(message);
             }
         }
         // env: {

src/lib/stable/execute_with_candid_serde.ts

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ function decodeArgs(
         mode === 'query' ||
         mode === 'update'
     ) {
-        return IDL.decode(paramIdlTypes, args[0]);
+        return idlDecode(paramIdlTypes, args[0]);
     } else {
         return [];
     }
@@ -60,3 +60,25 @@ function encodeResultAndReply(
 
     reply({ data: unencodedResult, idlType: returnIdlType });
 }
+
+export function idlEncode(
+    argTypes: Array<IDL.Type<any>>,
+    args: any[]
+): Uint8Array {
+    try {
+        return new Uint8Array(IDL.encode(argTypes, args));
+    } catch (error) {
+        throw new Error(`Failed to encode Candid arguments: ${error}`);
+    }
+}
+
+export function idlDecode(
+    retTypes: IDL.Type[],
+    bytes: ArrayBuffer
+): JsonValue[] {
+    try {
+        return IDL.decode(retTypes, bytes);
+    } catch (error) {
+        throw new Error(`Failed to decode Candid bytes: ${error}`);
+    }
+}

src/lib/stable/ic_apis/call.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { IDL } from '@dfinity/candid';
 import { Principal } from '@dfinity/principal';
-import { v4 } from 'uuid'; // TODO is uuid experimental?
+import { v4 } from 'uuid';
+
+import { idlDecode, idlEncode } from '../execute_with_candid_serde';
 
 export async function call<Args extends any[] | undefined, Return = any>(
     canisterId: Principal | string,
@@ -40,7 +42,7 @@ export async function call<Args extends any[] | undefined, Return = any>(
             } else {
                 const idlType =
                     returnTypeIdl === undefined ? [] : [returnTypeIdl];
-                resolve(IDL.decode(idlType, result)[0] as Return);
+                resolve(idlDecode(idlType, result)[0] as Return);
             }
 
             delete globalThis._azleResolveIds[globalResolveId];
@@ -64,9 +66,7 @@ export async function call<Args extends any[] | undefined, Return = any>(
                 : canisterId;
         const canisterIdBytes = canisterIdPrincipal.toUint8Array();
         const argsRaw =
-            raw === undefined
-                ? new Uint8Array(IDL.encode(paramIdlTypes, args))
-                : raw;
+            raw === undefined ? idlEncode(paramIdlTypes, args) : raw;
         const paymentString = payment.toString();
 
         // TODO consider finally, what if deletion goes wrong

src/lib/stable/ic_apis/notify.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { IDL } from '@dfinity/candid';
 import { Principal } from '@dfinity/principal';
 
+import { idlEncode } from '../execute_with_candid_serde';
+
 /**
  * Performs a cross-canister call without awaiting the result
  * @param canisterId The ID of the canister to notify
@@ -35,10 +37,7 @@ export function notify(
             ? Principal.fromText(canisterId)
             : canisterId;
     const canisterIdBytes = canisterIdPrincipal.toUint8Array();
-    const argsRaw =
-        raw === undefined
-            ? new Uint8Array(IDL.encode(paramIdlTypes, args))
-            : raw;
+    const argsRaw = raw === undefined ? idlEncode(paramIdlTypes, args) : raw;
     const paymentString = payment.toString();
 
     if (globalThis._azleIcExperimental !== undefined) {

src/lib/stable/ic_apis/reply.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { IDL } from '@dfinity/candid';
 
+import { idlEncode } from '../execute_with_candid_serde';
+
 type ReplyInput<T> =
     | {
           data: T;
@@ -37,10 +39,8 @@ export function reply<T>(input: ReplyInput<T>): void {
 
         return globalThis._azleIcExperimental !== undefined
             ? globalThis._azleIcExperimental.replyRaw(
-                  // @ts-ignore IDL.encode types are defined incorrectly https://github.com/demergent-labs/azle/issues/2061
-                  IDL.encode(idlType, data).buffer
+                  idlEncode(idlType, data).buffer
               )
-            : // @ts-ignore IDL.encode types are defined incorrectly https://github.com/demergent-labs/azle/issues/2061
-              globalThis._azleIcStable.replyRaw(IDL.encode(idlType, data));
+            : globalThis._azleIcStable.replyRaw(idlEncode(idlType, data));
     }
 }