Error logging and mutables as function defaults (#930)

* Remove mutable iterables as function defaults
* Improve error reporting and standardise how it's done

novelwriter/tools/build.py

@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ from PyQt5.QtPrintSupport import QPrinter, QPrintPreviewDialog
 
 from novelwriter.core import ToHtml, ToOdt, ToMarkdown
 from novelwriter.enum import nwAlert, nwItemType, nwItemLayout, nwItemClass
+from novelwriter.error import formatException, logException
 from novelwriter.common import fuzzyTime, makeFileNameSafe
 from novelwriter.constants import nwConst, nwFiles
 from novelwriter.gui.custom import QSwitch
@@ -727,7 +728,7 @@ class GuiBuildNovel(QDialog):
 
             except Exception:
                 logger.error("Failed to build document '%s'", tItem.itemHandle)
-                novelwriter.logException()
+                logException()
                 if isPreview:
                     self.docView.setText((
                         "Failed to generate preview. "
@@ -873,7 +874,7 @@ class GuiBuildNovel(QDialog):
                 makeOdt.saveOpenDocText(savePath)
                 wSuccess = True
             except Exception as exc:
-                errMsg = str(exc)
+                errMsg = formatException(exc)
 
         elif theFmt == self.FMT_FODT:
             makeOdt = ToOdt(self.theProject, isFlat=True)
@@ -882,7 +883,7 @@ class GuiBuildNovel(QDialog):
                 makeOdt.saveFlatXML(savePath)
                 wSuccess = True
             except Exception as exc:
-                errMsg = str(exc)
+                errMsg = formatException(exc)
 
         elif theFmt == self.FMT_HTM:
             makeHtml = ToHtml(self.theProject)
@@ -894,7 +895,7 @@ class GuiBuildNovel(QDialog):
                 makeHtml.saveHTML5(savePath)
                 wSuccess = True
             except Exception as exc:
-                errMsg = str(exc)
+                errMsg = formatException(exc)
 
         elif theFmt == self.FMT_NWD:
             makeNwd = ToMarkdown(self.theProject)
@@ -907,7 +908,7 @@ class GuiBuildNovel(QDialog):
                 makeNwd.saveRawMarkdown(savePath)
                 wSuccess = True
             except Exception as exc:
-                errMsg = str(exc)
+                errMsg = formatException(exc)
 
         elif theFmt in (self.FMT_MD, self.FMT_GH):
             makeMd = ToMarkdown(self.theProject)
@@ -924,7 +925,7 @@ class GuiBuildNovel(QDialog):
                 makeMd.saveMarkdown(savePath)
                 wSuccess = True
             except Exception as exc:
-                errMsg = str(exc)
+                errMsg = formatException(exc)
 
         elif theFmt == self.FMT_JSON_H or theFmt == self.FMT_JSON_M:
             jsonData = {
@@ -969,7 +970,7 @@ class GuiBuildNovel(QDialog):
                     outFile.write(json.dumps(jsonData, indent=2))
                     wSuccess = True
             except Exception as exc:
-                errMsg = str(exc)
+                errMsg = formatException(exc)
 
         elif theFmt == self.FMT_PDF:
             try:
@@ -984,7 +985,7 @@ class GuiBuildNovel(QDialog):
                 wSuccess = True
 
             except Exception as exc:
-                errMsg = str(exc)
+                errMsg = formatException(exc)
 
         else:
             # If the if statements above and here match, it should not
@@ -1050,7 +1051,7 @@ class GuiBuildNovel(QDialog):
                 theData = json.loads(theJson)
             except Exception:
                 logger.error("Failed to load build cache")
-                novelwriter.logException()
+                logException()
                 return False
 
             if "buildTime" in theData.keys():
@@ -1078,7 +1079,7 @@ class GuiBuildNovel(QDialog):
                 }, indent=2))
         except Exception:
             logger.error("Failed to save build cache")
-            novelwriter.logException()
+            logException()
             return False
 
         return True
@@ -1302,9 +1303,12 @@ class GuiBuildNovelDocView(QTextBrowser):
 
         return
 
-    def setStyleSheet(self, theStyles=[]):
+    def setStyleSheet(self, theStyles=None):
         """Set the stylesheet for the preview document.
         """
+        if theStyles is None:
+            theStyles = []
+
         if not theStyles:
             theStyles.append("h1, h2 {color: rgb(66, 113, 174);}")
             theStyles.append("h3, h4 {color: rgb(50, 50, 50);}")

novelwriter/tools/writingstats.py

@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ from PyQt5.QtWidgets import (
 )
 
 from novelwriter.enum import nwAlert
+from novelwriter.error import formatException
 from novelwriter.common import formatTime, checkInt, checkIntRange, checkIntTuple
 from novelwriter.constants import nwConst, nwFiles
 from novelwriter.gui.custom import QSwitch
@@ -404,7 +405,7 @@ class GuiWritingStats(QDialog):
                     wSuccess = True
 
         except Exception as exc:
-            errMsg = str(exc)
+            errMsg = formatException(exc)
             wSuccess = False
 
         # Report to user
@@ -480,9 +481,9 @@ class GuiWritingStats(QDialog):
                     self.logData.append((dStart, sDiff, wcNovel, wcNotes, sIdle))
 
         except Exception as exc:
-            self.theParent.makeAlert([
-                self.tr("Failed to read session log file."), str(exc)
-            ], nwAlert.ERROR)
+            self.theParent.makeAlert(self.tr(
+                "Failed to read session log file."
+            ), nwAlert.ERROR, exception=exc)
             return False
 
         ttWords = ttNovel + ttNotes