Enhancing Error Handling for Missing Suffix or Query Formats

[JourneyBean]

Hi everyone,

I'm reaching out to discuss an issue that I've encountered while working with our project. When a suffix format or query format is not found, the current implementation returns a plain 404 error. While this is technically correct, it can make it challenging to diagnose and fix issues, especially for new contributors or users who may not be familiar with the system.

Problem Description:

When a request is made with an invalid or unsupported suffix format (e.g., .custom) or query format (e.g., ?format=custom), the server responds with a generic 404 Not Found error. This error message does not provide any context about why the request failed, which can lead to confusion and increased time spent on debugging.

django-rest-framework/rest_framework/negotiation.py

Line 88 in b31413d

raise Http404

Proposed Solution:

To improve the user experience and make it easier to identify and resolve issues, I propose two potential solutions:

1. Enhanced 404 Error Message :
   Instead of returning a generic 404 error, we could return a more specific error message that indicates the problem. For example: {"details": "Renderer not found."}
2. Raise exceptions.NotAcceptable :
   Change the error handling to raise an exceptions.NotAcceptable exception, similar to how the Accept request header is handled:
   

   django-rest-framework/rest_framework/negotiation.py

   Line 78 in b31413d

   raise exceptions.NotAcceptable(available_renderers=renderers)

   
   This would provide a more consistent and meaningful error response.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on these proposals. Which solution do you prefer, or do you have any other ideas?

Thank you for your time and feedback!