Java Bug Fix Coding Question - Call to External API

Concept, Coding and Examples.

Context

You have a service that calls an external API. If the API fails, it retries. But something is wrong with the retry logic. Identify issues in the code, discuss, and fix the code.

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Think about the solution out loud in your mind first before looking at the solution

Issues With the Code

1.Infinite Loop

while (true) { ... }

Issue:

• No exit condition → code can retry endlessly if the API keeps failing.

• Wastes CPU, potentially hangs the application.

Fix:

• Add a max retry limit.

int MAX_RETRIES = 5;
while (attempts < MAX_RETRIES) { ... }

2.No Backoff or Delay Between Retries

Issue:

• Immediate retries overload the external API.

• Can trigger rate limiting or cascading failures if multiple clients retry at the same time.

Fix: