When using the OpenAI library, if a KEY contains spaces (either leading, trailing, or within), it leads to an error that might be misleading for the users. Specifically, the presence of spaces in the KEY triggers an h11._util.LocalProtocolError: Illegal header value error. However, during the error handling process, this exception is caught and rethrown as an openai.APIConnectionError with a message indicating a connection error. This behavior can mislead users into thinking there is an issue with their network connection, rather than an issue with invalid characters in their key.
Suggested Improvement
To resolve this issue and provide a clearer error message to the user, it is recommended to implement a trim operation on the KEY before it is used. This operation should remove any leading or trailing spaces. Implementing this change would help prevent the LocalProtocolError from occurring and ensure that errors thrown are more reflective of the actual problem, thereby avoiding confusion over network connection issues.
Steps to Reproduce
Set the KEY with leading or trailing spaces.
Attempt to use the KEY in any operation that communicates with the OpenAI API.
Observe the openai.APIConnectionError indicating a connection issue, which is actually caused by the illegal header value due to spaces.
Proposed Solution
Implement a pre-validation step for the KEY that trims any leading or trailing spaces.
Optionally, a warning could be logged if the KEY contains spaces, notifying the user of the modification.
By making this adjustment, users will face fewer misleading errors and have a clearer understanding of the actual issues when they arise. It's a relatively simple fix that could significantly improve the user experience.
runjinz
commented
5 months ago
Issue Description
When using the OpenAI library, if a KEY contains spaces (either leading, trailing, or within), it leads to an error that might be misleading for the users. Specifically, the presence of spaces in the KEY triggers an
h11._util.LocalProtocolError: Illegal header valueerror. However, during the error handling process, this exception is caught and rethrown as anopenai.APIConnectionErrorwith a message indicating a connection error. This behavior can mislead users into thinking there is an issue with their network connection, rather than an issue with invalid characters in their key.Suggested Improvement
To resolve this issue and provide a clearer error message to the user, it is recommended to implement a trim operation on the KEY before it is used. This operation should remove any leading or trailing spaces. Implementing this change would help prevent the
LocalProtocolErrorfrom occurring and ensure that errors thrown are more reflective of the actual problem, thereby avoiding confusion over network connection issues.Steps to Reproduce
openai.APIConnectionErrorindicating a connection issue, which is actually caused by the illegal header value due to spaces.Proposed Solution
By making this adjustment, users will face fewer misleading errors and have a clearer understanding of the actual issues when they arise. It's a relatively simple fix that could significantly improve the user experience.