Fix: Handle 404 responses properly when loading answers.json

[matheusgalvao1]

Bug Fix: Prevent 404 Error Responses from Corrupting Quiz Answers

Problem

When the quiz application starts, it fetches /answers.json to load any previously saved answers. If this file doesn't exist (common on first run), the server returns a 404 response with JSON content:

{"error": "Not Found"}

The frontend incorrectly treated this error response as valid answer data, causing corrupted answers.json files:

{
  "error": "Not Found",                    ← ❌ Server error mixed with quiz data
  "civilwar": {
    "value": "1861-1865",
    "correctAnswer": "1861-1865", 
    "isCorrect": true
  },
  "capital": {
    "value": "Paris",
    "correctAnswer": "Paris",
    "isCorrect": true
  }
}

This corruption caused the format_answers.py script to crash:

AttributeError: 'str' object has no attribute 'get'

Root Cause

The frontend fetch logic was not checking response.ok before parsing JSON:

fetch('/answers.json')
    .then(response => response.json())  // ❌ Parses error responses as valid data
    .catch(() => ({}))  // Only catches network/parsing errors, not 404s

Solution

Modified the fetch logic to properly handle HTTP error responses:

fetch('/answers.json')
    .then(response => {
        if (!response.ok) {
            // If file doesn't exist (404) or other error, return empty object
            return {};
        }
        return response.json();
    })
    .catch(() => ({}))

Testing

• ✅ Deleted answers.json and verified clean startup without error pollution
• ✅ Confirmed quiz answers save correctly without error objects
• ✅ Verified format_answers.py runs successfully after taking quiz
• ✅ No functional changes to quiz behavior or server logic

[BrianGenisio]

Thanks for the fix!