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Edit: Please read comments.

Fully capable

Solution for V8 (Chrome / Node.JS), works in Firefox, and can be modified to function mostly correctly in IE. (see end of post)

function UserError(message) {
  this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype // Make this an instanceof Error.
  Error.call(this) // Does not seem necessary. Perhaps remove this line?
  Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor) // Creates the this.stack getter
  this.name = this.constructor.name; // Used to cause messages like "UserError: message" instead of the default "Error: message"
  this.message = message; // Used to set the message
}

Original post on "Show me the code !"

Short version:

function UserError(message) {
  this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype
  Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor)
  this.name = this.constructor.name
  this.message = message
}

I keep this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype inside the function to keep all the code together. But you can also replace this.constructor with UserError and that allows you to move the code to outside the function, so it only gets called once.

If you go that route, make sure you call that line before the first time you throw UserError.

That caveat does not apply the function, because functions are created first, no matter the order. Thus, you can move the function to the end of the file, without a problem.

Browser Compatibility

Works in Firefox and Chrome (and Node.JS) and fills all promises.

Internet Explorer fails in the following

• Errors do not have err.stack to begin with, so "it's not my fault".

• Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor) does not exist so you need to do something else like

    if(Error.captureStackTrace) // AKA if not IE
        Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor)
  

• toString ceases to exist when you subclass Error. So you also need to add.

    else
        this.toString = function () { return this.name + ': ' + this.message }
  

• IE will not consider UserError to be an instanceof Error unless you run the following some time before you throw UserError

    UserError.prototype = Error.prototype
  

Edit: Please read comments. It turns out this only works well in V8 (Chrome / Node.JS) My intent was to provide a cross-browser solution, which would work in all browsers, and provide stack trace where support is there.

Edit: I made this Community Wiki to allow for more editing.

Solution for V8 (Chrome / Node.JS), works in Firefox, and can be modified to function mostly correctly in IE. (see end of post)

function UserError(message) {
  this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype // Make this an instanceof Error.
  Error.call(this) // Does not seem necessary. Perhaps remove this line?
  Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor) // Creates the this.stack getter
  this.name = this.constructor.name; // Used to cause messages like "UserError: message" instead of the default "Error: message"
  this.message = message; // Used to set the message
}

Original post on "Show me the code !"

Short version:

function UserError(message) {
  this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype
  Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor)
  this.name = this.constructor.name
  this.message = message
}

I keep this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype inside the function to keep all the code together. But you can also replace this.constructor with UserError and that allows you to move the code to outside the function, so it only gets called once.

If you go that route, make sure you call that line before the first time you throw UserError.

That caveat does not apply the function, because functions are created first, no matter the order. Thus, you can move the function to the end of the file, without a problem.

Browser Compatibility

Works in Firefox and Chrome (and Node.JS) and fills all promises.

Internet Explorer fails in the following

• Errors do not have err.stack to begin with, so "it's not my fault".

• Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor) does not exist so you need to do something else like

    if(Error.captureStackTrace) // AKA if not IE
        Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor)
  

• toString ceases to exist when you subclass Error. So you also need to add.

    else
        this.toString = function () { return this.name + ': ' + this.message }
  

• IE will not consider UserError to be an instanceof Error unless you run the following some time before you throw UserError

    UserError.prototype = Error.prototype
  

Fully capable

Solution for V8 (Chrome / Node.JS), works in Firefox, and can be modified to function mostly correctly in IE. (see end of post)

function UserError(message) {
  this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype // Make this an instanceof Error.
  Error.call(this) // Does not seem necessary. Perhaps remove this line?
  Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor) // Creates the this.stack getter
  this.name = this.constructor.name; // Used to cause messages like "UserError: message" instead of the default "Error: message"
  this.message = message; // Used to set the message
}

Original post on "Show me the code !"

Short version:

function UserError(message) {
  this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype
  Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor)
  this.name = this.constructor.name
  this.message = message
}

I keep this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype inside the function to keep all the code together. But you can also replace this.constructor with UserError and that allows you to move the code to outside the function, so it only gets called once.

If you go that route, make sure you call that line before the first time you throw UserError.

That caveat does not apply the function, because functions are created first, no matter the order. Thus, you can move the function to the end of the file, without a problem.

Browser Compatibility

Works in Firefox and Chrome (and Node.JS) and fills all promises.

Internet Explorer fails in the following

• Errors do not have err.stack to begin with, so "it's not my fault".

• Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor) does not exist so you need to do something else like

    if(Error.captureStackTrace) // AKA if not IE
        Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor)
  

• toString ceases to exist when you subclass Error. So you also need to add.

    else
        this.toString = function () { return this.name + ': ' + this.message }
  

• IE will not consider UserError to be an instanceof Error unless you run the following some time before you throw UserError

    UserError.prototype = Error.prototype
  

Edit: Please read comments.

Fully capable

Solution for V8 (Chrome / Node.JS), works in Firefox, and can be modified to function mostly correctly in IE. (see end of post)

function UserError(message) {
  this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype // Make this an instanceof Error.
  Error.call(this) // Does not seem necessary. Perhaps remove this line?
  Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor) // Creates the this.stack getter
  this.name = this.constructor.name; // Used to cause messages like "UserError: message" instead of the default "Error: message"
  this.message = message; // Used to set the message
}

Original post on "Show me the code !"

Short version:

function UserError(message) {
  this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype
  Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor)
  this.name = this.constructor.name
  this.message = message
}

I keep this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype inside the function to keep all the code together. But you can also replace this.constructor with UserError and that allows you to move the code to outside the function, so it only gets called once.

If you go that route, make sure you call that line before the first time you throw UserError.

That caveat does not apply the function, because functions are created first, no matter the order. Thus, you can move the function to the end of the file, without a problem.

Browser Compatibility

Works in Firefox and Chrome (and Node.JS) and fills all promises.

Internet Explorer fails in the following

• Errors do not have err.stack to begin with, so "it's not my fault".

• Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor) does not exist so you need to do something else like

    if(Error.captureStackTrace) // AKA if not IE
        Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor)
  

• toString ceases to exist when you subclass Error. So you also need to add.

    else
        this.toString = function () { return this.name + ': ' + this.message }
  

• IE will not consider UserError to be an instanceof Error unless you run the following some time before you throw UserError

    UserError.prototype = Error.prototype
  

Fully capable

Solution for V8 (Chrome / Node.JS), works in Firefox, and can be modified to function mostly correctly in IE. (see end of post)

function UserError(message) {
  this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype // Make this an instanceof Error.
  Error.call(this) // Does not seem necessary. Perhaps remove this line?
  Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor) // Creates the this.stack getter
  this.name = this.constructor.name; // Used to cause messages like "UserError: message" instead of the default "Error: message"
  this.message = message; // Used to set the message
}

Original post on "Show me the code !"

Short version:

function UserError(message) {
  this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype
  Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor)
  this.name = this.constructor.name
  this.message = message
}

I keep this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype inside the function to keep all the code together. But you can also replace this.constructor with UserError and that allows you to move the code to outside the function, so it only gets called once.

If you go that route, make sure you call that line before the first time you throw UserError.

That caveat does not apply the function, because functions are created first, no matter the order. Thus, you can move the function to the end of the file, without a problem.

Browser Compatibility

Works in Firefox and Chrome (and Node.JS) and fills all promises.

Internet Explorer fails in the following

• Errors do not have err.stack to begin with, so "it's not my fault".

• Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor) does not exist so you need to do something else like

    if(Error.captureStackTrace) // AKA if not IE
        Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor)
  

• toString ceases to exist when you subclass Error. So you also need to add.

    else
        this.toString = function () { return this.name + ': ' + this.message }
  

• IE will not consider UserError to be an instanceof Error. You have to run the following some time before you throw UserError

    UserError.prototype = Error.prototype
  

Fully capable

Solution for V8 (Chrome / Node.JS), works in Firefox, and can be modified to function mostly correctly in IE. (see end of post)

function UserError(message) {
  this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype // Make this an instanceof Error.
  Error.call(this) // Does not seem necessary. Perhaps remove this line?
  Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor) // Creates the this.stack getter
  this.name = this.constructor.name; // Used to cause messages like "UserError: message" instead of the default "Error: message"
  this.message = message; // Used to set the message
}

Original post on "Show me the code !"

Short version:

function UserError(message) {
  this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype
  Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor)
  this.name = this.constructor.name
  this.message = message
}

I keep this.constructor.prototype.__proto__ = Error.prototype inside the function to keep all the code together. But you can also replace this.constructor with UserError and that allows you to move the code to outside the function, so it only gets called once.

If you go that route, make sure you call that line before the first time you throw UserError.

That caveat does not apply the function, because functions are created first, no matter the order. Thus, you can move the function to the end of the file, without a problem.

Browser Compatibility

Works in Firefox and Chrome (and Node.JS) and fills all promises.

Internet Explorer fails in the following

• Errors do not have err.stack to begin with, so "it's not my fault".

• Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor) does not exist so you need to do something else like

    if(Error.captureStackTrace) // AKA if not IE
        Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor)
  

• toString ceases to exist when you subclass Error. So you also need to add.

    else
        this.toString = function () { return this.name + ': ' + this.message }
  

• IE will not consider UserError to be an instanceof Error unless you run the following some time before you throw UserError

    UserError.prototype = Error.prototype