In an embodiment of the invention, a method for error handling during document processing is provided. The method includes receiving a well-defined document as input to a computer program executing in memory of a computer, parsing the well-defined document and validating the well-defined document as conforming with a defined plan for the well-defined document, and responsive to detecting an error during parsing and validating, permitting use of the well-defined document to proceed notwithstanding the detected error if enough of the well-defined document conforms to the defined plan to satisfy programmatic input needs of the computer program, but otherwise terminating use of the well-defined document in the computer program.