Error Handling and Debugging - helixml/apps-client

Error handling and debugging are crucial aspects of developing applications, including those using the @helixml/apps-client. This guide will discuss strategies for identifying and resolving errors based on the provided documentation and code snippets.

Identify potential errors

Identify what could go wrong in your application. This may include network issues, incorrect data input, or unexpected behavior in third-party libraries. For example, when using Axios for making HTTP requests, you might handle errors related to network issues, invalid request URLs, or incorrect request methods.

Handle exceptions

Use try-catch blocks to handle exceptions properly. In TypeScript, you can use try-catch blocks to catch and handle errors as shown below:

try {
// code that might throw an exception
} catch (error) {
// handle the error
}

For instance, when making an HTTP request with Axios, you can handle exceptions as follows:

import axios from 'axios';

try {
const response = await axios.get('https://api.example.com/data');
} catch (error) {
if (error.response) {
// handle error based on response status
} else if (error.request) {
// handle error due to network issues
} else {
// handle other errors
}
}

Return useful information to the client

When an error occurs, return meaningful error messages to the client. This can help users understand what went wrong and how to resolve the issue. For example, when using the Helix Cloud API, you can return a custom error message to the client:

import { HelixCloudAPI } from '@helixml/apps-client';

const api = new HelixCloudAPI();

try {
const result = await api.getResource('non-existing-resource');
} catch (error) {
return { error: 'The requested resource does not exist.' };
}

Prevent leaking sensitive information

Be cautious when returning error messages to the client. Avoid revealing sensitive information, such as internal system details or secrets. Instead, return generic error messages that do not expose any sensitive data.

For example, when using the Helix Cloud API, avoid returning detailed error messages that might expose internal system information:

// BAD
return { error: error.message };

// GOOD
return { error: 'An error occurred while processing the request.' };

Use error monitoring tools

Implement error monitoring tools, such as Raygun Crash Reporting or Rollbar, to automatically collect and track errors in your application. These tools can help you identify issues, understand their impact, and prioritize fixes.

For example, when using Raygun Crash Reporting, you can add a simple line of code to your try-catch blocks to track errors:

import * as raygun from 'raygun';

try {
// code that might throw an exception
} catch (error) {
raygun.send(error);
}

Integrate error tracking into the CI/CD pipeline

Integrate error tracking tools into your CI/CD pipeline to monitor errors across different stages of your development process. This can help you identify and resolve issues more quickly and efficiently.

For example, when using Rollbar, you can integrate it with your CI/CD pipeline to track errors in your staging and production environments.

Use OpenTelemetry for error handling

OpenTelemetry is a set of APIs, libraries, agents, and instrumentation that standardize how you collect and transfer telemetry data. You can use OpenTelemetry for error handling in your application by configuring custom error handlers.

For example, when using OpenTelemetry in your application, you can configure a custom error handler to log errors:

import { registerInstrumentations } from 'opentelemetry';
import { SimpleSpanProcessor } from 'opentelemetry-tracing';
import { ConsoleLogger } from 'opentelemetry-sdk-logs';

registerInstrumentations({
instrumentations: [
new ConsoleLogger(),
],
});

// Your application code here

// Errors will now be logged to the console

References: