Skip to main content

error-handling

In Node.js, especially when using TypeScript, error handling and logging are critical aspects of building robust and maintainable applications. Below are 12 different aspects of error handling and logging that you might be asked to implement in an interview, each with a title, a brief description, and possible tasks.

1. Basic Error Handling in Express​

  • Description: Implementing basic error handling in an Express app.
  • Tasks: Writing error handling middleware to catch and respond to errors.

2. Custom Error Classes​

  • Description: Creating custom error classes for more granular error management.
  • Tasks: Defining custom error classes extending the Error class and using them in the application.

3. Asynchronous Error Handling​

  • Description: Handling errors in asynchronous code.
  • Tasks: Using try-catch with async-await or handling errors in promise chains.

4. Logging with Winston​

  • Description: Setting up Winston for application logging.
  • Tasks: Configuring Winston transports, log levels, and formatting logs.

5. HTTP Request Logging with Morgan​

  • Description: Logging HTTP requests using Morgan.
  • Tasks: Integrating Morgan middleware in an Express app and configuring output formats.

6. Centralized Error Handling​

  • Description: Implementing a centralized error handling mechanism.
  • Tasks: Creating a central error handling function and integrating it with the Express middleware chain.

7. Error Reporting and Monitoring​

  • Description: Integrating error reporting and monitoring tools.
  • Tasks: Setting up Sentry, New Relic, or similar services for real-time error tracking.

8. Handling Third-Party Service Errors​

  • Description: Managing errors from external APIs or services.
  • Tasks: Writing robust error handling for API calls or database operations.

9. Structured Logging for Scalability​

  • Description: Implementing structured logging to improve log readability and analysis.
  • Tasks: Setting up JSON logging formats and defining structured log messages.

10. Environment-Specific Logging Levels​

 - **Description**: Configuring different logging levels for development, testing, and production.
 - **Tasks**: Setting up log levels to be more verbose in development and less verbose in production.

11. Error Handling in Event-Driven Architecture​

 - **Description**: Managing errors in a Node.js event-driven architecture.
 - **Tasks**: Implementing error handling in event emitters and listeners.

12. Graceful Shutdown on Unhandled Errors​

 - **Description**: Implementing a strategy for a graceful shutdown in case of unhandled errors.
 - **Tasks**: Setting up process handlers for uncaught exceptions and unhandled promise rejections.

Each of these aspects plays an essential role in ensuring that your Node.js application is reliable, maintainable, and easy to troubleshoot. Implementing robust error handling and effective logging practices is crucial for any production-grade application.

If you need more detailed examples, explanations, or code snippets for any specific aspect, please let me know!

Continuing with the theme of error handling and logging in Node.js applications, especially in a TypeScript environment, here are five more advanced or nuanced aspects that you might encounter in an interview setting:

13. Intercepting and Logging Errors in Middleware​

  • Description: Capturing and logging errors that occur in middleware functions.
  • Tasks: Implementing middleware that logs errors before passing them to the error handling middleware.

14. Custom Logging Levels with Winston​

  • Description: Creating custom logging levels to categorize logs more effectively.
  • Tasks: Configuring Winston to include custom log levels like debug, info, warn, error, and others specific to the application's needs.

15. Rate Limiting and Throttling Logs​

  • Description: Preventing log flooding by implementing rate limiting or throttling on log generation.
  • Tasks: Setting up mechanisms to limit the number of logs generated in a given time frame, especially under error conditions or high traffic.

16. Correlating Logs Across Services​

  • Description: Correlating logs across different services in a microservices architecture.
  • Tasks: Implementing a correlation ID that is passed through each service call and logged, enabling easier tracing of transactions across services.

17. Log Rotation and Archiving​

  • Description: Managing log file sizes and archiving old logs.
  • Tasks: Setting up log rotation policies using tools or libraries to archive and rotate logs periodically to prevent them from growing indefinitely.

These aspects dive deeper into the realms of application monitoring, maintenance, and operational excellence. They are particularly relevant in larger applications or those running in complex environments where log management and error handling are critical for the application's stability and the team's ability to respond to issues effectively.

If you'd like more information, examples, or clarification on any of these topics, please feel free to ask!