Implementing error tracking and logging in a Javascript GraphQL server

27 Sep 2023

As developers, it is important to have a robust error tracking and logging system in place to help us identify and debug issues in our applications. In this blog post, we will discuss how to implement error tracking and logging in a JavaScript GraphQL server.

Why do we need error tracking and logging?

When building a GraphQL server, errors can occur at different stages - during the execution of a resolver function, while parsing the GraphQL query, or even during network transmission. These errors can have a significant impact on the performance and user experience of our application.

By implementing error tracking and logging, we can:

Track and monitor errors: Error tracking allows us to capture and record detailed information about errors that occur in our GraphQL server. This helps us identify patterns, track error frequency, and gain insights into the overall health of our server.
Debug and troubleshoot: Logging errors provides us with a trail of information that can be used to troubleshoot and debug issues more effectively. With proper logging, we can trace the steps leading up to an error and understand the context in which it occurred.

Setting up error tracking

One popular error tracking tool for JavaScript applications is Sentry. Sentry allows us to capture, aggregate, and prioritize errors reported by our application. It provides rich context information such as stack traces, user details, and environment variables, making it easier to understand and resolve errors.

To set up error tracking with Sentry in our JavaScript GraphQL server, follow these steps:

Sign up for an account: Visit the Sentry website and sign up for a new account.
Install the Sentry SDK: Install the @sentry/node package in your project by running the following command:
```
npm install --save @sentry/node
```
Configure Sentry: Import the @sentry/node package and configure it with your Sentry DSN (Data Source Name), which can be found in your Sentry project settings.
```
const Sentry = require('@sentry/node');

Sentry.init({
  dsn: 'YOUR_SENTRY_DSN',
});
```
Capture errors: Wrap your GraphQL resolver functions with a try-catch block and capture any errors using Sentry’s captureException method.
```
try {
  // Your resolver code here
} catch (error) {
  Sentry.captureException(error);
}
```

Configure error handling: Set up error handling middleware to catch unhandled errors in your GraphQL server and forward them to Sentry.

app.use((err, req, res, next) => {
  Sentry.captureException(err);
  res.status(500).json({ error: "Internal server error" });
});

Logging errors

In addition to error tracking, it is also important to log errors for easier debugging and troubleshooting. One popular logging library for JavaScript is Winston. Winston allows us to configure and manage multiple log transports, format log messages, and specify log levels.

To set up error logging with Winston in our JavaScript GraphQL server, follow these steps:

Install Winston: Install the winston package in your project by running the following command:
```
npm install --save winston
```

Configure Winston: Import the winston package and configure it with the desired log transports (e.g., console, file).

const winston = require('winston');

const logger = winston.createLogger({
  transports: [
    new winston.transports.Console(),
    new winston.transports.File({ filename: 'server.log' }),
  ],
});

Log errors: Use the logger.error method to log any errors that occur in your GraphQL server.
```
logger.error('An error occurred:', error);
```
Specify log levels: Winston supports different log levels (e.g., error, warn, info, debug). Specify the appropriate log level based on the severity of the error.
```
logger.error('An error occurred:', error);
logger.warn('A warning occurred:', warning);
logger.info('Info:', info);
logger.debug('Debug:', debug);
```

By implementing error tracking and logging in our JavaScript GraphQL server, we can effectively track, monitor, debug, and troubleshoot errors. These practices help improve the overall reliability and performance of our applications.

#javascript #graphql #logging #errortracking