Error logging strategies in NextJS - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Error logging strategies

Error Occurs in App

↓

Capture Error

↓

Format Error Info

↓

Send to Logging Service

↓

Store Logs

↓

Review & Alert if Critical

↓

Fix & Deploy

This flow shows how an error is caught, formatted, sent to a logging service, stored, and then reviewed for fixes.

Execution Sample

NextJS

try {
  // some code
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Error:', error.message);
  sendToLoggingService(error);
}

This code tries to run some code, catches any error, logs it to console, and sends it to a logging service.

Execution Table

Step	Action	Error Object State	Logging Output	Next Action
1	Run code block	No error	No output	Continue normal flow
2	Error thrown	Error with message 'Failed to fetch'	No output yet	Catch block triggered
3	Catch error	Captured error with message 'Failed to fetch'	console.error logs 'Error: Failed to fetch'	Call sendToLoggingService()
4	Send to logging service	Error info formatted	Sent error data to remote logging	Store log and check severity
5	Store logs	Log saved in database	No output	Trigger alert if critical
6	Alert if critical	Severity high	Alert sent to DevOps team	Fix issue and deploy patch
7	Fix & deploy	Error resolved	No output	Return to normal operation

💡 Error handled and logged, alerts sent if critical, then fixed and deployed

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	Final
error	undefined	Error object with message 'Failed to fetch'	Same error object captured	Formatted error info sent	Cleared after fix

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we log the error message and not just the error object?

Logging the error message (see Step 3 in execution_table) gives a clear, readable description. The error object may contain extra info but is less readable directly.

What happens if we don't send the error to a logging service?

Without sending to a logging service (Step 4), errors are only visible in console and not stored centrally, making it hard to track and fix issues over time.

Why do we alert only if the error is critical?

Alerting on every error would overwhelm the team. Step 6 shows alerts sent only for high severity errors to focus attention on urgent problems.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is logged to the console at Step 3?

A 'Error: Failed to fetch'

B 'Failed to fetch'

C The full error object

D No output

💡 Hint

Check the 'Logging Output' column at Step 3 in execution_table

At which step is the error information sent to a remote logging service?

A Step 3

B Step 4

C Step 2

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look for 'Send to logging service' action in execution_table

If the error severity was low, what would change in the execution_table?

A The error would not be logged to console

B The error would not be caught

C No alert would be sent at Step 6

D The error would be fixed automatically

💡 Hint

Refer to Step 6 'Alert if critical' in execution_table and key_moments about alerting

Concept Snapshot

Error logging in Next.js:
- Use try-catch to capture errors
- Log error messages clearly
- Send error info to a remote logging service
- Store logs centrally for review
- Alert team only on critical errors
- Fix issues and deploy updates

Full Transcript

This visual execution shows how error logging works in a Next.js app. When an error occurs, it is caught in a try-catch block. The error message is logged to the console for immediate visibility. Then, the error details are formatted and sent to a remote logging service where they are stored. If the error is critical, an alert is sent to the DevOps team to fix the issue quickly. After fixing, the app is redeployed and returns to normal operation. This process helps track and manage errors effectively.