My recent experience resolving an issue with my code as I begin an adventure with the HNG Internship

Getting accepted into HNG Internship programme has been a thrilling charge for me as an advancing backend developer. I can't wait to take advantage of the many learning and growth possibilities this programme offers. I'll discuss a recent, difficult backend issue I ran across, the measures I took to fix it, and why I'm excited about this internship.

Introduction

Starting out as a developer can be both exciting and challenging. Recently, I encountered a minor issue while working on a Node.js project. This problem provided me with a valuable learning experience, and I'd like to share the steps I took to solve it.

The Problem

I was building a simple web application with Node.js and Express. The application was supposed to display a list of items fetched from a local JSON file. However, when I tried to load the page, I kept getting an error: `Cannot read property 'length' of undefined`.


Step 1: Understanding the Error

The first step was to understand what the error meant. The error message indicated that I was trying to access the `length` property of something that was `undefined`. This meant that my code was likely trying to access the `length` property of a variable that hadn't been properly initialized.

Step 2: Checking the Code

I carefully reviewed the part of my code that was supposed to read the JSON file and process its contents. Here’s the relevant snippet:

Step 3: Adding Debugging Statements

To pinpoint the issue, I added some console.log statements to check the values of variables at different stages:


Step 4: Running the Code

I restarted the server and accessed the `/items` route again. The console logs showed that the file was being read correctly, but the data was an empty string instead of the expected JSON content. This suggested that the issue was with the JSON file itself.

Step 5: Checking the JSON File

I opened the `items. Json` file to ensure it contained valid JSON data. To my surprise, the file was empty! I realized that I had forgotten to add the initial data to the file.

Step 6: Adding Sample Data

I added some sample data to the `items. Json` file:


Step 7: Testing the Solution

I restarted the server and accessed the `/items` route again. This time, the page loaded successfully and displayed the list of items as expected.

Conclusion

Solving this minor problem taught me the importance of carefully checking each part of my code and using debugging techniques to identify issues. It also reminded me to always ensure that any external files or resources my code depends on are properly set up.

As a beginner developer, each problem I solve helps build my confidence and enhances my understanding of Node.js and web development. I look forward to tackling more challenges and learning new skills during my journey. Interested in challenging yourself and testing your skillset like me? Join me at HNG https://hng.tech/internship and snap a certificate to showcase and other exciting benefits by getting premium https://hng.tech/premium