README

serialize-error

Serialize/deserialize an error into a plain object

Useful if you for example need to JSON.stringify() or process.send() the error.

Install

npm install serialize-error

Usage

import {serializeError, deserializeError} from 'serialize-error';

const error = new Error('🦄');

console.log(error);
//=> [Error: 🦄]

const serialized = serializeError(error)

console.log(serialized);
//=> {name: 'Error', message: '🦄', stack: 'Error: 🦄\n    at Object.<anonymous> …'}

const deserialized = deserializeError(serialized);

console.log(deserialized);
//=> [Error: 🦄]

API

serializeError(value, options?)

Type: Error | unknown

Serialize an Error object into a plain object.

Non-error values are passed through.
Custom properties are preserved.
Non-enumerable properties are kept non-enumerable (name, message, stack).
Enumerable properties are kept enumerable (all properties besides the non-enumerable ones).
Buffer properties are replaced with [object Buffer].
Circular references are handled.
If the input object has a .toJSON() method, then it's called instead of serializing the object's properties.
It's up to .toJSON() implementation to handle circular references and enumerability of the properties.

.toJSON examples:

import {serializeError} from 'serialize-error';

class ErrorWithDate extends Error {
    constructor() {
        super();
        this.date = new Date();
    }
}

const error = new ErrorWithDate();

serializeError(error);
// => {date: '1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z', name, message, stack}

import {serializeError} from 'serialize-error';

class ErrorWithToJSON extends Error {
    constructor() {
        super('🦄');
        this.date = new Date();
    }

    toJSON() {
        return serializeError(this);
    }
}

const error = new ErrorWithToJSON();

console.log(serializeError(error));
// => {date: '1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z', message: '🦄', name, stack}

deserializeError(value, options?)

Type: {[key: string]: unknown} | unknown

Deserialize a plain object or any value into an Error object.

Error objects are passed through.
Non-error values are wrapped in a NonError error.
Custom properties are preserved.
Non-enumerable properties are kept non-enumerable (name, message, stack).
Enumerable properties are kept enumerable (all properties besides the non-enumerable ones).
Circular references are handled.

options

Type: object

maxDepth

Type: number
Default: Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY

The maximum depth of properties to preserve when serializing/deserializing.

import {serializeError} from 'serialize-error';

const error = new Error('🦄');
error.one = {two: {three: {}}};

console.log(serializeError(error, {maxDepth: 1}));
//=> {name: 'Error', message: '…', one: {}}

console.log(serializeError(error, {maxDepth: 2}));
//=> {name: 'Error', message: '…', one: { two: {}}}

Usage no npm install needed!