Java has gained substantial traction as a holistic development ecosystem over the last few years. With this level of adoption and popularity comes the need for better development tools. Changing user preferences, better business viability for Java and increased market demand means the need for faster development. In order to cope better with the fast turnaround, it is critical to have the right testing tools so that none of the errors are skipped through in the fast paced development environment.
Here is a rundown of some of the best error tracking tools for Java
1. Takipi – Unlike other testing tools, Takipi can scan multiple methods, modules and machines. It then reports when a production code has encountered an error break and the reason for the same.
Some key characteristics –
a. It handles caught and uncaught exceptions, as well as HTTP and logged errors
b. You can also get to know if the error is a new or edited code or if it is a recurring issue
c. It has the ability to overlay error in variable state over actual program
http://www.takipi.com
2. Stack Hunter – It allows developers to track exceptions on a self-hosted platform. They can now know about exceptions as soon as they happen in a well laid out centralized location.
Some key characteristics –
a. It provides a standalone, self-hosted, web-based interface for exception and error tracking
b. It collates and shows critical metrics such as user affected and session affected exceptions in addition to overall listing of exceptions
c. It also groups different exception by root cause thus allowing for batch-wise resolution
http://stackhunter.com
3. Raygun – App exception tracking is made convenient with help of Raygun, a simple web based tool for tracking and managing errors on desktop, web or mobile app development languages. It also facilitates error handling through APIs.
Some key characteristics –
a. Allows text search of error groups and individual exceptions
b. Facilitates third party integration with GitHub, Gira and HipChat
c. All occurrences of error is presented within groups with access to all instances and methods including stack trace.
https://raygun.io
4. Sentry – With a web interface, this open source tool helps in real-time error tracking, grouping and simplified error management. It helps gauge uncaught errors based on impact and recurrence to help priority based resolution.
Some key characteristics –
a. Developers get to see how new deployment impacts the overall project in real time
b. Great for payment and financial transactions with its alerts on high number of failures in purchase or authentication
c. Facilitates easy integration with third party applications such as GitHub and Heroku
http://getsentry.com
5. Airbrake – Developed by Rackspace, the tool provides application specific view over the web for easy error handling and management. If you use Ruby, Java or PHP, then this tool is meant only for you.
Some key characteristics –
a. Detailed grouping by parameters such as user type, error type, and environment variables
b. Facilitates greater team collaboration by knowing who is causing the error in which module of the project.
https://airbrake.io
Hope these tools help you in successful and timely deployment of your Java application. Write in to us and let us know if you had experience in any of these.
