What this tool does
The Stack Trace Explainer takes cryptic error messages and stack traces from any programming language and translates them into plain-English explanations. Instead of deciphering technical jargon and tracing through call stacks, paste your error and instantly understand what went wrong, why it happened, and how to fix it.
Whether you are a junior developer encountering your first NullPointerException or a senior engineer working in an unfamiliar language, this tool saves time by cutting through noise and highlighting the exact cause and solution.
Why stack traces are hard to read
Stack traces are designed for runtime diagnostics, not human readability. They contain internal function paths, memory addresses, line numbers across multiple files, and framework-specific terminology that can overwhelm even experienced developers. Common challenges include:
- **Nested call stacks** that span dozens of lines across multiple libraries - **Framework internals** mixed with your application code - **Cryptic error names** like \`ENOENT\`, \`SIGABRT\`, or \`ClassCastException\` - **Missing context** about what the code was actually trying to do - **Language-specific formats** that differ between Python tracebacks, Java exceptions, JavaScript errors, and others
This tool filters out the noise and focuses on the line in your code that triggered the error, what the error type means, and what you should change to fix it.
Supported languages and error types
This tool handles errors from virtually any programming language, including:
- **JavaScript / TypeScript**: TypeError, ReferenceError, SyntaxError, unhandled promise rejections, Node.js errors - **Python**: Traceback output, ImportError, AttributeError, KeyError, IndentationError - **Java**: NullPointerException, ClassNotFoundException, StackOverflowError, OutOfMemoryError - **C# / .NET**: NullReferenceException, InvalidOperationException, ArgumentException - **Go**: Panic messages, goroutine stack dumps, nil pointer dereferences - **Rust**: Panic messages, borrow checker errors, lifetime errors - **Ruby**: NoMethodError, NameError, ArgumentError, LoadError - **PHP**: Fatal errors, warnings, notices, exception traces - **Swift / Kotlin**: Crashes, force unwrap failures, type cast errors - **C/C++**: Segmentation faults, buffer overflows, memory access violations
It also handles compiler errors, linter warnings, build failures, and error output from development tools like webpack, Docker, and CI/CD pipelines.
How to use
1. Copy the full error message or stack trace from your terminal, browser console, or IDE 2. Paste it into the error input field 3. Optionally select the programming language from the dropdown, or leave it on Auto-detect 4. Click "Explain Error" to get the analysis 5. Review the plain-English summary, root cause explanation, and relevant line 6. Read the suggested fixes and apply the most appropriate one in your code 7. Use the "Copy Fixes" button to save the suggestions for reference
FAQs
Q: Does this tool execute or compile my code? A: No. This tool only analyzes the text of your error message or stack trace. No code is executed, compiled, or stored on any server.
Q: What if my stack trace contains sensitive information? A: The error text is sent to an AI API for analysis. Avoid pasting stack traces that contain passwords, API keys, database connection strings, or other secrets. File paths and variable names in stack traces are generally safe to share.
Q: Can this explain compiler errors too? A: Yes. It handles runtime errors, compiler errors, linter warnings, build failures, and any other error output from development tools including webpack, Docker, and CI/CD systems.
Q: How accurate are the suggested fixes? A: The suggestions are based on common patterns for each error type and are correct in the majority of cases. However, always review fixes in the context of your specific codebase before applying them, since the tool only sees the error text and not your full source code.
Q: What if I only have a short error message without a full stack trace? A: The tool works with both full stack traces and short error messages. Even a single line like "TypeError: undefined is not a function" provides enough context for a useful explanation.
Q: Does it work with errors from frameworks like React, Django, or Spring? A: Yes. The tool recognizes framework-specific error patterns and can identify when the root cause is in your code versus a framework misconfiguration.
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