TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'parents')

 

During the deployment of a Next.js application, you may encounter the error 'TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'parents')'. This error indicates that the code is attempting to access a property named 'parents' on an object that is undefined.

Cause of the Error

The error typically arises when the code expects an object to have a 'parents' property, but the object is either undefined or does not have that property. This can happen due to various reasons, such as:

• Incorrect or missing layout path: The layout path might be incorrect, leading to the inability to load the required components and resulting in undefined objects.

• Data fetching issues: If the code relies on data fetched from an API or other sources, any issues in fetching or processing the data can lead to undefined objects.

• Component rendering errors: Errors in component rendering can cause unexpected behaviour and result in undefined objects.

Resolving the issue

To resolve this error, you can follow these steps:

1. Verify Layout Path: Double-check the layout path to ensure it is correct and points to the intended location of the layout component.

2. Inspect Data Fetching: Check if the data fetching process is working correctly and that the fetched data is being properly parsed and assigned to the appropriate variables.

3. Review Component Rendering: Review the component rendering logic to ensure that the components are being rendered correctly and that there are no errors that might be causing unexpected behaviour.

Alternative Approaches

In addition to the above steps, you can also consider alternative approaches to address the error:

• Conditional Rendering: Implement conditional rendering to check if the object is undefined before attempting to access its properties.

• Default Values: Provide default values for the object's properties to prevent undefined values from causing errors.

• Error Handling: Implement robust error handling to gracefully handle undefined objects and prevent the application from crashing.

Conclusion

The 'TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'parents')' error can be resolved by carefully examining the layout path, data fetching, and component rendering logic. 

In my case I did two things, One is updated the Layout path and publish the items and second is Implemented conditional rendering considerig the experience editor mode.

Mastering Environment Management in Sitecore XM Cloud: A Comprehensive Guide

Sitecore XM Cloud empowers organizations to craft personalized and engaging digital experiences. Efficiently managing environments and projects is crucial for successful implementation and maintenance. This technical guide delves into the steps involved in deleting an existing environment and creating a new one within Sitecore XM Cloud.

Deleting an Project: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Navigating to the Control Panel

Log in to the Sitecore XM Cloud Control Panel.

Seamlessly navigate to the project and  "Environments" section.

it's required that first you delete all the environment and after that you will see option to delete the project.

Step 2: Selecting the Environment for Deletion

Within the "Environments" section, identify the environment you intend to delete.

Click on the environment's name to access its details.

Step 3: Initiating Environment Deletion

Locate the "Delete" option within the environment details.

A confirmation dialog will appear. Confirm the deletion by following the on-screen instructions.    

Option to delete

Creating a New Environment: A Step-by-Step Guide

After deleting an environment or when establishing a new project, creating a new environment is the next step.

I'm going to use the Sitecore CL to setup the project and enviroment, here are some command details

XM Cloud projects are like collections of Sitecore XM environments, allowing you to organize and manage your Sitecore solutions effectively. Embarking on an XM Cloud project is an exciting venture, and I'm here to guide you through the initial steps.

Fist, you need to relogin using the CLI, otherwise you will get below errror 

Step 1: Creating Your XM Cloud Project

Navigate to your project's working directory using the command line.

Execute the following command to create a new XM Cloud project:

dotnet sitecore cloud project create --name <project-name>

Replace <project-name> with a descriptive name for your project.

For instance, to create a project named "MyXMCloudProject," use the following command:

dotnet sitecore cloud project create --name MyXMCloudProject

Note the assigned project ID for future reference.

Tip: To retrieve the project ID at any time, use the following command:

dotnet sitecore cloud project list

Step 2: Creating an Environment for Your XM Cloud Project

Within your project's working directory, open a command-line window.

Execute the following command to create an environment for your project:

dotnet sitecore cloud environment create --name <name> --project-id <project-id>

Replace <name> with a meaningful name for your environment.

Replace <project-id> with the project ID you noted earlier.

For example, to create an environment named "staging" for your project with ID "6btMioN1QDVjSUvQkklkVR," use the following command:

dotnet sitecore cloud environment create --name staging --project-id 6btMioN1QDVjSUvQkklkVR

Note the assigned environment ID for future reference.

Tip: To retrieve the environment ID at any time, use the following command:

dotnet sitecore cloud environment list --project-id <project-id>

Step 3: Deploying Your Solution to the XM Cloud Environment

Within your project's working directory, open a command-line window.

Execute the following command to initiate the deployment process:

dotnet sitecore cloud deployment create --environment-id <environment-id> --upload

Replace <environment-id> with the environment ID you noted earlier.

Example 

dotnet sitecore cloud deployment create --environment-id abc

This command creates a deployment that kicks off immediately and includes all the code in your current working directory.

Tip: To retrieve the environment ID, use the following command:

dotnet sitecore cloud environment list --project-id <project-id>

Once the deployment completes, the command line will display a URL pointing to your XM Cloud Sitecore CM instance. Open the link to access your Sitecore XM Cloud CM instance.

To access the Sitecore Launchpad, append /sitecore to the root URL of the instance in your browser's address bar.

Congratulations! You've successfully created an XM Cloud project, established an environment, and deployed your solution. Now, you're ready to embark on your Sitecore development journey.

Mastering Sitecore OrderCloud: A Comprehensive Guide to Sandbox Setup and Best Practices

 

Sitecore OrderCloud offers a powerful platform for e-commerce solutions, and getting started with a well-optimized sandbox environment is crucial for efficient development and testing. In this technical blog, we'll walk through the process of setting up a Sitecore OrderCloud sandbox and delve into best practices to ensure a seamless development experience.

1. Use the Sitecore OrderCloud Developer Tools.

Sitecore OrderCloud provides a number of developer tools to help you develop and deploy your applications. These tools include:

• The Postman collection for Sitecore OrderCloud
• The Sitecore OrderCloud documentation

2. Follow the Sitecore OrderCloud Coding Guidelines.

The Sitecore OrderCloud coding guidelines provide a set of best practices for developing Sitecore OrderCloud applications. These guidelines help to ensure that your applications are well-architected, maintainable, and scalable.

3. Use version control.

It is important to use version control when developing Sitecore OrderCloud applications. This will help you track changes to your code and revert to previous versions if necessary.

4. Test your applications thoroughly.

It is important to test your Sitecore OrderCloud applications thoroughly before deploying them to production. This will help to ensure that your applications are working correctly and that they are not causing any problems.

Apart from that, in terms or architecture below are some key highlights

How the Components Interact

When a user makes a request to the Sitecore OrderCloud API, the request is first routed to the API gateway. The API gateway then determines which backend service is responsible for handling the request and routes the request to that service. The backend service then processes the request and returns a response to the API gateway. The API gateway then returns the response to the user.

Benefits of the Architecture

The Sitecore OrderCloud architecture has a number of benefits, including:

Headless: The headless architecture allows developers to build custom front-ends that are tailored to the specific needs of their business.

Scalable: The architecture is highly scalable and can be easily deployed to cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.

Secure: The platform is very secure and includes a number of features to protect data from unauthorized access.

Example of How the Architecture Can Be Used

Here is an example of how the Sitecore OrderCloud architecture can be used to build a custom e-commerce storefront:

Image Source -  Integrating Sitecore OrderCloud with Sitecore CDP

A developer would create a custom front-end that uses the Sitecore OrderCloud API to fetch product data, order data, and customer data.

The front-end would then use this data to display a product catalog, shopping cart, and checkout page.

When a customer places an order, the front-end would send the order data to the Sitecore OrderCloud API.

The API would then process the order and create a new order record in the database.

The customer would then be sent an email confirmation of their order.

Conclusion 

The Sitecore OrderCloud architecture is a powerful and flexible solution for building digital commerce applications. It is a headless architecture that allows developers to build custom front-ends that are tailored to the specific needs of their business. The architecture is highly scalable and can be easily deployed to cloud platforms. The platform is also very secure and includes a number of features to protect data from unauthorized access.

By following the best practices outlined in this blog post, you can develop and deploy Sitecore OrderCloud applications that are well-architected, maintainable, and scalable.