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.