`DOMException`s do not work with `v8.serialize()`

[ehmicky]

Version

v22.1.0

Platform

Linux ether-laptop 6.5.0-35-generic #35-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Fri Apr 26 11:23:57 UTC 2024 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Subsystem

node:v8

What steps will reproduce the bug?

import {serialize, deserialize} from 'node:v8';

const error = AbortSignal.abort().reason;
console.log(error instanceof DOMException); 
// true
console.log(error);
// DOMException [AbortError]: This operation was aborted
//     at new DOMException (node:internal/per_context/domexception:53:5)
//     at AbortSignal.abort (node:internal/abort_controller:205:14)
//     at ...

const clonedError = deserialize(serialize(error));
console.log(clonedError instanceof DOMException); 
// false
console.log(clonedError);
// {}

How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?

Always.

What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?

A DOMException should be serializable/deserializable like other error instances.

What do you see instead?

Serializing/deserializing with v8 turns it into an empty plain object.

Additional information

Related: structuredClone(domException) returns an empty plain object, which is probably the same bug. This might be related to #49181.

[humayokobir99-coder]

MD humayun

[efekrskl]

Looks like this has been resolved in Node.js v24.3.0 and v22.20.0. If this is indeed fixed now, can we close this issue?

[ehmicky]

This has been partially solved: the .stack property is now preserved. That's quite useful when printing the error in a console.

However, the .name and .constructor properties are converted to a generic Error instead.
More importantly, the .message property becomes an empty string.

import {serialize, deserialize} from 'node:v8';

const error = AbortSignal.abort().reason;
console.log(error);
// DOMException [AbortError]: This operation was aborted
//   at ...
console.log(error.stack);
// AbortError: This operation was aborted
//   at ...
console.log(error.message);
// This operation was aborted
console.log(error instanceof DOMException);
// true
console.log(error.name);
// AbortError
console.log(error.constructor);
// [class DOMException]

const clonedError = deserialize(serialize(error));
console.log(clonedError);
// AbortError: This operation was aborted
//   at ...
console.log(clonedError.stack);
// AbortError: This operation was aborted
//   at ...
console.log(clonedError.message);
// Empty string
console.log(clonedError instanceof DOMException);
// false
console.log(clonedError.name);
// Error
console.log(clonedError.constructor);
// [Function: Error]

This is unlike how other built-in error classes (like TypeError) are serialized by V8.

import {serialize, deserialize} from 'node:v8';

const error = new TypeError('test')
console.log(error);
// TypeError: test
//   at ...
console.log(error.stack);
// TypeError: test
//   at ...
console.log(error.message);
// test
console.log(error instanceof TypeError);
// true
console.log(error.name);
// TypeError
console.log(error.constructor);
// [Function: TypeError]

const clonedError = deserialize(serialize(error));
console.log(clonedError);
// TypeError: test
//   at ...
console.log(clonedError.stack);
// TypeError: test
//   at ...
console.log(clonedError.message);
// test
console.log(clonedError instanceof TypeError);
// true
console.log(clonedError.name);
// TypeError
console.log(clonedError.constructor);
// [Function: TypeError]

(As a side note, it seems like v8.serialize() discards properties set on error instances like error.custom = true, but that behavior happens with any error class, so it's out of scope of this issue)

[efekrskl]

Thank you for the very detailed repro steps! I tried solving this in #61856, let's see

[ehmicky]

Thanks!

Good note about structuredClone(), which does seem to now preserve all properties, including .name, .constructor and .message. So one might expect for v8.deserialize(v8.serialize(error)) to do the same.

[github-actions]

This issue has been marked as stale due to 90 days of inactivity.
It will be automatically closed in 30 days if no further activity occurs. If this is still relevant, please leave a comment or update it to keep it open.

[ehmicky]

PR still open, ready to be merged.