Error Analysis

Fadi Al-Atia — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 18:36:39 +0000

To learn how to analyze an error, we are going to use the error below as an example:

nx run mobile:android

   ✔  7/7 dependent project tasks succeeded [6 read from cache]

   Hint: you can run the command with --verbose to see the full dependent project outputs

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

> nx run mobile:android

> npx expo run:android

› Opening emulator Medium_Phone
› Building app...
Starting a Gradle Daemon (subsequent builds will be faster)
Configuration on demand is an incubating feature.

> Configure project :
[ExpoRootProject] Using the following versions:
  - buildTools:  36.0.0
  - minSdk:      24
  - compileSdk:  36
  - targetSdk:   36
  - ndk:         27.1.12297006
  - kotlin:      2.1.20
  - ksp:         2.1.20-2.0.1

> Configure project :app
 ℹ️  Applying gradle plugin 'expo-max-sdk-override-plugin'
  [expo-max-sdk-override-plugin] This plugin will find all permissions declared with `android:maxSdkVersion`. If there exists a declaration with the `android:maxSdkVer
sion` annotation and another one without, the plugin will remove the annotation from the final merged manifest. In order to see a log with the changes run a clean build of the app.                                                                                                                                                           ℹ️  Applying gradle plugin 'expo-dev-launcher-gradle-plugin'

> Configure project :react-native-firebase_app
:react-native-firebase_app package.json found at /home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/@react-native-firebase/app/package.json
:react-native-firebase_app:firebase.bom using default value: 34.10.0dencies of :app:debugRuntimeClasspath > :react-native-firebas
:react-native-firebase_app:play.play-services-auth using default value: 21.5.0
:react-native-firebase_app package.json found at /home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/@react-native-firebase/app/package.json
:react-native-firebase_app:version set from package.json: 23.8.8 (23,8,8 - 23008008)
:react-native-firebase_app:android.compileSdk using custom value: 36
:react-native-firebase_app:android.targetSdk using custom value: 36
:react-native-firebase_app:android.minSdk using custom value: 24
:react-native-firebase_app:reactNativeAndroidDir /home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/react-native

> Configure project :react-native-firebase_auth
:react-native-firebase_auth package.json found at /home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/@react-native-firebase/auth/package.json
:react-native-firebase_app package.json found at /home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/@react-native-firebase/app/package.json
:react-native-firebase_auth:firebase.bom using default value: 34.10.0
:react-native-firebase_auth package.json found at /home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/@react-native-firebase/auth/package.json
:react-native-firebase_auth:version set from package.json: 23.8.8 (23,8,8 - 23008008)
:react-native-firebase_auth:android.compileSdk using custom value: 36
:react-native-firebase_auth:android.targetSdk using custom value: 36
:react-native-firebase_auth:android.minSdk using custom value: 24
:react-native-firebase_auth:reactNativeAndroidDir /home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/react-native

> Configure project :react-native-firebase_crashlytics
:react-native-firebase_crashlytics package.json found at /home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/@react-native-firebase/crashlytics/package.json
:react-native-firebase_app package.json found at /home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/@react-native-firebase/app/package.json
:react-native-firebase_crashlytics:firebase.bom using default value: 34.10.0
:react-native-firebase_crashlytics package.json found at /home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/@react-native-firebase/crashlytics/package.json
:react-native-firebase_crashlytics:version set from package.json: 23.8.8 (23,8,8 - 23008008)
:react-native-firebase_crashlytics:android.compileSdk using custom value: 36
:react-native-firebase_crashlytics:android.targetSdk using custom value: 36
:react-native-firebase_crashlytics:android.minSdk using custom value: 24
:react-native-firebase_crashlytics:reactNativeAndroidDir /home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/react-native

> Configure project :expo-modules-core
Linking react-native-worklets native libs into expo-modules-core build tasks
task ':react-native-worklets:mergeDebugNativeLibs'
task ':react-native-worklets:mergeReleaseNativeLibs'

> Configure project :expo

Using expo modules
  - expo-log-box (55.0.7)
  - expo-constants (55.0.9)
  - expo-dev-client (55.0.18)
  - expo-dev-launcher (55.0.19)
  - expo-dev-menu (55.0.16)
  - expo-dev-menu-interface (55.0.1)
  - expo-json-utils (55.0.0)
  - expo-manifests (55.0.11)
  - expo-modules-core (55.0.17)
  - expo-updates-interface (55.1.3)
  - [📦] expo-dom-webview (55.0.3)
  - [📦] expo-application (55.0.10)
  - [📦] expo-asset (55.0.10)
  - [📦] expo-device (55.0.10)
  - [📦] expo-document-picker (55.0.9)
  - [📦] expo-file-system (55.0.11)
  - [📦] expo-font (55.0.4)
  - [📦] expo-haptics (55.0.9)
  - [📦] expo-image (55.0.6)
  - [📦] expo-intent-launcher (55.0.9)
  - [📦] expo-keep-awake (55.0.4)
  - [📦] expo-linking (55.0.8)
  - [📦] expo-localization (55.0.9)
  - [📦] expo-network (55.0.9)
  - [📦] expo-notifications (55.0.13)
  - [📦] expo-router (55.0.7)
  - [📦] expo-sharing (55.0.14)
  - [📦] expo-splash-screen (55.0.12)
  - [📦] expo-system-ui (55.0.10)
  - [📦] expo-web-browser (55.0.10)

> Task :app:compileDebugKotlin FAILED
e: file:///home/user/projects/my-app/apps/mobile/android/app/src/main/java/com/example/myapp/MainApplication.kt:18:21 Unresolved reference 'ReactNativeHostWrapper'.
e: file:///home/user/projects/my-app/apps/mobile/android/app/src/main/java/com/example/myapp/MainApplication.kt:22:51 Unresolved reference 'ReactNativeHostWrapper'.
e: file:///home/user/projects/my-app/apps/mobile/android/app/src/main/java/com/example/myapp/MainApplication.kt:40:13 Unresolved reference 'ReactNativeHostWrapper'.

[Incubating] Problems report is available at: file:///home/user/projects/my-app/apps/mobile/android/build/reports/problems/problems-report.html

FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':app:compileDebugKotlin'.
> A failure occurred while executing org.jetbrains.kotlin.compilerRunner.GradleCompilerRunnerWithWorkers$GradleKotlinCompilerWorkAction
   > Compilation error. See log for more details
> IDLE
* Try:
> Run with --stacktrace option to get the stack trace.
> Run with --info or --debug option to get more log output.
> Run with --scan to get full insights.
> Get more help at https://help.gradle.org.

Deprecated Gradle features were used in this build, making it incompatible with Gradle 9.0.

You can use '--warning-mode all' to show the individual deprecation warnings and determine if they come from your own scripts or plugins.

For more on this, please refer to https://docs.gradle.org/8.14.3/userguide/command_line_interface.html#sec:command_line_warnings in the Gradle documentation.

BUILD FAILED in 40s
650 actionable tasks: 32 executed, 618 up-to-date
Error: /home/user/projects/my-app/apps/mobile/android/gradlew app:assembleDebug -x lint -x test --configure-on-demand --build-cache -PreactNativeDevServerPort=
8081 -PreactNativeArchitectures=x86_64,arm64-v8a exited with non-zero code: 1                                                                                          Error: /home/user/projects/my-app/apps/mobile/android/gradlew app:assembleDebug -x lint -x test --configure-on-demand --build-cache -PreactNativeDevServerPort=
8081 -PreactNativeArchitectures=x86_64,arm64-v8a exited with non-zero code: 1                                                                                              at ChildProcess.completionListener (/home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/@expo/spawn-async/src/spawnAsync.ts:67:13)
    at Object.onceWrapper (node:events:633:26)
    at ChildProcess.emit (node:events:518:28)
    at maybeClose (node:internal/child_process:1101:16)
    at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:304:5)
    ...
    at spawnAsync (/home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/@expo/spawn-async/src/spawnAsync.ts:28:21)
    at spawnGradleAsync (/home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/@expo/cli/src/start/platforms/android/gradle.ts:134:28)
    at assembleAsync (/home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/@expo/cli/src/start/platforms/android/gradle.ts:83:16)
    at runAndroidAsync (/home/user/projects/my-app/node_modules/@expo/cli/src/run/android/runAndroidAsync.ts:62:24)

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

 NX   Ran target android for project mobile and 7 task(s) they depend on (1m)

   ✖  1/8 failed
   ✔  7/8 succeeded [6 read from cache]

Step #1: Ignore the Noise

Basically, the error logs are quite long, so dont let the longness of an error distract you or make you think the error is unsolvable.
Immediately start scanning for keywords like: Error, Failed, Exception.
So in our example, we can see a keyword"

> Task :app:compileDebugKotlin FAILED
e: file:///home/user/projects/my-app/apps/mobile/android/app/src/main/java/com/example/myapp/MainApplication.kt:18:21 Unresolved reference 'ReactNativeHostWrapper'.
e: file:///home/user/projects/my-app/apps/mobile/android/app/src/main/java/com/example/myapp/MainApplication.kt:22:51 Unresolved reference 'ReactNativeHostWrapper'.
e: file:///home/user/projects/my-app/apps/mobile/android/app/src/main/java/com/example/myapp/MainApplication.kt:40:13 Unresolved reference 'ReactNativeHostWrapper'.

Step #2: Understand what error is saying

You have to read the error to determine which file is causing the issue, and also understand what is the error exactly.
In our example, we can see that MainApplication.kt is having an issue in lines 18, 22, and 40, and the error is saying that ReactNativeHostWrapper is unresolved.

Step #3: Build Hypotheses

Now try to build a "why" question about what happened and give multiple answers.
In our example, we can do that by saying:
- Why is our ReactNativeHostWrapper unresolved?
  - Could be a missed import
  - Maybe the class is no longer available (Deleted)
  - The dependency is not available.

Step #4: Investigate

Now you have the error known, potential reasons in hand, you start solving them one by one and scratching the case that didn't solve the issue.
You can ask more questions to yourself that will help with each case (Questions may vary based on the error you face), such as:
- What am I importing in that file?
- Where does this class even come from?
- Where is it used?
- Did I update Expo or React Native? (In case the error was build related)
- Does this class exist in the current version of Expo?

Step #5: Search Strategically

Use Google or other AI agents to your advantage if you reached a dead end.
Time is money, so always be strategic and precise for what you are looking for, so dont just look for the error name, you can also provide extra details such as the framework and its version so you get better results faster.

TL;DR: The Mental Checklist

Find the real error
Read it literally
Form hypothesis and "Why" questions
Answer them and ask more precise questions based on cases from previous step
Search with context.

Learning Software Engineering in the Era of AI

Fadi Al-Atia — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 18:36:08 +0000

Learning software engineering in the past was a straight forward process, you learn the programming language, you build projects in your portfolio, apply to companies, get a job and life goes on.

Doing that in the current times might be a little bit different, as when applying for jobs, you can see some new requirements other than your programming skills and portfolio project such as Prompt Engineering, Work with Agents, Claude Code, and others. You may ask yourself, what are those? And if I am new to Software Engineering, will that change my learning path? Lets discuss all this below.

Software Engineering in the Past

For a long time, the path into software engineering was clear. You picked a language, maybe Java, Python, or JavaScript. You spent a few months learning the syntax, then the fundamentals: data structures, algorithms, how a database works, how the web sends and receives data.

After that, you built things such as A todo app, weather app, clone of a website you liked. These projects went into a portfolio, usually a GitHub profile and a simple personal site. Then you applied to companies, passed a technical interview, and started your first job, so the skills you needed were stable, if you learned React in 2018, React was still useful in 2021.

Tools changed, frameworks came and went, but the core idea stayed the same: you write the code, you understand what you wrote, and you fix it when it breaks.

When Did AI Start Becoming Something Required

The shift did not happen in one day. It came in steps.

The first step was autocomplete, around 2021, tools like GitHub Copilot started suggesting the next line of code while you typed. Most developers saw it as a nice helper, nothing more. It saved you from writing boilerplate, but you were still the one thinking. The second step was chat, when ChatGPT and Claude became popular, developers started using them to explain errors, review code, and write small functions. Still a helper, but a much stronger one. At this point, "AI skills" were not in job descriptions. They were just a personal productivity habit. The third step is where things really changed: agents. Instead of suggesting a line, tools like Claude Code can now read your whole project, plan a change, edit multiple files, run the tests, and fix what failed. The AI is no longer writing a snippet for you. It is doing a task.

If one engineer using agents well can ship what used to take a small team, then knowing how to use these tools stops being a bonus. It becomes part of the job. This is why you now see "Prompt Engineering", "experience with AI agents", or "familiar with Claude Code" in job posts next to the usual list of languages and frameworks.

How to Learn in the Era of AI (What Changed)

What Stays the Same

You still need to understand how code works. You still need to know why an API returns a 500 error, and how state is managed. The reason is simple, AI can write code fast, but it can also write code that is wrong, slow, or unsafe. If you cannot read and judge the output, you cannot use the tool. You become a person who copies answers without knowing if they are correct, and companies do not hire that person.

What Changed

The dangerous part of learning today is the temptation to skip the struggle. When you get stuck on a bug, the AI can solve it in ten seconds. That feels great, but you learn almost nothing. Learning happens in the difficulty. So always remember that you need to use AI only to help you learn as a teacher, not solve all your issues immediately without learning anything.

DEV Community: Fadi Al-Atia