Rails logger middleware error - ruby-on-rails

Question

In a controller, in I have defined a method which looks something like this:
def blah
begin
# do something
# works fine till here, no issues
# breaks in the next line, (while rendering json??)
render json: { status: 1 }
rescue StandardError => e
# code never reaches here(??)
# log exception
end
end
Even the begin-rescue block is unable to catch this error.
What really stumps me is that there is not a single line from the codebase in the stacktrace. Any pointers?
Full stacktrace:
undefined method `logger' for ["{\"status\":1}"]:Array
activesupport (4.0.13) lib/active_support/configurable.rb, line 112
107 options = names.extract_options!
108
109 names.each do |name|
110 raise NameError.new('invalid config attribute name') unless name =~ /^[_A-Za-z]\w*$/
111
> 112 reader, reader_line = "def #{name}; config.#{name}; end", __LINE__
113 writer, writer_line = "def #{name}=(value); config.#{name} = value; end", __LINE__
114
115 singleton_class.class_eval reader, __FILE__, reader_line
116 singleton_class.class_eval writer, __FILE__, writer_line
117
App backtrace
Full backtrace
- activesupport (4.0.13) lib/active_support/configurable.rb:112:in `logger'
- geokit-rails (2.0.1) lib/geokit-rails/geocoder_control.rb:15:in `set_geokit_domain'
- activesupport (4.0.13) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:397:in `_run__489562034147364391__process_action__callbacks'
- activesupport (4.0.13) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:80:in `run_callbacks'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/abstract_controller/callbacks.rb:17:in `process_action'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_controller/metal/rescue.rb:29:in `process_action'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:31:in `block in process_action'
- activesupport (4.0.13) lib/active_support/notifications.rb:159:in `block in instrument'
- activesupport (4.0.13) lib/active_support/notifications/instrumenter.rb:20:in `instrument'
- activesupport (4.0.13) lib/active_support/notifications.rb:159:in `instrument'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:30:in `process_action'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_controller/metal/params_wrapper.rb:250:in `process_action'
- activerecord (4.0.13) lib/active_record/railties/controller_runtime.rb:18:in `process_action'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/abstract_controller/base.rb:136:in `process'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/abstract_controller/rendering.rb:44:in `process'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_controller/metal.rb:195:in `dispatch'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_controller/metal/rack_delegation.rb:13:in `dispatch'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_controller/metal.rb:231:in `block in action'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:82:in `dispatch'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:50:in `call'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/journey/router.rb:71:in `block in call'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/journey/router.rb:59:in `call'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:676:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- rack-pjax (0.8.0) lib/rack/pjax.rb:12:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- omniauth (1.2.1) lib/omniauth/strategy.rb:186:in `call!'
- omniauth (1.2.1) lib/omniauth/strategy.rb:164:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/rack/agent_hooks.rb:30:in `traced_call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/rack/browser_monitoring.rb:32:in `traced_call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- exception_notification (4.1.1) lib/exception_notification/rack.rb:32:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- warden (1.2.3) lib/warden/manager.rb:35:in `block in call'
- warden (1.2.3) lib/warden/manager.rb:34:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- rack (1.5.5) lib/rack/etag.rb:23:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- rack (1.5.5) lib/rack/conditionalget.rb:25:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- rack (1.5.5) lib/rack/head.rb:11:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- remotipart (1.3.0) lib/remotipart/middleware.rb:32:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/params_parser.rb:27:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/flash.rb:241:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- rack (1.5.5) lib/rack/session/abstract/id.rb:225:in `context'
- rack (1.5.5) lib/rack/session/abstract/id.rb:220:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/cookies.rb:486:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- activerecord (4.0.13) lib/active_record/query_cache.rb:36:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- activerecord (4.0.13) lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb:626:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- activerecord (4.0.13) lib/active_record/migration.rb:373:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/callbacks.rb:29:in `block in call'
- activesupport (4.0.13) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:373:in `_run__2519945963821911877__call__callbacks'
- activesupport (4.0.13) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:80:in `run_callbacks'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/callbacks.rb:27:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/reloader.rb:64:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/remote_ip.rb:76:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- bugsnag (4.2.1) lib/bugsnag/rack.rb:33:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- better_errors (2.0.0) lib/better_errors/middleware.rb:84:in `protected_app_call'
- better_errors (2.0.0) lib/better_errors/middleware.rb:79:in `better_errors_call'
- better_errors (2.0.0) lib/better_errors/middleware.rb:57:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/debug_exceptions.rb:17:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/show_exceptions.rb:30:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- railties (4.0.13) lib/rails/rack/logger.rb:38:in `call_app'
- railties (4.0.13) lib/rails/rack/logger.rb:22:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- request_store (1.2.0) lib/request_store/middleware.rb:8:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/request_id.rb:21:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- rack (1.5.5) lib/rack/methodoverride.rb:21:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- rack (1.5.5) lib/rack/runtime.rb:17:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- activesupport (4.0.13) lib/active_support/cache/strategy/local_cache.rb:83:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- rack (1.5.5) lib/rack/lock.rb:17:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- actionpack (4.0.13) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/static.rb:84:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- rack (1.5.5) lib/rack/sendfile.rb:112:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- railties (4.0.13) lib/rails/engine.rb:511:in `call'
- railties (4.0.13) lib/rails/application.rb:97:in `call'
- newrelic_rpm (3.16.2.321) lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/middleware_tracing.rb:96:in `call'
- rack (1.5.5) lib/rack/lock.rb:17:in `call'
- rack (1.5.5) lib/rack/content_length.rb:14:in `call'
rack (1.5.5) lib/rack/handler/webrick.rb:60:in `service'
- /{path-to-ruby}/lib/ruby/2.0.0/webrick/httpserver.rb:138:in `service'
- /{path-to-ruby}/lib/ruby/2.0.0/webrick/httpserver.rb:94:in `run'
- /{path-to-ruby}/lib/ruby/2.0.0/webrick/server.rb:295:in `block in start_thread'

Answer 1

So...
The issue was resolved after I changed the method name.
The method was named config, since the API endpoint needed to have this name. I changed the method name to app_config, and it started working. Not sure why this happened, but it has been working as expected since then.

Answer 2

One possible cause could be better_errors.
If an error is raised in a rescue block, its cause would be the original error. better_errors displays that cause instead, meaning the backtrace will not be in the rescue block. This gives you the illusion that it is never rescued.
See https://github.com/BetterErrors/better_errors/pull/459 for more details