getTracer()
Get the underlying OpenTelemetry tracer instance
Overview
getTracer() returns the underlying OpenTelemetry tracer for advanced use cases where you need direct access to OpenTelemetry APIs.
Signature
Basic Usage
Manual Span Creation
Advanced Context Management
Custom Span Links
When to Use
For most use cases, prefer the high-level methods (withWorkflow, withTask, withAgent, withTool) over direct tracer access.
Use getTracer() when you need to:
- Create spans with custom OpenTelemetry options
- Implement advanced context propagation
- Add span links to external traces
- Integrate with custom OpenTelemetry instrumentation
- Use OpenTelemetry features not exposed by Respan SDK
Return Value
Returns the OpenTelemetry Tracer instance.
Best Practices
- Prefer Respan’s high-level methods for standard tracing
- Use
getTracer()only for advanced OpenTelemetry features - Always call
span.end()when manually creating spans - Handle errors properly when manually managing spans
- Consult OpenTelemetry documentation for tracer API details