Heisenberg Keypress

Breakpoint in JavaScript on keydown. When hit, focus shifts to debugger. The keypress never comes.

I can't observe both the keydown and the keypress event. If I observe the first one, I can't observe the second one.

Good to know. Bad to have to know.

JavaScript Development Sucks

I'll try to be constructive. First, I'll collect a list of things that are ...bothersome. Then, each problem can get its own blog post, at least the non-trivial problems, with discussion and hopefully some solutions or work-arounds.

This list is about developing using a browser, not about running Node.js or something like that.

Here we go...

JavaScript Development Issues

Tool Issue:

Issue: Fake read-only files in browsers. I often edit the source code in the browser by mistake; and then I can't save the edits.

Issue #2: Staying stopped at breakpoint uses two cores (in Chrome). Slows down the whole computer. Also makes fan noise, burns energy, creates heat.

Issue #3: Debugger not active on some reloads.


Issue #4: Chrome crashes when my Java server is terminated. (Solution: close affected tabs, so that the connections close. Without connections, Chrome seems to do fine.)

Issue #5: Sometimes getting stuck before anything at all is shown: no page, no debugger, nothing but whiteness.

Issue #6: Dependency management.

Issue #7: Editors/IDE.

Issue #8: Eclipse Java + JS == not true. a) When a JavaScript view is open, you can't do Open Type. Very annoying. b) 'Run' command on JS file gives me: 'Not on JS build path'. Damn annoying.


Issue #10: Too dynamic. No type system. No constants. No block scope.

...to be continued.

Chrome Debugger Multithreading

This is what multithreading means in the context of the Chrome Javascript debugger:

1023 Google Chrome Helper 81.9 5 111.9 MB  Intel 1025 Google Chrome Renderer 70.3 6 78.5 MB   Intel

So it makes use of multiple cores: 

This, when halted at a breakpoint. Well, winter's nearing, and it's probably going to be a cold one, so we may need the extra heating. And maybe Chrome 23 will fix this...right. 

I'd really like to know what it's doing with these cycles. 

Firefox Debugger GUI

It appear to be the case that...

...the breakpoint markers cover the green instruction pointer completely?!

Oh, and how hard would it be to add the keyboard shortcut to the step button tooltips?

[...let's try installing Firebug and see if that's better...]

Ok, Firebug installed. Conflicting Dashboard F12 binding disabled (Dashboard -- what is it good for?).

Oh, 'Debugger not activated'....how do you turn it on...

Oh, the other debugging session with the built-in debugger caused it to not work.

Ah, finally. And praise the firebug developers or whatever: the Firebug 'instruction pointer' is on top of the ...breakpointers.

...and, more goodness: the step buttons have shortcuts in their tooltips!