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.