Webmonkey » Blackbird http://www.webmonkey.com The Web Developer's Resource Mon, 06 May 2013 17:29:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 Blackbird Tool Makes JavaScript Alert() Debugging Obsolete http://www.webmonkey.com/2008/10/blackbird_adds_log_debugger_to_replace_alert/ http://www.webmonkey.com/2008/10/blackbird_adds_log_debugger_to_replace_alert/#comments Fri, 17 Oct 2008 01:27:39 +0000 Scott Loganbill http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/blackbirdtoolmakesjavascriptalertdebuggingobsolete If you’re debugging JavaScript, you’ll probably be interested in something a little more comprehensive than alert(). Blackbird adds some control and specificity to the debugging messages you install into your code to see if it is working. It also makes the debugging window a little more controllable than the error message that pops up for an alert().

It does so by adding a floating black table (seen to the right) that you can use to log different errors and data points throughout your code. It makes debugging a cinch, and it helps you figure out what you’re doing wrong in a much more visible manner than adding alerts.

Blackbird is installed by adding a link in your page to some lightweight, downloadable JavaScript and CSS. Open the pop-up logging window using the F2 key. Other F2 variations will move the window, make it larger and close it.

The developers of blackbird promise you’ll never use alert() again. Check out the Blackbird webpage for code and live examples of the coding box and the kind of messages you can install in your page.

This isn’t a replacement for other debugging tools, like Firebug. However, unlike Firebug and like HTML design debugging tool XRAY or Firebug Lite, it works over any modern browser without a software installation.

See Also

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