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How do I debug Javascript in Safari?

14. How do I debug JavaScript in Safari?

Safari's "Debug" menu allows you to turn on the logging of JavaScript errors. To display the debug menu in Mac OS X, open a Terminal window and type:


defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeDebugMenu 1

To display the debug menu in Safari 3.0 for Windows, use a text editor to add the following to the Preferences.plist file located at C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\Apple Computer\Safari\Preferences.plist :

<key>IncludeDebugMenu</key>
<true/>

Now relaunch Safari and check the "Log JavaScript Exceptions" menu item in the Debug menu. In Safari 1.3 and above, select the "Show JavaScript Console" menu item and the JavaScript Console window will open to display JavaScript exceptions. For Safari versions before 1.3, JavaScript exceptions will appear in the Console application (/Applications/Utilities/Console).

Safari 1.3 and above supports explicit logging of arbitrary information - similar to Objective-C NSLog() - function by using window.console.log() in your JavaScript. All messages are routed to the JavaScript Console window and show up nicely in a dark green, to easily differentiate themselves from JavaScript exceptions.


if(window.console) {
window.console.log("I think therefore I code!");
}
else {
alert("I think therefore I code!");
}

Using Safari 1.3 or above? Open the JavaScript Console and click to see it in action!

[Taken from http://developer.apple.com/internet/safari/faq.html#anchor14]

Last updated on 2008-03-24 08:31:21 -0700, by Shalom Craimer

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