Javascript SyntaxCheck

[Gizmor]

Is it possible to include a Syntax check for JavaScript into Webuilder?
This would be a very useful feature.


Thanks for your attention!

[fuzzylogic]

I would love to see a JavaScript debugger integrated into the editor. There are some other editors on the market that have this support, but they don't do php.

[drjee]

+1

[llbbl]

firebug is already a kick ass javascript debugger.

[fuzzylogic]

firebug is already a kick ass javascript debugger.

Firebug does not debug anything... it does give you error messages and has a function called "console.log()" which is very useful. But this is not the same as a "real" debugger. (a real debugger allows you to set break points, pause the program, and view variable's contents -- none of which are done by Firebug).

I have tried venkman but it's user interface -- if you can call it that -- is an abomination of un-usability.

no, what I am talking about is more along the lines of Yaldex 1st JavaScript Editor Pro but I want something without the dependency on the non-compatible/standards non-compliant Microsoft JScript and without all the errors that are in his editor/syntax analyzer. Yaldex is a good start, but upon detailed evaluation I found it to be unusable.

JavaScript syntax checking/debugging ought to be based on the Firefox/Mozillia component because they know how to design industry standards compliant software. IMHO Microsoft hates standards because it interferes with their intention to maintain a marketing monopoly. Yaldex uses the Microsoft component for JavaScript syntax checking and in my tests it returned lots of incorrect/invalid results.

[syrupcore]

firebug is already a kick ass javascript debugger.

Firebug does not debug anything... it does give you error messages and has a function called "console.log()" which is very useful. But this is not the same as a "real" debugger. (a real debugger allows you to set break points, pause the program, and view variable's contents -- none of which are done by Firebug).

Actually, firebug does all of those things.

[drjee]

firebug is already a kick ass javascript debugger.

Firebug does not debug anything... it does give you error messages and has a function called "console.log()" which is very useful. But this is not the same as a "real" debugger. (a real debugger allows you to set break points, pause the program, and view variable's contents -- none of which are done by Firebug).

I have tried venkman but it's user interface -- if you can call it that -- is an abomination of un-usability.

no, what I am talking about is more along the lines of Yaldex 1st JavaScript Editor Pro but I want something without the dependency on the non-compatible/standards non-compliant Microsoft JScript and without all the errors that are in his editor/syntax analyzer. Yaldex is a good start, but upon detailed evaluation I found it to be unusable.

JavaScript syntax checking/debugging ought to be based on the Firefox/Mozillia component because they know how to design industry standards compliant software. IMHO Microsoft hates standards because it interferes with their intention to maintain a marketing monopoly. Yaldex uses the Microsoft component for JavaScript syntax checking and in my tests it returned lots of incorrect/invalid results.

I completely agree

[syrupcore]

I completely agree

too lazy to browse the google results? Here is a 15 second run down of how to set break points, pause the program, pause the program conditionally, view a variable's content, rummage around in the stack and a hell of a lot more. All in Firebug, right now. Get debugging!

FWIW, Firebug is Open Source and released under the Mozilla Public License. I don't know enough about the license but perhaps it can be incorporated into webuilder.

[drjee]

but I want to have a kind of IDE. I do not want to switch to another application. Javascript syntax checking and debugging should be implemented within WeBuilder.

[fuzzylogic]

hey syrupcore,

Thanks for the tip!!

I've been using Firebug for quite awhile now to view script errors, but somehow missed the fact that you could also set break points... I suspect it's to do with UI expectations. Firebug does not look like a traditional debugger.

I'm looking at the docs now. Frankly the docs are poorly organized. But yes, I do see now that this really is a debugger and not just a fancier console monitor -- which is how I have always been thinking of/using it.

[syrupcore]

but I want to have a kind of IDE. I do not want to switch to another application. Javascript syntax checking and debugging should be implemented within WeBuilder.

You have firefox open anyway. Besides, Firebug does things that Webuilder would be silly to do - like all of the nifty AJAX stuff. Since all of that stuff is handy anyway, why not just use it for the debugger as well? That is to say, even if webuilder added a great JS debugger, we'd all still use firebug anyway, right?

[syrupcore]

hey syrupcore,

Thanks for the tip!!

No problem. One of the coolest features is being able to set a breakpoint on the errors in the error console. just so very handy. when you get the error, click in the lower left corner of the error message in the console. reload the page and bam, breakpoint.

[fuzzylogic]

Actually, firebug does all of those things. <<< invisible link here....
-------
too lazy to browse the google results?

oh, that's actually a link?!?!?

I was trying to figure out what you meant by that second comment, and just now finally noticed that in your first comment you had actually put a google link there. This new forum software looks great! Especially the editor; but for some inexplicable reason that link -- unlike the other links on this page -- is displayed with slightly dark blue against a light blue background, and without an underline, it is effectively invisible -- not discernible from normal text.

I'm with drjee on this one, Firebug is a pretty good debugger, but the user interface experience is still not the same as something like WeBuilder or more to the point Yaldex. For one thing, WeBuilder's JavaScript autocompletion is pretty weak. Yaldex has a 30 day trial, why don't you give it a spin and experience for yourself the difference that is made by an integrated JavaScript environment. (Yaldex is not the only JavaScript editor out there, it's just the one that I am the most familiar with).

After all, if the environment didn't matter, we could just be using notepad... or ugh, venkman.

There is plenty of room for improvement on what is currently available for JavaScript editing/debugging. And if RapidPHP wants to differentiate itself from the intense competition for PHP editors, providing great JavaScript support would be one place to make a very visible difference.

[chrisjlocke]

oh, that's actually a link?!?!?
...but for some inexplicable reason that link -- unlike the other links on this page -- is displayed with slightly dark blue against a light blue background, and without an underline, it is effectively invisible -- not discernible from normal text.

Its a bug with phpBB as there is no text after the link. If I edit the post to have a full-stop or a smiley on the next line, the underline link shows up.

[syrupcore]

fuzzylogic, I'm both with and not with you. fuzzylogic, ftw.

I'm with you that WeBuilder and family have plenty of room to grow as a JS editor. Like you said, a more robust code complete and function introspection would be great. I don't (and didn't) disagree with that. I'm specifically talking about debugging. Firebug all the way. Hell, I really prefer that stuff to be in the browser anyway - that's where it's going to be rendered. Since firefox is very much a part of my workflow, I'm not sure how much more integrated I need it. I use snippets to throw things to the console or whatever. Works great.

I flirted with Aptana for a bit. It's a great JS editor with all sorts of firebug and jquery integration. In the end though, it just didn't feel as smooth or robust in the right places as WeBuilder + Firebug.


Weird about the link and thank you for setting it straight chris.