Debugging JavaScript Code > JavaScript Debugger overview

JavaScript Debugger overview

Macromedia Dreamweaver's JavaScript Debugger allows you to uncover errors in your client-side JavaScript code. You can write the code using Dreamweaver's Code view (or Code inspector), then run the debugger to check your code for syntax and logical errors. A syntax error causes the browser to report an error message; a logical error causes your page to function incorrectly, but is not reported by the browser. The debugger works with Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator on the Windows platform and Netscape Navigator on the Macintosh platform. For more information about writing scripts, see Inserting scripts.

The debugger checks your code for syntax errors first, then runs with the browser to help you check for logical errors. If you have logical errors, the JavaScript Debugger window helps you isolate the errors in your JavaScript code by letting you examine variables and document properties while your program is running. You can set breakpoints (similar to alert statements) in your code to stop the execution of the program and display the values of JavaScript objects and properties in a variable list. You can also step to the next statement or step into a function call to see the variable values change.

The JavaScript Debugger can significantly reduce the time it takes you to find and isolate errors in your code.