A simple but useful extension for the JavaScript console with a stack trace and more.
###Methods (most text pulled from here)###
Console.assert(expression[, object, ...])
Tests that an expression is true. If not, it will write a message to the console and throw an exception.
Console.clear()
Clears the console.
Console.count([title])
Writes the number of times that the line of code where count was called was executed. The optional argument title will print a message in addition to the number of the count.
Console.debug(object[, object, ...])
Writes a message to the console, including a hyperlink to the line where it was called. It adds a stack trace depending on if the stackTraceEnabled option is set to true.
Console.dir(object)
Prints an interactive listing of all properties of the object. This looks identical to the view that you would see in the DOM tab.
Console.dirxml(node)
Prints the XML source tree of an HTML or XML element. This looks identical to the view that you would see in the HTML tab. You can click on any node to inspect it in the HTML tab.
Console.error(object[, object, ...])
Writes a message to the console with the visual "error" icon and color coding and a hyperlink to the line where it was called.
Console.exception(error-object[, object, ...])
Prints an error message together with an interactive stack trace of JavaScript execution at the point where the exception occurred.
Console.getOption(option)
Gets the value of an option for Console.js. Refer below to see a list of options whose value you may get.
Console.group(object[, object, ...])
Writes a message to the console and opens a nested block to indent all future messages sent to the console. Call Console.groupEnd() to close the block.
Console.groupCollapsed(object[, object, ...])
Like Console.group(), but the block is initially collapsed.
Console.groupEnd()
Closes the most recently opened block created by a call to Console.group() or Console.groupCollapsed().
Console.info(object[, object, ...])
Writes a message to the console with the visual "info" icon and color coding and a hyperlink to the line where it was called.
Console.log(object[, object, ...])
Writes a message to the console. You may pass as many arguments as you'd like, and they will be joined together in a space-delimited line.
The first argument to log may be a string containing printf-like string substitution patterns. For example:
Console.log("The %s jumped over %d tall buildings", animal, count);The example above can be re-written without string substitution to achieve the same result:
Console.log("The", animal, "jumped over", count, "tall buildings");These two techniques can be combined. If you use string substitution but provide more arguments than there are substitution patterns, the remaining arguments will be appended in a space-delimited line, like so:
Console.log("I am %s and I have:", myName, thing1, thing2, thing3);If objects are logged, they will be written not as static text, but as interactive hyperlinks that can be clicked to inspect the object in Firebug's HTML, CSS, Script, or DOM tabs. You may also use the %o pattern to substitute a hyperlink in a string.
You may also use the %c pattern to use the second argument as a style formatting parameter. For example:
Console.log("%cThis is green text on a yellow background.", "color:green; background-color:yellow");You can even use several %c patterns within the string to use different formattings. For each %c there needs to be one argument:
Console.log("%cRed text, %cgreen text, %cblue text", "color:red", "color:green", "color:blue");Here is the complete set of patterns that you may use for string substitution:
| Pattern | Type |
|---|---|
| %s | String |
| %d, %i | Integer (numeric formatting is not yet supported) |
| %f/%.xf | Floating point number; x denotes the number of decimal places the number should be rounded to (if ommitted, the number won't be rounded) |
| %o | Object hyperlink |
| %c | Style formatting |
These formats and patterns also apply to other message-oriented console functions like info, debug, and so on.
Console.profile([title])
Turns on the JavaScript profiler. The optional argument title would contain the text to be printed in the header of the profile report.
Console.profileEnd()
Turns off the JavaScript profiler and prints its report.
Console.setOption(option, value)
Changes an option that control's Console.js' behavior. The options possible are as follows (defaults are shown in bold):
######Options######
-
alwaysShowURL( true / false )Always show the URL of the file making a console statement.
-
collapsed( true / false )Show the stack trace initially collapsed.
-
enabled( true / false )Enable/disable all output.
-
enableStackTrace( true / false )Enable/disable stack trace output.
-
ignoreInternalFuncs( true / false )Remove extra clutter from stack trace (Console.js-related). Does not affect new
Console.trace()method (cannot modify its output). -
showInfo( true / false )Show info before each console statement regarding line, file, etc. Does not show if stack trace is enabled (would be redundant).
-
spacing( true / false )Adds extra spacing in the stack trace.
-
useOldStackTrace( true / false )Use old stack trace instead of new
Console.trace()method. This setting will not affect any browser besides Firefox (Firebug) because theirConsole.trace()methods are not as extensive, being effectually the same as the one provided by Console.js, and the old one suffices.
Console.table(data[, columns])
Allows to log provided data using tabular layout. The method takes one required parameter that represents table-like data (array of arrays or list of objects). The optional columns parameter can be used to specify columns and/or properties to be logged (see more at softwareishard.com).
Console.time(name)
Creates a new timer under the given name. Call Console.timeEnd(name) with the same name to stop the timer and print the time elapsed.
Console.timeEnd(name)
Stops a timer created by a call to Console.time(name) and writes the time elapsed.
Console.timeStamp(name)
Creates a time stamp, which can be used together with HTTP traffic timing to measure when a certain piece of code was executed.
Console.trace()
Prints an interactive stack trace of JavaScript execution at the point where it is called.
The stack trace details the functions on the stack, as well as the values that were passed as arguments to each function. You can click each function to take you to its source in the Script tab, and click each argument value to inspect it in the DOM or HTML tabs.
Console.warn(object[, object, ...])
Writes a message to the console with the visual "warning" icon and color coding and a hyperlink to the line where it was called.
Console.js is a project by Gabriel Nahmias.