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Don't give vague error messages in JS console

Forums » Opera Community » Opera for desktop » Desktop wish-list

Thursday, 27. April 2006, 11:31:01

porneL

79% geek, 47% nerd

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Posts: 2610

Don't give vague error messages in JS console

I especially hate

message: Statement on line 37: Could not convert undefined or null to object


This is absolutely unhelpful. I might have reference to 10 objects on a single line and from this message I absolutely can't figure out which one is invalid.
Firefox does it much better, simply saying "variable_name has no properties".

Thursday, 27. April 2006, 14:07:07

porneL

79% geek, 47% nerd

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Posts: 2610

Another example is

Syntax error while loading: line 232 of linked script at http://...js :


vs Firefox:


Error: missing } after function body

Sunday, 7. May 2006, 21:42:08

porneL

79% geek, 47% nerd

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Posts: 2610

Oh, and again:


Type mismatch (usually a non-object value used where an object is required)


Type of what? What type has this thing? What type it should have? Ugh. Dunno!

vs Firefox again:


Error: cmp is not a function


So short, and says it all.

Monday, 8. May 2006, 17:15:12

Fyrd

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Posts: 95

USA

I would have to agree...the JavaScript console is one of the few things I prefer to use Firefox for.

Monday, 8. May 2006, 20:10:28

Objectivity is a usability plus
+50

Wednesday, 10. May 2006, 01:25:15

xErath

javascript guru

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Posts: 6423

Norway

Opera Software
+100
that error console sometimes really makes me rip some hair off.
Another problem is when you have several statements in a single line. Opera can't show the correct statement where the error occurred.

Wednesday, 10. May 2006, 07:33:19

+1000
Opera should be user-friendly. Friendly error messages would make it easier to decode.

Saturday, 12. August 2006, 10:58:20

I don't write much javascript, but the times I do I always curse on "Could not convert undefined or null to object"- messages.

+111

Monday, 14. August 2006, 19:50:57

lysathor

Athos

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Posts: 17

OK, understandable error messages could be helpful.
But usually I am not the owner of the page and therefore cannot fix the error. Perhaps JavaScript and its users tend to use non-standard extensions?
To make it short: It would be better that Opera supports more page than it understandably reports errors that I cannot fix.

Tuesday, 15. August 2006, 02:28:09

xErath

javascript guru

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Posts: 6423

Norway

Opera Software

Originally posted by lysathor:

But usually I am not the owner of the page and therefore cannot fix the error.

The error console is not for the user, it's for the developer or debugger/tester.

Wednesday, 16. August 2006, 09:30:12

szh

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Posts: 44

I would like the console to bemore helpful, yes. Although I find it good enoguh for me.

Wednesday, 16. August 2006, 18:54:24

ale5000

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Posts: 195

Italy

I would be a good thing if it say "User Javascript message" instead of "Unknown thread" for message writed from userjs.

Saturday, 16. September 2006, 12:18:40

Yes please; +1 to clarifying the readouts from the error console.

Saturday, 16. September 2006, 12:53:26

+1

That's why I keep FF around. Its error console is more revealing.

Thursday, 26. October 2006, 02:27:14

fearphage

Trained Swordsman of Unwanted Opera Termination

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Posts: 2036

USA

+1 I would greatly appreciate this feature/fix

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