Coding with Jesse

Using Hash for JavaScript Debugging

No, I don't recommend smoking hash before doing your JavaScript debugging :) But I did figure out a technique which you can use to switch a page in and out of debugging mode.

What happens if you need to debug a site that's getting traffic, and you don't want everyone getting your alert() messages or whatever else you need to debug?

Well why not check location.hash and look for a special keyword:

function debug_mode() {
    return location.hash == '#debug';
}

if (debug_mode()) {
    alert('We are in debug mode!');
}

Now you can just add #debug to the URL (and hit enter) to turn on debug mode, or just drop the #debug to turn it off. You can even have more than one special "mode" and use different hash values to switch between these modes.

Published on September 26th, 2007. © Jesse Skinner

About the author

Jesse Skinner

I'm Jesse Skinner. I've been helping clients build web apps for over 20 years. I love hearing from new people. If you'd like to work with me, please email me at [email protected].