🐞 JavaScript Debugging Techniques

Debugging is an essential skill for every developer. It involves identifying and fixing bugs or unexpected behavior in your code. Here are some effective techniques and tools to help you debug JavaScript.

🔍 1. Console Logging

The simplest way to debug is by using console.log() to print values at various points in your code.

console.log("Value of x:", x);

Other console methods:

• console.error()
• console.warn()
• console.table()
• console.dir() (for inspecting objects)

🛑 2. Using the debugger Statement

The debugger keyword stops code execution and lets you inspect variables in the browser's DevTools.

function calculate(a, b) {
  debugger;
  return a + b;
}

🧰 3. DevTools (Chrome, Firefox, etc.)

• Open DevTools with F12 or Ctrl + Shift + I
• Use the Sources tab to set breakpoints
• Watch variables, step through code, and inspect call stacks
• Check network requests in the Network tab

📦 4. Code Linters

Use tools like ESLint to catch syntax issues and potential bugs even before running the code.

🔁 5. Isolate and Reproduce

• Try to reduce the problem into a small test case
• Comment out sections to pinpoint where things go wrong
• Use typeof and Array.isArray() to verify data types

💡 Extra Tips

• Clear browser cache if changes aren’t showing
• Use strict mode: 'use strict';
• Use source maps when working with minified or compiled code
• Log stack traces with console.trace()