IQJam by Elguji Software - How Do I Debug SSJS?

re: How Do I Debug SSJS?

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:04:08 +0000

Author: David Leedy
Answer:

I don't know if I have a great answer to this yet.� I will say that:

print() is your friend!

Since print() writes to the Notes Log it's almost like debugging a server/web agent.

TaskJam has something in it to hook into OpenLog.� I've not tried that yet but that might be something to check out.

I've not heard of anything that will allow stepping through the code....

re: How Do I Debug SSJS?

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:12:28 +0000

Author: Bruce Elgort
Answer: Here's�a link to TaskJam�that David mentions.

re: How Do I Debug SSJS?

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:24:03 +0000

Author: Paul Withers
Answer: I didn't know about print(). I've used OpenLog for XPages, using log.logEvent() to write out. It's the same principle as print() though.

re: How Do I Debug SSJS?

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:50:01 +0000

Author: Christopher Byrne
Answer: There is also article I found on how to use Visual Studio 8 to debug on the server side in a hackish kind of way.

Not sure if would work in your case, but you never know.

re: How Do I Debug SSJS?

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:58:25 +0000

Author: Jeremy Hodge
Answer: What I've been doing when a bit of SSJS gives me fits is copy and paste the code into a computed text field, and then use the line use:

return <insert meaningful text here>

so if I want to know what the return result of a variable is, I'll return it and it displays it, or if I want to check to see how far a script gets, ill do something like

return 'got this far!'

etc...

re: How Do I Debug SSJS?

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:58:59 +0000

Author: Bruce Elgort
Answer: For those who may not know SSJS stands for "Server Side Javascript".

re: How Do I Debug SSJS?

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:44:07 +0000

Author: Peter Presnell
Answer: @Christopher.� I was actually based upon my experience with .Net (Visual Studio) that I was asking the question.� When I developed server-sided code with C# I could step through my code, set breakpoints inspect variables as with LotusScript debugger.� I could even change variables and change the code about to be executed allowing me to quickly debug my code.� It sounds like with XPages i am restricted to the old fashioned (e.g 1960s) style of debugging with manual debug statements that direct my output to the server log, agentlog, or back to a debug field on my xpage.�

I Just wanted to check with all the experts that I wasnt missing something obvious - heavan knows debugging wouldn't be the only major item missing from the Xpage help documentation.

re: How Do I Debug SSJS?

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:13:56 +0000

Author: John Smart
Answer:

I'm too behind in my XPages project to think about how I can save time :-/ but when I get some breathing room I'm going to look at Medusa.

Until then, I took a technique I saw from Tommy Valand (emailing a stack trace) and changed/extended it to instead create and populate requestScope.debugOutput.� I create a computed field that is bound to requestScope.debugOutput (using JavaScript so that it's one way instead of binding to requestScope through EL), and then I use the following script library:

Debug = {
�� _log : function (msgType, msgSource, msg) {
�� var tmp = msgType;
�� if (msgSource) {
�� tmp += ' from ' + msgSource;
�� }
�� var newEntry = '<dt>' + @Now() + ' ' + tmp + ':</dt><dd>' + msg + '</dd>';
�� if ( requestScope.debugOutput ) {
�� requestScope.debugOutput += newEntry;
�� } else {
�� requestScope.debugOutput = newEntry;
�� }
�� },
��
�� exception : function (exception, source) {
�� var stringWriter = new java.io.StringWriter();
�� exception.printStackTrace( new java.io.PrintWriter( stringWriter ) );
�� this._log('Error', source, stringWriter.toString());
�� },
��
�� message : function (msg, source) {
�� this._log('Print ', source, msg);
�� }
};

From within a custom control's combobox's onblur SSJS, I might do something like:

var sHere = 'ccCustomControlName.comboBoxId.onblur';
try {
�� Debug.message('starting', sHere);
�� // do stuff
�� Debug.message('successful', sHere);
} catch (e) {
�� Debug.exception(e, sHere);
}

�

Two caveats:

It appears that you can't use global variables that don't exist, so when you remove the Debug script library from your XPages, you also have to remove all the calls.� Even code like "if ( Debug ) { Debug.exception(e, sHere); }" will crash if Debug doesn't exist.
If you're debugging partial refreshes then your display of requestScope.debugOutput must be within what you're refreshing.

How Do I Debug SSJS?

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:42:13 +0000

Author: Peter Presnell
Tags: debug
Question: I have searched high and low but I have not found any documentation anywhere on how you debug SSJS.� Just looking for the standard things such as setting breakpoints, stepping through the code and inspecting variables....