JavaScript is the de facto language of the web today, but it is not a perfect language. Many programmers dislike coding in JavaScript because it turns up weird bugs and it is easy to make mistakes with large applications. Also testing, JavaScript on the browser is not very convenient given the state of tools today.

Here are some native and web applications that will make your JavaScript more efficient, so you can:

Deal more effectively with dynamic typing

Make your application more consistent with coding guidelines

Also Read: 6 Tools to make JavaScript Development a Cakewalk

Firebug has been around for many years and is the ‘go to’ extension for developers who create their applications primarily on Firefox.

It is dedicated application for HTML, CSS and JavaScript testing

It has greater features than the developer tools included by default in browsers

It allows you to set code breakpoints, so you can test results at various stages of execution

If you develop on other browsers like Google Chrome, check out Firebug Lite, which provides the same features, but in a slightly different interface.

Opera is not the most popular browser in the world and less than 1% of internet users use it for their daily purposes. However, one reason you might want to test your JavaScript on Opera is Dragonfly, its open JavaScript testing and debugging tool.

It allows you to inspect the DOM more easily

You can modify your CSS and JavaScript and see results on the fly

You can inspect errors and find their source more quickly

Other browsers are catching up to the features of Opera Dragonfly, but it is currently one of the best testing tools available to web developers.

Internet Explorer does not have a vast plugin eco system like Firefox and Chrome do, but DebugBar is one of the better front end debuggers for the most popular browser in the world. It has all the features that you need like:

DOM Inspection

Cookie inspection

JavaScript debugging

If your primary browser is Internet Explorer you feel left out of the more advanced JavaScript tools, then DebugBar will help you shed that inferiority complex because it is as powerful as other debuggers.

This is a web based tool created by one of the most important JavaScript developers in the world – Douglas Crockford. All you need to do is copy and paste your code into the online JSLint editor and it will:

Highlight the errors in your code

Make sure that your syntax is clean and is compliant with standards

Single out type errors which are so common in JavaScript

If you are particular about your JavaScript app’s performance, JSLitmus is a neat little tool to have. It helps you create JavaScript benchmarks of your own, so you can measure performance at various stages of app development.

Write Code Online

Writecodeonline.com is a full featured JavaScript editor, more in the spirit of JSLint. It is lightweight, simple and easy to use and points out your bugs almost immediately. It is especially light weight for large applications, so you can test thousands of lines, unit by unit, and verity their correctness.

Also Read: Online Compilers: The Top 5 Websites to Write, Compile and Run Programs Online

Tinkerbin

This is one of the best designed online web development tools available today. It is best for testing out your HTML, CSS and JavaScript in one single web app. Testing snippets of JavaScript code and how it affects your HTML and CSS is much easier with Tinkerbin, especially since you see the results instantly.

JavaScript may feel like a cumbersome language, but that is because it has evolved organically rather than as some grand design from the beginning. These tools and apps will help you get a smoother development and testing experience. Ultimately, they all serve to make your web apps more efficient and bug free on all browsers.

About Author

Zack Johnson, a freelance writer who is experienced in developing effective marketing strategies. Right now he is working with Rush Essay and performs online marketing activities in his free time.