"Introduced global variable(s) _firebug" in QUnit tests - javascript

I am using QUnit to perform various simple tests on my website. One of the tests is creating a dialog, showing it and then closing it. The test runs fine, but when run on Firefox with Firebug activated I get an error:
3. Introduced global variable(s): _firebug
I can live with it, but it is annoying: the same code on Chrome runs fine. I ruled out jQuery UI as the culprit since the same error appears without it. However, running without Firebug or without console.log traces does not show the problem.
I grepped all the javascript code I am using and found no mention of any "firebug" variables; and Google was silent on the matter. I want my green screen (all tests passed) back! Any ideas?

After googling a little bit more, I am not the first to find this problem: badglobals.js, blog, Google groups. The solution to my particular problem (QUnit reports a leaky global variable) is to add the declaration of the global before starting the tests, for example before the first module is run:
var _firebug;
module('myModule');
I am seeing a spurious xdc variable too; same solution. My first QUnit test file now looks like this:
/* declare spurious Firebug globals */
var _firebug;
var _xdc_;
/* run tests */
module('myModule');
My bar is all green now, even with noglobals checked! I hope this helps anyone else who finds this annoying issue.

Related

TestCafe Runner.run(runOptions) never returns, browser hangs (Firefox & Chrome)

I've got a little sandbox project I've been playing around with for the last few weeks to learn the in's and out's of implementing a TestCafe runner.
I've managed to solve all my problems except one and at this point I've tried everything I can think of.
Reviewed the following similar questions:
How to close testcafe runner
How to get the testCafe exit code
But still my problem remains.
I've toyed around with my argv.json file.
I've toyed around with my CICDtestBranches.json file.
I've toyed around with my package.json file.
I've tested the same branch that has the problem on multiple
machines.
I've tested with multiple browsers (Firefox & Chrome) -
both produce the same problem.
I've tried to re-arrange the code, see
below
I've tried add multiple tests in a fixture and added a page
navigation to each one.
I've tried to remove code that is processing
irrelevant options like video logs & concurrency (parallel execution)
I also talked with some coworkers around the office who have done similar projects and asked them what they did to fix the problem. I tried their recommendations, and even re-arranging things according to what they tried and still no joy.
I've read through the TestCafe documentation on how to implement a test runner several times and still I haven't been able to find any specific information about how to solve a problem with the browser not closing at the end of the test/fixture/script run.
I did find a few bugs that describe similar behavior, but all of those bugs have been fixed and the remaining bugs are specific to either Firefox or Safari. In my case the problem is with both Chrome & Firefox. I am running TestCafe 1.4.2. I don't want to file a bug with TestCafe unless it really is a confirmed bug and there is nothing else that can be done to solve it.
So I know others have had this same problem since my coworker said he faced the same problem with his implementation.
Since I know I am out of options at this point, I'm posting the question here in the hopes that someone will have a solution. Thank you for taking the time to look over my problem.
When executing the below code, after the return returnData; is executed, the .then statement is never executed so the TestCafe command and browser window are never terminated.
FYI the following code is CommonJS implemented with pure NodeJS NOT ES6 since this is the code that starts TestCafe (app.js) and not the script code.
...**Boiler Plate testcafe.createRunner() Code**...
console.log('Starting test');
var returnData = tcRunner.run(runOptions);
console.log('Done running tests');
return returnData;
})
.then(failed => {
console.log(`Test finished with ${failed} failures`);
exitCode = failed;
if (argv.upload) return upload(jsonReporterName);
else return 0;
testcafe.close();
process.exit(exitCode);
})
.then(() => {
console.log('Killing TestCafe');
testcafe.close();
process.exit(exitCode);
});
I've tried to swap around the two final .then statements to try and see if having one before the other will cause it to close. I copied the testcafe.close() and process.exit() and put them after the if-else statement in the then-failed block, although I know they might-should not get called because of the if-else return statements just before that.
I've tried moving those close and exit statements before the if-else returns just to see if that might solve it.
I know there are a lot of other factors that could play into this scenario, like I said I played around with the runOptions:
const runOptions = {
// Testcafe run options, see: https://devexpress.github.io/testcafe/documentation/using-testcafe/programming-interface/runner.html#run
skipJSErrors: true,
quarantineMode: true,
selectorTimeout: 50000,
assertionTimeout: 7000,
speed: 0.01
};
Best way I can say to access this problem and project and all of the code would be to clone the git lab repo:
> git clone "https://github.com/SethEden/CAFfeinated.git"
Then checkout the branch that I have been working this problem with: master
You will need to create an environment variable on your system to tell the framework what sub-path it should work with for the test site configuration system.
CAFFEINATED_TEST_SITE_NAME value: SethEden
You'll need to do a few other commands:
> npm install
> npm link
Then execute the command to run all the tests (just 1 for now)
> CAFfeinated
The output should look something like this:
$ CAFfeinated
Starting test
Done running tests
Running tests in:
- Chrome 76.0.3809 / Windows 10.0.0
LodPage
Got into the setup Test
Got to the end of the test1, see if it gets here and then the test is still running?
√ LodPage
At this point the browser will still be spinning, and the command line is still busy. You can see from the console output above that the "Done running tests" console log has been output and the test/fixture should be done since the "Got to the end of the test1,..." console log has also been executed, that is run as part of the test.after(...). So the next thing to execute should be in the app.js with the .then(()) call.....but it's not. What gives? Any ideas?
I'm looking for what specifically will solve this problem, not just so that I can solve it, but so others don't run into the same pitfall in the future. There must be some magic sauce that I am missing that is probably very obvious to others, but not so obvious to me or others who are relatively new to JavaScript & NodeJS & ES6 & TestCafe.
The problem occurs because you specified the wrong value for the runner.src() method.
The cause of the issue is in your custom reporter. I removed your reporter and now it works correctly. Please try this approach and recheck your reporter.

How to display all JavaScript global variables with static code analysis?

I know that I can type into Chrome or FF the following command:
Object.keys(window);
but this displays DHTMLX stuff and also function names in which I'm not interested in. And it doesn't display variables in functions that have not been executed yet. We have more than 20,000 lines of JavaScript codebase, so I would prefer static code analyis. I found JavsScript Lint. It is a great tool but I don't know how to use it for displaying global vars.
So I'm searching for memory leaks, forgotten var keywords, and so on...
To do [only] what you're asking, I think you're looking for this:
for each (obj in window) {
if (window.hasOwnProperty(obj)) {
console.log(obj);
}
}
I haven't linted that code, which is unlike me, but you get the idea. Try setting something first (var spam = "spam";) and you'll see it reported on your console, and not the cruft you asked about avoiding.
That said, JLRishe is right; JSLint executes JavaScript in your browser without "phoning home", so feel free to run it. There are also many offline tools for JSLinting your code. I use a plugin for Sublime Text, for instance.
If you'd like some simplest-case html/JavaScript code to "wrap" JSLint, I've got an example here. Just download the latest jslint.js file from Crockford's repository into the same directory, and poof, you're linting with a local copy of JSLint.js. Edit: Added code in a new answer here.
Though understand that you're linting locally with that wrapper or when you visit JSLint.com. Honestly, I can say with some confidence, Crockford would rather not see our code. ;^) You download JSLint.js (actually webjslint, a minified compilation of a few files) from JSLint.com, but you execute in the browser.
(Admittedly, you're technically right -- you never know when that site could be compromised, and to be completely on the up and up, you sh/c/ould vet jslint.js each time you grab a fresh copy. It is safer to run locally, but as of this writing, you appear safe to use JSLint.com. Just eyeball your favorite browser's Net tab while running some test, non-proprietary code, and see if any phoning happens. Or unplug your box's network cable!)
Rick's answer to use "use strict"; is another great suggestion.
A great way to catch undeclared variables is to add 'use strict' to your code.
The errors will appear in the console, or you could display them in a try ... catch block:
'use strict';
try {
var i= 15;
u= 25;
} catch(ee) {
alert(ee.message);
}
I found a very good solution to list all the global variables with the jsl command line tool:
Here is the documentation
I just have to put /*jsl:option explicit*/ into each file that I want to check. Then it is enough to run ./jsl -process <someFile> | grep 'undeclared identifier'
It is also possible to use referenceFile that contains some intentional global variables /*jsl:import <referenceFile>*/ so these variables will not be listed.

What are the rights ways of debugging javascript?

I made a function called test() in javascript file.Placed a simple alert into it.
In html file, called the method on click of a button. But,it was not being invoked.
Problem was in the 11th function, nowhere related to mine !!!! But, how can a person making his first javascript function suppose to find that out ???
I am looking for best ways to debug javascript.
You can debug javascript using many modern browsers. See this question for details on how to debug in Google Chrome:
How do you launch the JavaScript debugger in Google Chrome?
Furthermore, you shouldn't use alert() for debugging as this can give different results to a production version due to alert() causing a pause in the script.
It is best practice to use console.log() and view the output in the browsers Console.
You can also put debugger in your javascript code to force a breakpoint. However I prefer not to use this as forgetting to remove this before deployment will cause your script to pause, which can be quite embarrassing!
You should use the debug console provided by the browser.
Chrome has it inbuilt, press CTRL + SHIFT + j. In Firefox, install Firebug plugin.
In your code, add alert() to show flow and get values of variables.
Also, use console.log() which will only output to the debug console.
Depending on your browser choice there are debugging options - I tend to use Firefox, so Firebug in my case. There is a question that list options for other browsers - What is console.log and how do I use it?
Unless the project you're working on has already adopted a mechanism for debugging, console.log() tends to be a simple and useful option when tracking down a problem.
Whilst debugging you could take the approach to log out a line when entering a function, like so:
var myFunc = function(el) {
console.log('Inside myFunc');
// Existing code
};
This will enable you to see which functions have been called and give you a rough idea of the order of execution.
You can also use console.log() to show the contents of variables - console.log(el);
Be mindful to remove/disable console.log() calls once you're done as it will likely cause some issues in production.
To answer your question within question,
how can a person making his first javascript function suppose to find that out ???
Well, when something is wrong in JavaScript, for example, you made a syntax error - the script will stop working from there. However, this won't stop HTML from rendering on, so it might look as if everything is correct (especially if your JS is not changing the look of the page) but all the functionality of JS will be dead.
That's why we use the debug tools (listed in the other answers here) to see what's wrong, and in cases like this, it's very easy to notice which function has errors and is causing the whole script to break. This would probably have save a few minutes to your seniors as well.
The best approach would be to test frequently so that whenever you run into errors, you can fix them right away.

Define custom function in Firebug

I am a chronic user of Firebug, and I frequently need to log various stuff so that I can see what I am doing. The console.log function is a lot to type. Even if I assign it to a single letter variable like q = console.log, I have to do it every time I fire up Firebug. Is there any way to do it such that q always refer to console.log (unless, of course, I override it in my session)?
To answer your question, the functionality doesn't currently exist, however I have found the firebug developers to be very responsive in the past. Why don't you put in a feature request on their forum, or better yet, code it up yourself, and ask them to add it?
Depending on your IDE, simply setup a code snippet (I use Flash Develop, so Tools -> Code Snippets).
I believe this to be a better way than setting up redirect scripts and what not, because it stops the Firebug namespace from being polluted, and makes it easier/more consistent to debug if your debugging breaks down.
The screenshot shows me using Flash Develop, hitting Ctrl+B, then hit enter. The pipe (|) in the snippet indicates where the cursor will be placed to start typing after inserting the snippet.

Best practice for removing console.log and other debug code from your release JavaScript?

I've seen some of the console wrappers that stop errors in browser with a console and more advanced ones that enable logging in older browsers. But none that I've seen help switch on and off the debug code.
At the moment I do a find and replace to comment out debug code. There must be a better way?
I'm using Combres which uses YUI to minify the JavaScript. I've seen some posts that mention using double semi colons to mark lines to be removed in the minification process. Is this a hack or good practice?
Probably you should have your own wrapper around console.log() and log your debug info via that wrapper. That way you can replace that single function with an empty function once you deploy to production so the console won't flood with debugging info. You can also replace the actual console.log function with an empty function, but that would prevent any Javascript from outputting to console, not just yours.
If you look at how the YUI Framework does it, they actually use a regex and generate 3 files from source. One that has the logging -debug, one that has the logging stripped out, just the file name, and a minified version with no logging. Then you can set a global config to say which version you want. I've worked that way in the past and works nicely.
Define your own debugging function that'd be wrapper around console.log or anything else you want and make sure that minifier can easily deduce that it is no-op if you make it empty. After that, once you comment function body out, most minifiers should detect that there's nothing to call or inline and remove references to your function completely.
Here's the example:
(function() {
function debug() {
console.log(arguments)
}
function main() {
debug(123)
alert("This is production code!")
debug(456)
}
main()
})()
I've put it into anonymous function to restrict scope of debug and don't let it be assigned to window - that allows minifier to easily decide if it is necessary or not. When I paste this code to online GCC, I get:
(function(){function a(){console.log(arguments)}a(123);alert("This is production code!");a(456)})();
But once I add // before console.log to make debug empty, GCC compiles it to:
(function(){alert("This is production code!")})();
...removing all traces of debug code completely!
Use Y.log() instead, and then you can use gallery-log-filter to filter the log messages that you want to see printed.

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