Internet Explorer 6 acting up, blank pages due to an obscure PHP error, floated images that seem to defy standards – we have all been there.
Bugs.
For some, an almost enjoyable quest of squashing problems, for another a nightmarish experience that spans two lifetimes and then some more.
Which are your favourite debugging techniques?
For CSS (especially Internet Explorer issues) I use a lot of background: yellow to properly see how my containers are stacked. I previously used borders, but they alter an element’s width and height, so I don’t do that anymore.
For ultra-hardcore cases, I create a simple test page with stripped down to basics elements and try to build it up from there, checking for errors as I go.
What I’ve realised after those few years that I work as a web designer is that with experience comes efficiency. I rarely if ever lose my sleep over Internet Explorer display bugs now – the Javascript errors? Oh, that’s another issue.
How about you? How do you debug?
3 comments on this post
Gerasimos #1
15.Oct.08
always using the background trick and “Display Topographic Information” from FF’s web developer toolbar.
Svelon #2
15.Oct.08
Firebug baby.. now for IE, too! (firebug lite)
That “inspect” button is a miracle!
Konstantinos Koukopoulos #3
15.Oct.08
I used to use border then background but lately just firebug or dragonfly (opera).