Ever wanted to run a snippet of JavaScript on a browser that doesn’t support a console in order to debug something? (for instance, IE6, Opera etc)
You probably know about Firebug Lite, but this either requires you to already have the bookmarklet, or include the script in the page. Although Firebug Lite is a great tool for more in depth debugging, it can be tedious for simple tasks (eg. “What’s the value of that property?”).
Fortunately, there is a simpler way. Do you remember the 2000 era and the javascript: URIs? Did you know that they also work from the address bar of any javascript-capable browser?
For instance, to find out the value of the global variable foo, you just type in the address bar javascript:alert(foo). You can write any code you wish after the javascript: part, as long as you write it properly to fit in one line.
Of course these URIs are a no-no for websites, but they can be handy for simple debugging in browsers that don’t support a console. 😉