Live Development: Research for live JavaScript

This page documents research results for building out live JavaScript development. We're starting with work using the APIs built into Chrome.

Issues with Feature Behavior

• Using the TodoMVC jquery example
  • The footer blinks when the ScriptAgent is turned on (even when no edits have been made to the script). Even more noticeable with the Backbone example
  • The Live Development icon looks like it's turned off
  • Why does reload take a long time when I save a .js file vs. when I save the HTML file?
  • Adding a method to the object does not work (can't find the method)
  • Adding a function to the closure does not work (can't find the function)
    • further, the error displayed on the console didn't even reflect the full name of the function it couldn't find. It's as if the engine stopped updating.
    • Just tried this again with a function that already existed... and it chopped off the last character of the function name both times!
  • needs more looking:
    • moved some functionality into a function
    • commented out the call to that function
    • alert call showed that it was still calling that function
  • changing a variable's value set in a closure does not work (var foo = 1000; changed to var foo = 10;)
  • deleting a line that calls a function seems to stop the updating sometimes
• Using a canvas demo
  • The framerate does not appear to be affected by having the ScriptAgent loaded (I had a theory about the blinking in TodoMVC. Turned out to be false)
  • not surprisingly, making a change to initPalette live has no effect
  • changing smooth, on the other hand, works fine
  • changing a script in the HTML page has no effect
  • adding code outside of a function block in the script file has no effect