The very first modern line of code ever written was the famous printf("Hello, world");. Over 50 years later, the practice of outputting results to a console remains a core part of many developers' workflows. Despite the rise of sophisticated debugging tools, there’s something enduring about console.log() and its variants that keeps them firmly rooted in both the novice’s and seasoned engineer’s toolkit.
printf("Hello, world");
console.log()
For many new developers, it’s often the very first bit of code they learn. But why is it that for some, it becomes as common as declaring a variable, while for others, it’s only used to test if the newly installed environment runs properly? Why does this seemingly simple method still hold such value in modern development?
There is no question that there are valid use cases that make console.log() a viable option. For instance, when you are assigned to a project you haven’t seen before, trying to understand how execution timing works - especially when dealing with asynchronous code. However, relying solely on it can come with unexpected problems, particularly in large applications.
Debugger is a powerful tool found in most modern IDEs and browser developer tools that allows developers to pause code execution at specific points called breakpoints. Unlike console.log(), breakpoints give you the ability to inspect the application state (such as variable values, the call stack, and the scope) without cluttering your code with log statements.
Let’s be honest, most software developers are control freaks. That’s why we love using the debugger - it allows us to see exactly what’s going on in our codebase. Tools like the debugger are one of the reasons why we can quickly respond to our clients’ needs. Interested in seeing what we could do for you? Fill out the contact form below!
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