What causes javascript errors?
JavaScript has been around for over a decade in one form or another and is designed to add to the user’s experience when using the web. You can consider that it’s HTML that makes up the building blocks of a web page, while CSS controls the presentation. JavaScript completes the three main components by controlling the way that the user interacts with a web page. And it’s this reason why we get critical JavaScript errors more than any other.
JavaScript errors are problematic in the sense that it’s not always easy to tell where the fault lies. It could be to do with the code that sits behind a page, or it could be the user’s browser settings that are leading to problems. There’s also the danger of spyware and viruses which are absolutely notorious for latching on to web browsers for their own malicious means.
To star from the top though, we have to consider the code itself that controls the functionality of the JavaScript. The trouble with the Internet is that anybody can publish to it and so not every page online is going to be developed to the highest standards. If you have a piece of JavaScript code that simply doesn’t work, or causes a knock-on problem, there’s not much you can do but find another web page with the information that you’re looking for.
Even then, not every JavaScript error on the developer’s side is a massive indictment of their ability as a programmer. It could be something as little as a missing semi-colon in the code. Something that’s crucial to the functionality, but incredibly frustrating to debug.
We also have the user’s individual browser settings to consider. You’ve probably adjusted your Internet Options before, although you might not be aware that it’s possible to control the way that your browser deals with JavaScript and other forms of scripting. By selecting or de-selecting certain boxes, it’s possible to affect how well JavaScript is going to work on your system. It’s not advisable to edit these settings unless you know what you’re doing.
And of course, the outside threat of viruses and spyware is not to be dismissed. This form of attack usually messes with the first two factors that we’ve mentioned. For example, a perfectly compliant JavaScript based page could produce an error if the user has a virus on his or her system. The virus may latch on to the browser for its own sinister means.
Different viruses perform different operations – although don’t expect many of them to be of benefit to you. Some act to re-direct the pages that you visit, while others will attempt to load erroneous scripts that will wreak havoc with your typical Internet activity.
You can always tell when a JavaScript component has encountered an error because a little exclamation mark will appear, usually in the status bar on the bottom left of the browser. You may notice a little message such as “4 page errors detected”, and this is significant for telling you if there has been a JavaScript compatibility issue. They’re not all critical though. Some JavaScript errors will hinder your web browsing experience without making it impossible. Other errors will close the entire browser, while some will go completely unnoticed and have no effect.
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