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Debugging Angular with Chrome Developer Tools gives you the flexibility you need to find and resolve issues in both development and production. While many tools help you debug Angular, such as the Augury extension, using the built-in Chrome Developer Toolset gives you the capabilities you need without installing any additional software.

The Importance of Debugging and Testing

Writing bug-free code is the holy grail of software development. Although many developers strive to deliver software that works perfectly on the first run, very few, if any, ever achieve it consistently.

Testing is an essential part of any software development process. Since computers started running programs, this vital step ensured any inputs and system processes delivered the desired outputs. The goal of the testing process is to reveal the effects of any coding errors. It does not help developers identify the root cause, although it can assist by narrowing down the places they need to look. Without testing, many of the critical applications we rely on today would not exist. We would not use technology that was unstable or unreliable. One could say that coding may have built technology, but testing ensured its success in the modern online world.

Typically, debugging follows testing and is a vital component in everyday programming. This essential process helps developers locate and fix any errors in their code. Thankfully, software development tools and techniques have come a long way in the past few decades. Over the years, new technologies have made debugging much more straightforward.

Chrome Developer Tools

One of the many great features of Google Chrome is that it comes with built-in debugging tools. The Google Chrome Developer Tools, also known as Chrome DevTools, provides web developers with more in-depth access to their web applications' performance. It also offers insights into how your app interacts with the browser.

Google is continuously upgrading and improving Chrome and its built-in developer toolset. Chrome DevTools gives you the ability to edit pages and diagnose any issues on the fly. For example, if your page is not rendering correctly, you can open the elements tab and edit the HTML or CSS. Once you have made the change, Chrome automatically adjusts your page. This workflow helps you isolate any problems quickly and efficiently. As you do not have to edit your source code and then re-render the page, it reduces debugging time significantly.

If we look at the various tools that come with Chrome, multiple features assist the developer with the debugging process. For instance, it gives you the capability to change the device mode so you can see how your page renders on various devices. When you open Chrome DevTools, it presents several panels. Each panel has a particular purpose that can help you debug your Angular code.

Elements Panel

The elements panel gives you the capability to view and change the Document Object Model (DOM) and any referenced Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). It allows you to inspect and tweak your pages without needing to change your source code, find unused CSS, and view any animations.

Console Panel

The console panel allows you to interact with your web page using a Command Line Interface (CLI). Using this feature, you can execute code directly in the browser for troubleshooting and debugging purposes.

Sources Panel

The sources panel comes with a range of features that help you identify and manage any referenced objects called by your web page. It enables you to debug code, create breakpoints, and find any unused JavaScript.

Network Panel

The network panel gives you the capability to record network requests. It measures the time taken for each object to render on your web page. Using this panel, you can troubleshoot any render-blocking resources causing slow page load speeds.

Performance Panel

The performance panel helps you optimize your website speed. It measures elements such as loading, scripting, rendering, and painting, calculating the render time for each category.

Memory Panel

The memory panel is a ChromeDev Tools feature that, as the name suggests, helps you troubleshoot and debug any memory-related problems. It enables you to track a page's memory use over time and investigate memory allocation by element function.

Application Panel

The application panel assists in the debugging process by giving you the ability to inspect all loaded resources. These include IndexedDB and Web SQL databases, local and session storage, the application cache, as well as images, fonts, and stylesheets.

Security Panel

The security panel provides security-related information about the page. It checks and verifies the security of the certificate and connection. It also highlights any resources that are not encrypted.

Angular Debugging with Chrome Developer Tools

When it comes to debugging Angular code using the Chrome DevTools, you can leverage features such as the console, network panel, and JavaScript Debugger. You can also troubleshoot any performance-related issues using the functionality built into the performance and network panels.

The Console

With the Chrome DevTools console, you can execute custom code and display your application logs. By running custom JavaScript code, you can debug your Angular app. For example, using console.log in your code allows you to leverage this tool to display a variable's value during runtime.

The Network Panel

Using the network panel, you can troubleshoot and debug any load, performance, or rendering issues. This tool tracks every resource's upload and download time, including files, images, stylesheets, and JavaScript. If your Angular app is not performing optimally or fails to load certain elements, reviewing the data on this panel will help you identify and debug the problem.

JavaScript Debugger

You can find the JavaScript Debugger under the sources tab of the ChromeDev Tools. As you look for bugs in your Angular code, this tool allows you to set breakpoints and inspect your code at runtime. It also gives you the capability to obtain the value of your variables at different points in time.

The JavaScript Debugger's breakpoint functionality allows you to set as many breakpoints as you need. Once the runtime reaches a breakpoint, you can take a closer look using various options.

Step: This option allows you to step through the code and resumes execution one line at a time.

Check: Using the callstack, you can review your function calls and their execution order.

Scope: Leveraging the scope pane, you can review your variable values. It also allows you to change them on the fly and see how it affects your Angular app when you resume execution.

Watch: This feature allows you to observe the value of a particular variable over a given period.

Performance Debugging Tools

As mentioned, Chrome DevTools helps you debug your Angular application's performance. You can leverage the network and performance panels or use the recently added Lighthouse toolset.

Lighthouse is a Google tool that measures and reports on various elements for desktop and mobile optimization. It analyzes your Angular app and generates reports on performance, best practices, accessibility, and SEO. Leveraging this toolset, you can get a comprehensive view of any issues that may be affecting your app's performance.

Debugging Angular Made Easier with Chrome DevTools

Debugging is a vital part of the software development process. Using the right tool for the job can make it easier. However, the right tool is of little use if you do not use it correctly. Chrome DevTools comes with a deep feature set that you can leverage to debug your Angular. Getting to know how each feature works, how it can help you analyze your code, and identify any issues can significantly improve your Angular debugging skills.

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