Console² replaces the JavaScript Console with what could be the next generation Error Console.

As of Firefox 1.5, the JavaScript Console is used not only for JavaScript errors, but for CSS errors as well. This extension takes this into account by providing a simple possibility to display errors by type. In case you find Console Filter too confusing, this might be what you've been looking for.

Console² let's you display errors filtered by type (Errors, Warnings, Messages), language (JavaScript, CSS, XML) and context (Chrome, Content). Furthermore it provides a simple search box (as seen in the History and Bookmarks sidebars) and some accessibility improvements.

On the way, this extension proposes fixes to the following bugs: 67603, 68025, 80704, 81209, 83019, 86093, 88057, 106696, 136672, 147015, 156396, 179268, 233146, 238898, 265871, 266539 (also 291002, 345477), 267866, 272420, 275265, 276904, 288544, 289927, 298371, 298993, 301039, 302211, 305206, 306223, 307354, 307447, 309289, 312247, 322169, 325235, 332191, 334997, 335383, 342662, 348627, 366901, 369077, 376815, 379439, 380422, 385092, 386968, 387109, and 391740.

Finally, web developers can add the following function to their code and call it for sending messages to the console:

function debug(aMsg) {
	setTimeout(function() { throw new Error("[debug] " + aMsg); }, 0);
}

Compatibility

Officially supported applications: Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey.

Console² can also be installed in Komodo, Flock, Sunbird, Netscape Navigator 9 and the eMusic Download Manager, however this is for the convenience of the users of minority applications and no support will be provided if Console² does not work in these applications.

Installation

Testing Version: Console² 1.0dev
This release version works with Firefox 3.0 to 18.0, Thunderbird 3.0 to 18.0, SeaMonkey 2.0 to 2.15, and most probably the current trunk/branch nightlies.

• [fix] Show timestamps if available from either nsIScriptError or nsIScriptError2 due to interface changes (original patch by aceman).
• [fix] Teach "Hide Duplicates" to ignore timestamps.
• [fix] Mozilla Bug 764333 Link from error console to view source doesn't work for errors in subscripts.
• Errors reported by the Addon SDK should be classed as chrome and not content (Patch by Kris Maglione).
• Update locales from Babelzilla.
• Fix Cannot copy messages if opened from CTRL-SHIFT-J (SeaMonkey Only)
• Restore Error Console item removed in Mozilla Bug 602006.
• Signature of nsIConsoleService::GetMessageArray changed in Mozilla Bug 664695. Implement a backward compatible fix.
• .

Latest release: Console² 0.9
This release version works with Firefox 3.0 to 11.0, Thunderbird 3.0 to 11.0, SeaMonkey 2.0 to 2.8, and most probably the current trunk/branch nightlies.

• [new] Message FIFO limit is now controlled by a hidden preference "extensions.console2.max-errors" currently 1000. (Patch by Kris Maglione).
• [new] Enable blocklist domains from resource:// URLs
  [new] Enable filter for "resource://" URLs
  [fix] Alias resource:/// to resource://app/ to allow these resource urls to be filtered and blocklisted.
  (Patches by titoBouzout).
• [fix] Use white-space: pre-wrap for the console message descriptions to allow newlines and formatted messages (Patch by titoBouzout).
• [new] Add support for Komodo alphas appversion >= 6.9 (Patch by titoBouzout).
• [fix] css problems with textonly toolbarbuttons in icon mode toolbars.
• [new] Show timestamps if available from nsIScriptError2.

Release: Console² 0.8
This release version works with Firefox 3.0 to 9.0, Thunderbird 3.0 to 9.0, SeaMonkey 2.0 to 2.6, and most probably the current trunk/branch nightlies.

• [new] Add class="padded" to the TextboxEval textbox to assist themers.
• [fix] Firefox App button Web Developer menu item changed id.
• [fix] Use |newlines="replacewithspaces"| for the Eval textbox.
• [fix] XPConnect and resource:// errors are chrome errors not content.
• [fix] Legacy strict errors are warnings.
• [fix] Locale syntax errors in chrome.manifest.
• [fix] Fix duplicate menu items in the Firefox Web Developer menus.
• [babelzilla] New locale Serbian (sr). Updated Locale French (fr). Renamed locales (de-DE, fr-FR, nl-NL, pl-PL) to (de, fr, nl, pl).

Release: Console² 0.7.1
This release version works with Firefox 3.0 to 4.0, Thunderbird 3.0 to 3.3, SeaMonkey 2.0 to 2.1, and most probably the current trunk/branch nightlies.

• [new[ Add class="padded" to the TextboxEval textbox to assist themers.
• [fix] Firefox App button Web Developer menu item changed id.
• [babelzilla] New locale Serbian (sr). Updated Locale French (fr). Renamed locales (de-DE, fr-FR, nl-NL, pl-PL) to (de, fr, nl, pl).

Release: Console² 0.7
This release version works with Firefox 3.0 to 4.0, Thunderbird 3.0 to 3.3, SeaMonkey 2.0 to 2.1, and most probably the current trunk/branch nightlies.

• [fix] Fix typos in the install.rdf of 0.6 (and earlier).
• [fix] add consolefilter default prefs.
• [fix] SeaMonkey 2.1a2pre now using the toolkit viewsource.
• [fix] Fix for broken extension manager detection on trunk Gecko1.9.3/Gecko2.0.
• [fix] Fix XPCOM registration of components in Gecko 2.0.
• [fix] Change <popup> to <menupopup> to fix trunk breakage.
• [fix] Flip the "devtools.errorconsole.enabled" pref to unhide the Error Console menu item hidden by bug 593538.
• [fix] Add a Console² menu item to the new Firefox 4 appmenu.
• [fix] Add <em:unpack>true</em:unpack> to the install.rdf to force Firefox4 to unpack the XPI.
• [fix] Use nsIJSON instead of eval()/toSource() to keep AMO happy.

Release: Console² 0.6
This release version works with Firefox 1.5 to 3.7a, Thunderbird 1.5 to 3.1b, SeaMonkey 1.0 to 2.1a, and most probably the current trunk/branch nightlies.

• Updated locales from Babelzilla.
• [new] Sunbird specific overrides.
• listbox/richlistbox: Sync with trunk and also refactor Gecko version detection.
• [new] Add Postbox (unsupported) metadata to install.rdf and chrome.manifest.
• [fix] Fix missing text in textonly toolbar buttons when the toolbars are in icons only mode.
• [fix] Port Mozilla Bug 458631 Misalignment in --help command line.

Release: Console² 0.5
This release version works with Firefox 1.5 to 3.6a1pre, Thunderbird 1.5 to 3.0b4, SeaMonkey 1.0 to 2.0b1, and most probably the current trunk/branch nightlies.

• [new] Incorporate the ConsoleFilter extension into Console².
• New and updated files from Babelzilla.
  • [new] Korean (hu-HU) locale (thanks to Mikes Kaszmán István).
  • [new] Korean (sv-SE) locale (thanks to peter3).
  • [new] Korean (ko-KR) locale (thanks to puryfury).
• [fix] Automatically turn on the js_exceptions pref for Gecko 1.9.x branches.
• [fix] Console² Bug 20287 Assign a rational accesskey to the CSS button.
• [fix] Bug 479588 Error console's text box should always be LTR.
• [enh] Improve SeaMonkey integration including:
  • [fix] Remove obsolete SeaMonkey hacks.
  • [fix] Disable/Enable the SeaMonkey menubar when customizing the toolbars.
  • [fix] button.label is undefined error.
  • [enh] For SeaMonkey use "l" for the Clear accesskey and ":" for the Lang accesskey.
• [enh] Use -moz-pre-wrap or pre-wrap depending on Gecko version.
• [enh] Use -moz-outline-offset or outline-offset depending on Gecko version.

Release: Console² 0.3.10
This release version works with Firefox 1.5 to 3.1b2, Thunderbird 1.5 to 3.0b1, SeaMonkey 1.0 to 2.0a2, and most probably the current trunk/branch nightlies.

• [fix] Part of Bug 335383 "Make the Error Console easier to overlay". I mixed up some key bindings.
• [fix] Gecko trunk now uses pre-wrap and -moz-pre-wrap has been removed.
• [fix] Bug 455222 All XUL <script>s must have type="application/javascript".
• [fix] Bug 452415 Switch from <textbox type="timed"> to type="search".
• [fix] Bug 458588 Remove uses of -moz-outline-offset.
• Richlistbox fixes:
  • [fix] Bug 378028 Add an 'axis' field to DOMMouseScroll events so that we can distinguish horizontal from vertical scrolling, and use it in trees and listboxes.

Release: Console² 0.3.9.2
This release version works with Firefox 1.5 to 3.1a1, Thunderbird 1.5 to 3.0a2, SeaMonkey 1.0 to 2.0a1, and most probably the current trunk/branch nightlies.

• [new] Implement UI to manage the blocklist for Gecko apps that don't implement the Permissions Manager and persist this blocklist across sessions in a pref.
• [new] Add UI to toggle new Gecko 1.9 boolean pref "dom.report_all_js_exceptions".
• [fix] Command line handler rewritten to support nsICmdLineHander and now works in SeaMonkey 1.x (or would but I forgot to update the install.js).

Frequently Encountered Issues (FAQ)

I don't like the default toolbar layout.

The toolbar is customizable: simply right click on it, select Customize and have it your way.

Could you please add a keyboard shortcut for displaying the console?

This won't happen. Either use keyconfig or Web Developer for adding (and customizing) the shortcut.

I'd like to get more detailed error information: timestamp, stack trace, etc.

I'd like so, too. However, this won't happen before bug 228205 is fixed.

Some messages are not correctly categorized.

Have a look at this post and tell me where you don't agree.

I'd like to have the message backgrounds colored differently for errors, warnings and messages.

Just add mrtech's CSS suggestions to you userChrome.css and modify them as needed.

What about replacing the original JavaScript/Error Console with this extension?

This most probably won't happen (see bug 310168).