Dev Tools Tabs Explained — Plus Tips & Tricks
Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats
Intro
This chapter provides an overview of the various functionalities found in browser DevTools, focusing on lesser-known features that can help developers solve common issues. The hosts also share personal anecdotes about recent weather events, adding a relatable touch to the technical discussion.
In this episode of Syntax, Scott and Wes talk about dev tools tabs, what each tab does and how you can use them.
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Show Notes3:50 - Network
- See all requests, filter by type or name
- Used to understand all requests coming or going
- Turn off caching
- View timing
- See the true GZIP size
- Slow down network speed
- See time for page load
- Copy as fetch or CURL
- View request, response, and headers
- See CORS issues
- See which requests have happened
- See if an asset is cached (both in dev tools, also Cloudflare)
- See blocked requests because of extensions
- Tip: You can see the network info from the console in Firefox
22:03 - Memory
- See what is taking up memory
- Strings
- DOM nodes
- Objects
- Actual .js
26:44 - Performance
- Click record and use the site
- Flame chart useful for finding slow functions and debugging janky animations
- Get FPS in coordination with flame chart
- Save performance recording data to be able to share for debugging
- You can also upload saved data to debug without using the site
30:48 - Console
- Interfaces with the JS runtime
- Shows errors, warnings, and logs
- Tip: Negate noisy warnings/errors that clutter your console with -
- Tip: Use $0 to select current element
- $1 for second last
- $r for current React element
- Tip: Use $$ to shortcut Query SelectorAll and Array.from
- Tip: Use $ to shortcut Query Selector
40:28 - Storage / Application
- Working with LocalStorage, Cookies, Index DB, and Session Storage
44:56 - Audit / Lighthouse (Chrome and Firefox)
- Run lighthouse to check for performance, accessibility, and UI stuff
- Not the silver bullet audit that many people think it is
- Colors are sometimes like “Really?!”
- Can be helpful regardless
50:28 - DOM Tab
- Firefox only
- Shows everything that is in the scope of the browser
- Scott: dupeGuru
- Wes: Moccamaster Coffee Maker
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- Make sure to include @SyntaxFM in your tweets
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