Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 9
Introduction to Utilizing HTML,
CSS, and JavaScript to Create Rich
Debugging Information
Simon Franco
Often it is necessary while developing a game, or a tool, to create files to log the results of activities the application
has performed. These log files record detailed information in order to help facilitate debugging. Once the application
has finished running, the log files can be inspected by a programmer, or another user such as an artist, to help
identify problems.
While these files are indispensable for the application's development, they are also sometimes very hard for a
user to navigate through. They tend to be plain text, and the data they contain is often unorganized. That means that
important information can be buried deep within them, making it difficult to find, or worse, easily missed.
This chapter presents a simple solution to this problem by leveraging advances in the field of web technologies.
Utilizing Web Technologies
With the continuous development of HTML
1
and other web technologies, we are given an opportunity to take
advantage of advances in this area. The text-based nature of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript allows us to easily output
an HTML file, along with any supporting JavaScript files, from our application as part of the log file generating
process. This HTML log file can then be run within a web browser, where the data can be formatted, organized,
and interpreted in a visual manner for the user. This organization and visualization of data allows the user to easily
see how the application has performed, and to better spot problem areas without needing to skim through large
quantities of text.
This article discusses some simple techniques and ideas for integrating these technologies into your game
or tool.
1
Berjon, Robin, Travis Leithead, Silvia Pfeiffer, Erika D. Navara, and Edward O'Connor. “HTML5: A vocabulary and associated
