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Why we made Vorlon.js and how to use it to debug your JavaScript remotely (msdn.com)
108 points by codepo8-hn on April 30, 2015 | hide | past | favorite | 36 comments




maybe vorlon is usable


That's exactly what I immediately thought when I started watching the video.

May be it isn't chrome dev tools dependent? Or it has some CSS (lol), I don't know...


I tried to use this, but I kept getting mysterious error messages like "the avalanche has already started it is too late for the pebbles to vote" and "divide by zero".


So, when does Microsoft release their Genetic Algorithm / Z3 based Fuzzer called 'Morden'? It's what I want at least.


I cloned the project from https://github.com/MicrosoftDX/Vorlonjs.git to play around with creating a plugin. The code in the plugin TS files (e.g. `Plugins/Vorlon/plugins/sample/sample.ts`) keeps reporting errors like `Cannot find name 'Core'`, `Cannot find name 'RuntimeSide'` etc. Is that expected?

I have run `npm i` from the project root.

  $ node -v && npm -v
  v0.10.36
  1.4.28


Can you please try a npm install at the root folder level?


I was hoping this was finally a release of Microsoft Research's Rivet Debugger: http://research.microsoft.com/apps/pubs/default.aspx?id=1618...


Here's a more entertaining video of Rivet: https://www.usenix.org/conference/atc12/technical-sessions/p...

James Mickens is a crazy productive/smart dude.


I'm still reeling from a Microsoft web page showing commands at a Unix prompt.



Anyone know what sort of auth or security provisions are involved? It seems great for developers, but if I were a user, I would worry about giving someone a remote session at my browser's javascript console.


It won't have any access the hosting website doesn't already have... It's just interactive instead of strictly the delivered JS.


I'm sure that's the intended state of affairs. But there's a difference -- at once psychological and technical -- between "trusting someone else's application code" and "letting their developers have remote debugging access to your machine."


They don't have any remote debugging access they wouldn't have... the JS still runs in your browser, sandboxed to the window with their website in it... it can't do anything else that any JS could do... it may be a psychological difference, but it's not a technical one...

I've considered a number of times about actually shipping dom-diffs so that support could see what a user is seeing. This technology has been around for a while.


I'm getting the following popup when I visit the page:

  The page at blogs.msdn.com says:
  The target of the callback could not be found
I really want to like Microsoft, but it's the little things like these that make me uneasy. Especially when you're blogging about debugging javascript.


Really sorry about that. Our blog platform is a crap. You can directly go to www.vorlonjs.com for more info and better web site:)


Anyone see what clients it supports? Could it be used to debug IE6?


Based on this, the second reason is because the Vorlons are one of the wisest and ancient race of the universe and thus, they are helpful as diplomats between younger races.

What? No. That's not how the Vorlons worked at all.

Also, Javascript is basically the Shadows (mordon.js lol).

Wonder what langauges/frameworks map onto other Babylon 5 concepts?

Angular -> Earth Alliance? Enterprisey but not super elegant, and collapsing under its own weight and propaganda?


Also, Javascript is basically the Shadows (mordon.js lol).

"I'd like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike, as a warning to the next ten generations that some languages come with too high a price. I want to look up into your lifeless eyes and wave like this."


> What? No. That's not how the Vorlons worked at all.

Maybe OP has only watched through season 3


Dude! Spoilers!


LOL <Spoiler alert> I still think vorlons were here to help before moving to the next level at the very end, leaving the young races driving the galaxy


> What? No. That's not how the Vorlons worked at all.

But it is how they wanted to be perceived. ;)

Granted, Microsoft can quite easily say "We have always been here."


I'm disappointed if like it's namesake it doesn't give vague, disturbing, portent information to the console.

"If you go to 'undefined', you will die"


"this is a three-edged sword."


"You are not ready for immutability."


"What's inside there?"

"One moment of perfect Javascript."


"I will not be there to help you when you pollute the global namespace"


"Prototypal inheritance or classical inheritance?"

"Yes."


"Is this bug in my code or in the library I am calling?"

"... Yes."


Still better than what vogon.js emits, right?


Oh freddled gruntbuggly,

Thy syntax errors are to me

As drunken COBOL coders

On a Brainfuck spree.


"You have forgotten something."


I LOVE THE IDEA:) I'll try to do that in a future release! Definitely


oh man your screen name. the b5 is strong in this one ;)




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