How to Identify Missing Code and Determine the Cause of Broken External JS or CSS
Tags: javascript, css, mediawiki, wikimediacommons
Published: 2023-08-15 04:03:41

How to Identify Missing Code and Determine the Cause of Broken External JS or CSS
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As a software developer, encountering broken external JavaScript (JS) or Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) can be a frustrating experience. It can cause unexpected behavior, layout issues, or even completely break your application. In this article, we will explore some techniques to identify missing code and determine the cause of these issues, helping you debug and fix them more efficiently.

### 1\. Check the Browser Console

The browser console is your best friend when it comes to debugging JS and CSS issues. Open the console and look for any error messages related to missing or broken external files. These error messages often provide helpful information about the specific line or file causing the problem.

### 2\. Inspect the Network Tab

The network tab in your browser's developer tools is another valuable resource. It allows you to see all the files loaded by your application, including JS and CSS files. Look for any files that are returning a status code indicating a failure, such as 404 (Not Found). This can indicate missing or incorrectly referenced files.

### 3\. Verify File Paths

Double-check the file paths used to reference your external JS and CSS files. Ensure that the paths are correct and that the files are located in the expected locations. It's easy to make typos or forget to update file paths when restructuring your project.

### 4\. Check for File Renames or Deletions

Have you recently renamed or deleted any files? If so, make sure to update your HTML files and any other files referencing those external resources. Renaming or deleting files without updating the references can lead to broken code.

### 5\. Test in Different Browsers

Some JS or CSS issues may be specific to certain browsers. Test your application in different browsers to see if the problem persists. It could be a compatibility issue or a browser-specific bug. Remember, browsers have a sense of humor too, and they sometimes interpret code in their own quirky ways!

### 6\. Utilize Version Control

If you are using version control, such as Git, check the commit history to see if any recent changes might have caused the issue. Reverting to a previous working version can help you identify the specific code changes responsible for the problem.

### 7\. Ask for Help

Don't hesitate to seek help from your fellow developers or online communities. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can spot the issue more easily. Plus, sharing funny programming jokes along the way can lighten the debugging mood!

By following these steps, you should be able to identify missing code and determine the cause of broken external JS or CSS. Remember, debugging is a skill that improves with practice, and a positive attitude can go a long way in solving those pesky bugs.

### References:

*   [Chrome DevTools - Console](https://developers.google.com/web/tools/chrome-devtools/console)
*   [Chrome DevTools - Network Analysis Reference](https://developers.google.com/web/tools/chrome-devtools/network)
*   [MDN Web Docs - Dealing with Files](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn/Getting_started_with_the_web/Dealing_with_files)
*   [Git - Version Control System](https://git-scm.com/)