New Script Debugging Tool

Hey all, I usually don't spam, but this is something I truly thought you would all really like.

Today I released Debugz, which is a script you can drop into anything, and it turns that prim into an information powerhouse. It uses the new HTTPIn to display the information. You can filter the data recorded, as well as add channels to listen to.

I thought when I made this, that.. yea, it would be kewl.. But I had no idea... I am in love with this thing. It has helped me so much in just 1 week, I couldn't delay the release of it anymore.

Features:
*Single script, drop it in and it works
*Displays over 9000 characters of debug data
*Quickly find mistakes and errors
*Uses the new HTTPIn to help organize the information
*Quickly filter the data to narrow down the information
*Add channels to listen to
*Can record errors thrown by other scripts (of course this one will never error)
*20 different events with their variables displayed
*Common function data is displayed on certain events as well
*Separators to clearly indicate changes since last you looked
*Millisecond timestamps
*Felt like my production doubled after just using it one day
*Built in API allows you to build applications to compliment it
*Remove all the Debug scripts quickly
*Even bigger plan in store
*Free updates for life

Here’s some links:
Product page - http://www.skidzpartz.com/index.php/tools/242-debugz

XStreet - https://www.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=1656113

I welcome input on it as well. If you think there’s something that should be added feel free to IM me.

how about a feature that prevents and removes trumped up link-message/event-repeater advertising from forums?

Sorry, I don't think I understand what you mean. Can you clarify?

I think Void is saying:

Don't spam this forum with stuff that nobody needs.

And I like to add: don't spam at all.

Ok sorry, I rarely post here (once a year maybe), and like I said, I truly thought it would be something you all would like.

Most of us already have our own debugging tools that work great. The rest of us can find it in the "New Products" forum, where everyone else posts their scripting tool products.

Give the man a brake, he made a small mistake and did apologize more than one time.

Is he having trouble stopping? >.>

The name of this forums is "Scripting Tips" and I think it qualifies, and we don't complain when someone post about offline LSL editors.

Well to be fair, those editors aren't products someone is charging for. But I am glad to hear about this tool, and will look into it. I think we can forgive the man who makes the best Texture Organizer in SL.

Jeez, really. Yeah, it should have been posted in New Products, but give the guy a break!

Fwiw, it never occurred to me to look around for debugger tools, and maybe I'll take a spin through SLX or something to pick up some ideas. So, this thread was not without merit for me.

Though honestly, if a set of scripts does all its interaction inworld it's hard for them to get unwieldy enough for me to want debugging aids ... but I'll take a look.
.

It's not a "tip", it's an advert. Nothing more, nothing less.

If we start making exceptions for each person's "favorite toolmaker/scripter X", then we'll soon have more ads than tips.

Hmmm I find myself divided in this case. Everyone has seen how strongly I react to spam here in the Scripting Tips forum in the past. While skidz post was a blatant advertisement, it is something that should have still been brought to everyone's attention in some form or fashion. I have seen some interesting solutions to problems he has provided in the past and will give this one a go this evening. I do think he is going to have his hands full now thou He does a good job of providing customer support and classes teaching how to use his tools and this one will probably be full of people learning how to script as opposed to how to debug Which of course would not be a bad thing.

Maybe a new thread where we can concentrate on debugging? Fully half of scripting is knowing HOW to debug. I haven't tried it yet so I do not know if this will really make it easier for someone really just starting to learn as opposed to showing them where to put in some llOwnerSay's like we normally do. Might not hurt to post a script showing how you can turn debug output off and on also.

excuse me, I am still trying to learn English

You're doing fine, Dora. Your typos in English are no worse than ours. Besides, typos give us all some comic relief. Jeg ville ønske, jeg kunne skrive så godt i dansk.

Sure, it should have been brought to everyone's attention, in the correct forum for new product advertisements.

I mean, I ultimately don't care one way or the other; I'd be happy to advertise my products and services in here, too, if that's cool with everyone. If it isn't, then this particular advertisement shouldn't be considered so, either.



That can be said of quite a few scripters/builders, both here, and in SL in general. There's some really nifty work done out there by a lot of folks. However, that is pretty tangential to the point of whether adverts in a help forum should be allowed (or are a good thing).

Now, if this was someone suggesting how a particular tool (or, better yet, category of tool) could be used to solve a specific problem, that would be fine, in my book.

No need to be excused; I just took the opportunity to exploit it for the purposes of a little levity.

This is where I am experiencing the division thou. This is not someone advertising their scripted boat to beat all boats or some new piece of furniture. The product is designed to help with your own scripts. If anyone has a product, free or paid, that helps with scripting then I am interested in hearing about it.

Announcements are made in Texture Tips or Building Tips whenever someone comes out with a new sculpty tool for example. Some are free and others are not. But they are all designed to help you create a sculpty. Then you have a never ending supply of posts from people needing help to create something with some very expensive outside programs like Maya, 3DS Max, Photoshop etc. Announcenments are even made when Photoshop is coming out with a new release with new functionality, as in when 3D paint was added. It is all news worthy to people doing textures.

Here in Scripting Tips we all freely talk about the text editors we use. I happen to use Scite and it is free but some of the others are not. If someone was to come out with a new Editor designed for LSL I would want to know abut that also.

That's true, but therein lies the issue. Is it advertising that is the problem, or relevance? If advertising is OK, as long as it is relevant (question is, who/what determines that?), then there could potentially be lots of ads in here. I may have about 10 different products/scripts/services I could advertise which I might consider "relevant". However, I simply respect the "no advertisement of products here" "rule", written or no.

The reason I say this is because the forums used to be more moderated, and people who used to post adverts in here had their posts moved (or deleted, if it was a cross-post) by mods. Nowadays, they aren't, so the rules could be presumed to be more lax. Even still, I would like a consistent set of de facto rules that people still would respect. I don't particularly care what they are, as long as they are fair and equitable for all, and do not subvert the purpose and/or utility of the forum.



Perhaps; I suppose my issue is the double-standard. IE, Skidz' (or any other "popular" maker; not meaning to pick on you specifically, Skidz ) advertisements are "OK", but others would not be welcome. Either relevant advertising is allowed/accepted from any source, or advertising in general shouldn't be.



I think that's a completely different issue. I don't have any problem with someone talking about using a product; as I said before, talking about applying a product to solve a problem isn't really "advertising" (at least in a blatant sense, but blatant astroturfing could be considered such, I suppose).

As for my own personal take, since there is already a place where product advertisements of all kinds are particularly welcome, I think we would be better off leaving them there.

Oh, as an addendum:

I think that anyone, including the creator, should be allowed to link to products / advertisements in New Products or elsewhere in a response to a relevant request for help.

For example, if someone asked about debugging tools and how to use them, I think it would be fair and appropriate for people to link their favorites in. There's still potential for a form of astroturfing even then, but if it isn't blatant, I don't care, as long as there is some help value to the thread for others.

I think the main issue is making threads which aren't requests for help, and serve only as advertisements, or advertisements in threads which are not relevant to the thread topic. More or less, "spam".

since it's clear no mod is going to move this thread, and my hope that it'd just quietly slip off the page is gone... here's my reply.

I meant that blatant commercial advertising in the content creation forums is not the way to go. my thoughts largely echo Jesse's with the same conclusions as talarus.

were I a mean spirited person I'd code up something similar and drop it on the forum as open source... it's not as if I don't have variants of it sitting in my inventory, and I'll wager I'm not the only one. it has the taste of walking into ESL class and trying to sell pocket translators.

if you've taken then time to read this, then I urge you not to post commercial product ads or requests here. if you have or know of a product that will help with a specific problem, go ahead and post a link to it in reply to the stated problem IF it is NOT a replacement for learning how to do it oneself (the purpose of these sub-fora), otherwise redirect it to new products or products wanted where it will be well received.

Hi all, lots of replies.. never expected that...

Thanks to all that mentioned they enjoy my work, I do appreciate that... reading stuff like that keeps me going... really...

And I totally understand why people get so passionate when it comes to spam. I hate it myself. For over a year in Second Life I didn't make any announcements in my groups, because I hated spam so much. It was not until someone complained later asking why I didn't announce something. I explained... "I hate spam, and I wouldn't want to subject my group members to that." She replied with "But I want to hear about stuff like this, thats why I joined your group." No relative point to this story except I hate spam as well, so don't read into it.

I personally feel now i should have worded it a lot different. The word SPAM in the first sentence was a big mistake lol... I should have done something like list the 20 events it covers, and ask for input on what functions should I record at each event as well. I am sure something like that would have been much more exceptable.

Like a large majority of the responders, I was on the fence myself on weather or not to post this here at all. But like I said, i thought it would be something you would truly like. I know some of you might already of had something similar to this, but for me, I have been placing owner says and commenting them out in my code for the past 3 years. So, I am sure you can grok my excitement and why I might have used poor judgement in the posting I did look at making something similar to this years ago, but until httpin came about there was no easy way to display the data in a consistent and somewhat formated way.

Thanks again All

Hmm. Seems to me I get spammed every time I put on the Skidz Tool Belt. "Looking to by Lindens? www.SkidzPartz.com/LindenDollars - safe, secure, easy!"

I really don't understand why anyone would want to "by" Lindens from another resident. Such spam might as well say "Want to pay too much for Lindens, so I can line my pockets?" I gotta tell you, skidz, your calling me a sucker every time I use your tool is really annoying, and I wish that, if you really feel you must persist, you would at least learn to spell all the words correctly.

Thats not spam, that is a response for an update check and also includes, "Your product is up to date". If you dislike it that much, you can right click the belt, and delete the update check script.


I am very fair with my linden at 260 per dollar. That is a better rate than you can pay on second life website right now where its 259. So, I am not ripping people off, I am very fair in my pricing. Go to Ebay, and check out there prices on lindens... then you will see rip off artist.

But thanks for pointing out the miss spelling.. I will fix that

Did you fail to mention that skidz does free upgrades for his products? Yea, not many do that with such a powerful tool. The real people who suck blood will re-charge you for even minor script changes. Not to mention his customer support where he will personally deal with each customer until the problem gets resolved. Wow! yes, I dont feel you should blast skidz in public for a FREE auto update that incorporates a commercial for one of his services. Maybe ask him if there is a way to change that first, then you will find out his customer support is superior.
good day-