Editing Javascript in Chrome real time, like Edit and Continue in Visual Studio

Question

Chrome can edit Javascript on the fly, without a full page refresh, similar to Visual Studio's edit and continue ability for code behind files. This helps when prototyping javascript functions or snippets.

You have to hit a breakpoint, then hit the edit button. Then the current function will be unrolled, then you can step back into it with your changes in effect. Not nearly as nice as VS edit and continue, but at least it's something. Also it appears some things cannot be changed.

Is there any other tool that can do live javascript edits, or is there a better way? Visual Studio 2010 does not as far as I can tell.

function test1() {

    debugger;

    var data_array = [];
    var newvar1 = newfunc()+'dc'; // ok - can edit
    var newvar2 = "hey2"; // ok - can edit
    var newvar3 = 4; // ok can edit

    var someobj = {1:"hey2", 2:"string2"}; // no - can not edit values after executed once
    var word_array = ["hello", "goodbye", "adios"]; // no - can not edit values after executed once

    for (var counter = 0; counter < 500; counter++) {
        data_array[counter] = counter + word_array[Math.floor(Math.random() * (word_array.length))];
    }

}


function newfunc() {
     return "yes44";   
}

Similar questions:
Using Google Chrome to debug and edit javascript embedded in HTML page
Editing in the Chrome debugger

Autosave plugin http://www.google.com/intl/cs-CZ/events/io/2010/sessions/chrome-developer-tools.html Googles presentation: https://github.com/NV/chrome-devtools-autosave

Solution

You may want to try Chrome Dev Tools for Java project. It is an Eclipse plugin for debugging JavaScript in Chrome that could be used together with a JavaScript IDE plugin. This way you edit and debug and live edit the very same file (see text).

Comments

[GravityWell]

Besides using straight Chrome, this is probably the only other way to get live edit functionality, although to be fair, this technique also uses Chrome.

[beefeather]

Technically it's V8 that provides live edit. So theoretically any V8-based application would give you such experience. Unfortunately, Node.JS (the only application I know of) has some tricks that prevents live edit.

[wolfstevent]

The Chrome Dev Tools for Java project page says: The project is no longer actively maintained code.google.com/p/chromedevtools