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Venkman first started out as a simple JavaScript debugger devised by Netscape programmer John Bandhauer back in 1998. He converted his original C code into Java in order to provide cross-platform support, and this became the original Netscape JavaScript Debugger 1.0, and later, 1.1, both incorporated into versions of Netscape Navigator 4.x. When a JavaScript debugger was needed for the original Mozilla, programmer Robert Ginda took Bandhauer’s API from the original debugger and built upon it, releasing it as Venkman 0.85, which was first incorporated into Mozilla 1.0.
If you have done a complete install of the Mozilla browser from version 1 onwards, you already have a copy of Venkman installed. An easy way to see if you have it installed is to go to the Tools drop-down menu in the browser, select Web Development and see whether the JavaScript Debugger option is available. Another way is to simply open up a command console (i.e. Start Menu -> Run) and then type in mozilla –venkman to launch it. If you don’t have it you can install it by selecting the Debugger option when doing a custom install of Mozilla. Venkman does not come automatically with versions of Netscape 6 and 7 and you will have to download and install a copy of it. At this time, Venkman is now up to version 0.979 and minor updates occur on a weekly or monthly basis. If you are looking to install the latest-and-greatest version of Venkman, go to its development page on Robert Ginda’s site at: http://www.hacksrus.com/~ginda/venkman/ and install the release directly into Mozilla or Netscape using the link provided, and then restart the program (for obvious reasons, you shouldn’t expect this to work in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer). Note that if you are still using Mozilla 1.0 or Netscape 6.x, Venkman’s developers strongly recommend you upgrade to Mozilla 1.4 and Netscape 7.x respectively, as Venkman has been significantly improved and it will not run properly or at all using these slightly older browsers.
Why the name Venkman? It’s actually the codename for this program, but it seems to have stuck, since it’s real name – “JavaScript Debugger” – is, let’s face it, generic-sounding if not downright boring. The name comes from the wily Bill Murray character Dr. Peter Venkman in the Ghostbusters movies. Now you can trap hard-to-track JavaScript bugs in the same way as the onscreen Venkman trapped ghosts.
The initial Venkman screen.
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Created: March 27, 2003
Revised: August 12, 2003
URL: http://webreference.com/programming/javascript/venkman/1
