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Why do people seem to prefer Chrome's devtools over Firefox's?

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Re: Why do people seem to prefer Chrome's devtools over Firefox's?

#31

I develop, test, and debug on browsers that my users are using, and that ain't Firefox.

Are you comfortable handing Google the power to dictate the future of the Internet?

The Firefox foundation is the one who ceded power through poor decisions. Devs don't get to decide what users browse on. All users use chrome today and that's it.

Re: Why do people seem to prefer Chrome's devtools over Firefox's?

#32
post #23
post #20

Why isn't there an API for writing devtools, so that we can have some more competition in this space?

We need less API/standard, not more. To have more competition in web devtools, we need to simplify the web standard so more browser can appear instead of forcing some new fancy API on our almost monopoly.

This isn't how anything works. If you want a better alternative compiler, you build a new compiler. You don't build an entirely new operating system that includes a new compiler. Want a better grep? Make a better grep, not a whole new shell. Forcing everybody to make their own entire browser in order to provide an alternative devtool is ... madness? What does making a devtool have to do with making a browser? Why should making one require making the other?

Re: Why do people seem to prefer Chrome's devtools over Firefox's?

#33
Must join the choir and say that eventhough I have been a die hard FF fan, its gotten to the point of an impending divorce if performance doesn’t get better. I find myself switching to chromium more and more often. And then there are the extensions, that I sometimes can’t find for Firefox. That’s a minor annoyance than anything else though.

There are also a bunch of things that keeps me with FF. multi container tabs is one of my most loved ones. But I simply don’t get why the Team does make that feature even better. Like making it much easier to distinguish which container tab I am in. And adding even more customisability pr container-type.

Regarding DevTools, I really do t think I have a strong preference at all. But the stronger/more consistent performance the DevTools in chromium comes out slightly ahead.

For me it’s the overall experience which makes it a close race

Re: Why do people seem to prefer Chrome's devtools over Firefox's?

#34
post #32
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We need less API/standard, not more. To have more competition in web devtools, we need to simplify the web standard so more browser can appear instead of forcing some new fancy API on our almost monopoly.

This isn't how anything works. If you want a better alternative compiler, you build a new compiler. You don't build an entirely new operating system that includes a new compiler. Want a better grep? Make a better grep, not a whole new shell. Forcing everybody to make their own entire browser in order to provide an alternative devtool is ... madness? What does making a devtool have to do with making a browser? Why sho…

It is how it works. What's your suggestion for the fancy devtools API? Beg Google?

Making the implementation of the web standard simpler means increasing the options available, meaning more chance of finding a devtools you appreciate and possibly modify.

APIs/Standards deprecate. It is not even a question of "if" but "when". Lowering the barrier of entry is much more sustainable than engineering a whole new spec every time we encounter a problem.

Re: Why do people seem to prefer Chrome's devtools over Firefox's?

#35
post #9

I develop, test, and debug on browsers that my users are using, and that ain't Firefox.

Of course, Firefox users may just skip your sites because they don't work in FF...

Developing in Chrome doesn’t mean the end result doesn’t work in Firefox. Web standards are there for a reason. I develop in Chrome (by develop I mean the full interactive development cycle) but also check in Firefox and Safari once in a while. This post is explicitly about why people use Chrome’s devtools, so you’re just attacking a strawman.

Re: Why do people seem to prefer Chrome's devtools over Firefox's?

#36

For some reason, new Firefox windows can only be launched from the same environment from which the first window has been started. Even the same user who started FF cannot launch a new window from a new shell. That constantly interferes with my workflow. Example: Say firefox has been started from the Destop already and now I want to start a new Firefox window from a root terminal: su desktopuser firefox It does not wo…

I think that would mess up your user profile if two instances tried to handle it at the same time.

Depending on your use case Docker may be a solution.

Re: Why do people seem to prefer Chrome's devtools over Firefox's?

#37
post #35
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course, Firefox users may just skip your sites because they don't work in FF...

Developing in Chrome doesn’t mean the end result doesn’t work in Firefox. Web standards are there for a reason. I develop in Chrome (by develop I mean the full interactive development cycle) but also check in Firefox and Safari once in a while. This post is explicitly about why people use Chrome’s devtools, so you’re just attacking a strawman.

Perhaps you should read the comment I'm replying to?

Editing to not extend the thread: the comment says they do NOT test on anything than Chrome. You maybe do that, the top comment author doesn't.

Re: Why do people seem to prefer Chrome's devtools over Firefox's?

#38
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Browsers are so similar these days, web standards are so well defined, I see little reason to code Chrome-only sites. Having been through the IEs of the 90s/00s, I feel proud that we managed to scape what seemed an irreversible fate and a sense of responsibility to do whatever I can to help prevent it from happening again.

Try to use WebUSB or WebGPU on Firefox.

WebGPU is fairly recent and WebUSB is in the category of “why would I ever want my browser to access USB”, for me.

Re: Why do people seem to prefer Chrome's devtools over Firefox's?

#39
post #20

Why isn't there an API for writing devtools, so that we can have some more competition in this space?

There kind of is - there’s the extensions API. Extensions can add new tabs to the existing devtools (eg redux-devtools, react-devtools do this). Plus you could conceivably use content scripts and an extension page running in a popup window to make a whole alternative ‘devtools’ (which is roughly how Firebug worked). I imagine you wouldn’t be able to do anything like the Network tab though, as I don’t think extensions can monitor requests, and almost certainly can’t do things like throttling bandwidth etc. Thinking about it, I guess there’s quite a lot that modern devtools does you couldn’t do with an extension.

Re: Why do people seem to prefer Chrome's devtools over Firefox's?

#40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Use --new-instance.

Gives me the exact same behavior: Firefox is already running, but is not responding. Have you tried it?

Perhaps you need a different profile? (Not tested)
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