firebug: how to cd to an iframe

Question

I have a facebook canvas application that runs in an iframe. I would like to debug my page in firebug but can not get the javascript to scope to the iframe that is running my app.

the iframe:

<iframe frameborder="0" src="[app_url_removed]" name="iframe_canvas" id="iframe_canvas" class="canvas_iframe_util" style="height: 905px;"></iframe>

i've tried all the following and none of them work:

cd(iframe_canvas)
cd(window.iframe_canvas)
cd(iframe_canvas.window)
cd($('iframe_canvas'))

I have firefox 3.6.13 and I have tried firebug 1.7a11 and firebug 1.6.2

also tried the bookmarklet and various other things from this link Firebug and jQuery selectors in an iFrame to no avail.

I am pretty sure if you look in the Firebug view, there is a "+" next to the iframe tag. If you expand that you can see what is loaded into the iframe. I can also see all the javascript calls from the iFrame code on the console. What are you trying to do? — Phil Wallach
Hi, Im trying to call the javascript functions inside that iframe in the console. for instance I am using jquery in my iframe and I'd like to use the jquery selector to access a div and bind an event listener in the console to test. — Kalendae
I am doubtful if it's possible. You may need to open the iFrame in a separate window (by right clicking on it, and selecting open iFrame in a new Window). But if there is a way to debug JS in iFRame.. I would really like to know. — Nishant
You can also read this Firebug tip: softwareishard.com/blog/planet-mozilla/… Honza — Jan Odvarko

tautologe tautologe · Accepted Answer · 2011-02-23T16:11:33

use one of these commands:

 cd(frames[0]) 
 cd(frames["iframe_canvas"])

and

 cd(top)

to return to the main window.

Still, due to a bug this currently doesn't work on cross-domain-iframes (http://code.google.com/p/fbug/issues/detail?id=3893). There are two test cases where you can test your evironment for both cases:

https://getfirebug.com/tests/content/commandLine/cd.html (same domain, works for me: FF 3.6.13, FB 1.6.2)
http://getfirebug.com/tests/issues/3893/issue3893.html (cross domain, fails)

Another possible source of surprise: if you execute more commands at once the cd command seems to not have an effect for the directly following commands:

 >>> cd(frames[0]); location.href;
 ["Current window:", Window cdFrame.html]
 "https://getfirebug.com/tests/content/commandLine/cd.html"
 >>> location.href
 "https://getfirebug.com/tests/content/commandLine/cdFrame.html"

firebug: how to cd to an iframe

4 Answers