In this chapter, we learned more about how OpenLayers works. We learned how to set up and use Firebug and other Web Development tools.
We then took a look at the panels that Firebug provides and what they are used for. Finally, we spent time with the Console panel—something you'll be making extensive use of throughout this book (and when you're developing your own web maps).
This chapter aimed to provide some foundational knowledge of web development tools for getting into both OpenLayers and general web development. Web development tools, like Firebug, are one of the biggest assets in our toolkit. They speed up development time, help us identify bugs, interact with our code better, and much more.
Note
Firebug and such tools can also degrade performance if you are just browsing the web, so it is probably best to leave them disabled unless you're using them.
For the code exercises in the following chapters, it will be very beneficial if you use Firebug to first test the code, to see what...