Reenabling Console Logging in Adobe Captivate Projects with JavaScript

As an Adobe Captivate developer using JavaScript, debugging your project often requires checking the browser console for messages, warnings, or errors. However, if you're working in a production environment or using specific JavaScript code, you might notice that console.log and other console functions appear to do nothing. This is because, starting with Captivate version 12, Adobe has intentionally disabled logging in its JavaScript runtime, making life harder for developers.

In this post, we’ll explain why logging is disabled and how you can re-enable it to make debugging smoother.

Why Logging is Disabled in Captivate Projects

Adobe Captivate’s JavaScript runtime now disables logging by default in all published courses starting from version 12. This change was likely introduced to enhance performance and prevent sensitive information from being exposed in production environments. While this may be helpful for end-users, it creates challenges for developers trying to debug complex interactions or troubleshoot issues in their projects.

This behavior is enforced by Captivate’s own JavaScript, not by templates or custom code. In most courses, you’ll find code similar to this embedded in Captivate’s runtime:

const T = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
"production" === "production".trim() &&
  "true" !==
    (null === (t = T.get("ENABLE_LOGGING")) || void 0 === t
      ? void 0
      : t.toLowerCase()) &&
  (console.log = console.warn = console.error = () => {});

This code disables logging unless a query string parameter (ENABLE_LOGGING) is explicitly set to "true."

How to Enable Console Logging

To enable console logging and access debugging information in your browser, follow these steps:

1. Add the ENABLE_LOGGING Parameter to the URL

If the console.log functionality is overridden as shown above, you can re-enable it by adding the following query string parameter to your URL:

?ENABLE_LOGGING=true

For example:

https://example.com/your-course.html?ENABLE_LOGGING=true

This ensures that the ENABLE_LOGGING parameter is recognized and console.log, console.warn, and console.error functions work as expected.

2. Verify Logging in the Console

• Open your course in the browser with the modified URL.

• Open the developer tools (usually F12 or Ctrl + Shift + I on most browsers).

• Go to the "Console" tab and look for any console.log messages.

If logging is still disabled, ensure that the JavaScript logic in your Captivate project aligns with the URL parameter configuration.

Debugging Tips for Captivate Developers

1. Use Clear and Meaningful Logs: Label your console.log statements clearly to identify their origin. For example:

   console.log("[Slide 1]: Interaction initialized.");

2. Check Browser Console Settings: Some browsers or environments may filter log levels. Ensure all logs, warnings, and errors are visible by adjusting the console settings.

3. Test in Different Environments: Logging behavior might differ between preview and published environments. Always test in the final hosted environment.

4. Minify with Care: If your published Captivate project uses minified JavaScript, ensure that debugging information is not stripped out or obscured.

Conclusion

Enabling console logging in Adobe Captivate projects is a straightforward process that significantly improves your ability to debug custom JavaScript. However, Adobe’s decision to disable logging by default in version 12 adds extra steps for developers. By using query string parameters like ENABLE_LOGGING or implementing your own logic, you can toggle logging as needed and keep your console clean in production environments.

Have you encountered other scenarios where console logging was unexpectedly disabled? Share your experience and solutions in the comments below!