Google Analytics Debugging with ga_debug.js

Google Analytics and its API is a beacon of awesomeness and immense stat tracking power, but for the longest time I was using some of its features, like event tracking, and simply taking Google's word for it that things were working correctly.  Of course none of this tracking was mission critical, I simply wanted to experiment.  If only I had known about ga_debug.js; this alternate file provides loads of debug information while you push information to _gaq.  Here's how I've implemented ga_debug.js:

(function(a, d) {
    // Do we load the real analytics or debug analytics?
    // The debug file is available at:  https://ssl.google-analytics.com/u/ga_debug.js
    var analyticsPath = config.isDebug ? 'u/ga_debug.js' : 'ga.js';

    // Output your account, of course
    var _gaq = _gaq || [];
    _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'MY_ACCOUNT_ID'],

    var ga = d.createElement(a); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
    ga.src = ('https:' == d.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/' + analyticsPath;
    var s = d.getElementsByTagName(a)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
  })('script', document);

You'll notice that ga_debug is at a deeper path.  You'll also know I switch that flag on the client side; of course you can do the live or debug file logic with client side code.  So what can you see by loading this alternate file?  Here's a sample:

_gaq.push processing "_setAccount" for args: "[MY_ACCOUNT_ID]": 
_gaq.push processing "_setAllowAnchor" for args: "[true]": 
_gaq.push processing "_setCustomVar" for args: "[8,docs navigator,Yes,1]": 
_gaq.push processing "_trackPageview" for args: "[]": 
Track Pageview
Tracking beacon sent!
utmwv=5.4.8d&utms=1&utmn=1975439136&utmhn=davidwalsh.name&utme=8(7!Signed-In*docs%20navigator*Beta%20Tester)9(7!Yes*Yes*Yes)11(7!1*1*1)&utmcs=UTF-8&utmsr=1440x900&utmvp=1437x728&utmsc=24-bit&utmul=en-us&utmje=1&utmfl=13.0%20r0&utmdt=Mozilla%20Developer%20Network&utmhid=611097861&utmr=-&utmp=%2Fen-US%2F&utmht=1396054748895&utmac=UA-36116321-5&utmcc=__utma%3D262314265.242604067.1395793245.1395837640.1396054749.5%3B%2B__utmz%3D262314265.1395793245.1.1.utmcsr%3D(direct)%7Cutmccn%3D(direct)%7Cutmcmd%3D(none)%3B&utmu=qS~
Account ID               : MY_ACCOUNT_ID
Page Title               : David Walsh Blog
Host Name                : davidwalsh.name
Page                     : /en-US/
Referring URL            : -
Hit ID                   : 611097861
Visitor ID               : 242604067
Session Count            : 5
Session Time - First     : Tue Mar 25 2014 19:20:45 GMT-0500 (CDT)
Session Time - Last      : Wed Mar 26 2014 07:40:40 GMT-0500 (CDT)
Session Time - Current   : Fri Mar 28 2014 19:59:09 GMT-0500 (CDT)
Campaign Time            : Tue Mar 25 2014 19:20:45 GMT-0500 (CDT)
Campaign Session         : 1
Campaign Count           : 1
Campaign Source          : (direct)
Campaign Medium          : (none);
Campaign Name            : (direct)
Custom Var 7             : label:'Signed-In' value:'Yes' scope:'1'
Custom Var 8             : label:'docs navigator' value:'Yes' scope:'1'
Custom Var 9             : label:'Beta Tester' value:'Yes' scope:'1'
Language                 : en-us
Encoding                 : UTF-8
Flash Version            : 13.0 r0
Java Enabled             : true
Screen Resolution        : 1440x900
Browser Size             : 1437x728
Color Depth              : 24-bit
Ga.js Version            : 5.4.8d
Cachebuster              : 1975439136

Upon each push call, analytics spits out the information you've sent along with your user and browser information.  Essentially ga_debug.js provides you a plethora of information and peace of mind that your analytics calls are working!