Adding Visual Studio Code debugging to Node.js JS projects

I find it useful to be able to debug my Node.js application in vscode. It saves you having to write console.log statements to figure out why something isn't working. I sometimes use the debugger to check my tests too. This is the configuration I use to setup debugging for the main application and the tests.

Launch.json

For vscode you need to set the various launch configurations for your project. These go in a file .vscode/launch.json . You might have to create this file.

Debugging a Node.js application using VSCode

In your package.json startup you need to add the inspector port

npx ts-node-dev --inspect=0.0.0.0:29033

Then in the startup script you can ask vscode to attach to that port when debugging

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "Attach to Application",
      "port": 29033,
      "type": "node",
      "request": "attach",
      "skipFiles": ["<node_internals>/**"],
      "protocol": "inspector"
    }
  ]
}

Debugging Jest tests using VSCode

You need to add the launch scripts and tell them

1. Where your jest is located (usually in the node_modules folder
2. Where your jest config is located (usually in the main application root folder)

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "type": "node",
      "request": "launch",
      "name": "Jest All",
      "program": "${workspaceFolder}/node_modules/.bin/jest",
      "args": ["--runInBand"],
      "console": "integratedTerminal",
      "internalConsoleOptions": "neverOpen",
      "disableOptimisticBPs": true,
      "windows": {
        "program": "${workspaceFolder}/node_modules/jest/bin/jest"
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "node",
      "request": "launch",
      "name": "Jest Current File",
      "program": "${workspaceFolder}/node_modules/.bin/jest",
      "args": ["${fileBasenameNoExtension}", "--config", "jest.config.js"],
      "console": "integratedTerminal",
      "internalConsoleOptions": "neverOpen",
      "disableOptimisticBPs": true,
      "windows": {
        "program": "${workspaceFolder}/node_modules/jest/bin/jest"
      }
    }
  ]
}

To use the debugger you open the debugging menu

SHIFT - COMMAND - D

and select the launch configuration. Then click the green play button.

If you want to debug a jest test, you should have that file open in the editor when you click play.