visual studio code debug shows debug console

Instead, we’ll use debugging to make it very easy to spot the problem, saving your brain. You could look at the numbers and work out in your mind what the problem is. Hit in your browser and you’ll immediately see this code has a bug because the output is not correct.īut don’t fix it yet. Then run npm install -save express to install the express dependency. Set up your project with npm init, then follow the prompts. I recommend using my express example app, the entire code is shown below // app.jsĬonsole.log(`Example app listening at }) Ĭreate a new folder somewhere on your device, then copy and paste this code into a file with the name app.js. If you want to run and debug your app with a public URL instead of just localhost, you’ll also need expose.sh. You’ll need to have both Visual Studio Code and NodeJS installed for this guide. I was able to find answers to questions that weren’t even listed in the documentation. I started with just debugging my own application code but as time went by and I became more senior, I found I could get great insights by debugging framework code (such as the code for express itself). With just one action, you can now see everything instead of just one value at a time. When your app reaches the line you set a breakpoint on, you’ll be able to see all variables in scope in the debug tab. Set a breakpoint in your code then run your app. None of this is necessary with a real debugger. Its a bit like poking around with a blindfold or in the dark. If the value you are looking at changes, you need to console.log() it again. It prints one value at a time and you need to write a new console.log() statement for each value you want to see.

If you’ve ever used console.log() to print a value to the console, you might know how tedious it can get if you are trying to debug something complex. Its much easier to reason out complex, convoluted logic when you can run it line by line and see how things change. You can easily see the results of even the most complex logic written in weird ways. I’ve found debugging especially useful when exploring unfamiliar codebases that I didn’t write. Fixing bugs and building out features was much easier. I could do in a couple of hours work that might have taken me a day to do. Why you should use a real debugger instead of console.log()īack when I was a mid level engineer, learning how to use a debugger supercharged my productivity. You don’t need to be a node expert to do debugging, beginner level knowledge is all thats required. This tutorial will show you how to debug a NodeJS express app using Visual Studio Code.

Visual studio code debug shows debug console