how to setup visual studio code - npm

Question

been working with visual studio code and I am trying to use the built debugger. I have found examples and have tried to set it up. I have successfully got the gulp serve task setup and it runs correctly with the command
⇧⌘B
not the actual play button in the debugger tab. The examples I have found for debugging with the chrome extension does not include grunt or gulp automated tasks. Is it possible to use the gulp tasks and the debugger?
launch.json
{
"version": "0.2.0",
"configurations": [
{
"request": "launch",
// Name of configuration; appears in the launch configuration drop down menu.
"name": "node gulp.js ..",
// Type of configuration. Possible values: "node", "mono".
"type": "node",
// Workspace relative or absolute path to the program.
"program": "${workspaceRoot}./node_modules/gulp/bin/gulp.js",
// Automatically stop program after launch.
"stopOnEntry": true,
// Command line arguments passed to the program.
"args": [
"--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceRoot}"
],
// Workspace relative or absolute path to the working directory of the program being debugged. Default is the current workspace.
"cwd": "${workspaceRoot}.",
// Workspace relative or absolute path to the runtime executable to be used. Default is the runtime executable on the PATH.
"runtimeExecutable": "${execPath}",
// Optional arguments passed to the runtime executable.
"runtimeArgs": [],
// Environment variables passed to the program.
"env": {},
// Use JavaScript source maps (if they exist).
"sourceMaps": false,
// If JavaScript source maps are enabled, the generated code is expected in this directory.
"outDir": "${workspaceRoot}out"
}
]
}
tasks.json
{
// See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=733558
// for the documentation about the tasks.json format
"version": "0.1.0",
"command": "gulp",
"isShellCommand": true,
"args": [
"--no-color"
],
"tasks": [
{
"taskName": "serve",
"args": [],
"isBuildCommand": true,
"isWatching": true,
"problemMatcher": [
"$lessCompile",
"$tsc",
"$jshint"
]
}
]
}
gulp.config.js
module.exports = function($, usehtml) {
// distribution folder
var dist = 'app/';
var source = 'src/'; // for abs path construction
var markupEngine = usehtml ? 'html' : 'jade';
var markupExt = '.' + markupEngine;
// main source folders
var srcLESS = source + 'less/';
var srcSCSS = source + 'scss/';
var srcHTML = source + markupEngine + '/';
var srcJS = source + 'js/';
// Shared config object
var config = {
// ---
// Paths
// ---
dist: dist,
distCSS: dist + 'css',
distJS: dist + 'js',
source: source,
srcLESS: srcLESS,
srcSCSS: srcSCSS,
srcHTML: srcHTML,
srcJS: srcJS,
html: {
index: [srcHTML + 'index' + markupExt],
views: [
srcHTML + '**/*' + markupExt,
'!'+srcHTML + 'index' + markupExt
],
templates: [
srcHTML + 'views/sidebar/*' + markupExt,
srcHTML + 'views/navbar/*' + markupExt,
srcHTML + 'views/layers/*' + markupExt,
srcHTML + 'views/filters/*' + markupExt,
srcHTML + 'views/modals/*' + markupExt
],
all: [srcHTML + '**/*' + markupExt]
},
less: {
styles: [srcLESS + 'styles.less'],
watch: [srcLESS + 'app/**/*.less'],
bootstrap: [srcLESS + 'bootstrap/bootstrap.less']
},
scss: {
styles: [srcSCSS + 'styles.scss'],
watch: [srcSCSS + 'app/**/*.scss'],
bootstrap: [srcSCSS + 'bootstrap.scss']
},
js: [srcJS + 'app.module.js', srcJS + 'modules/**/*.js', srcJS + 'custom/**/*.js'],
// ---
// Plugins
// ---
plato: {
js: srcJS + '**/*.js'
},
report: './report/',
tplcache: {
file: 'templates.js',
opts: {
standalone: false,
root: 'templates',
module: 'insight'
}
},
webserver: {
webroot: '.',
host: 'localhost',
port: '3000',
livereload: true,
directoryListing: false
},
prettify: {
indent_char: ' ',
indent_size: 3,
unformatted: ['a', 'sub', 'sup', 'b', 'i', 'u']
},
usemin: {
path: '.',
css: [$.minifyCss({ processImport: false }), 'concat', $.rev()],
// html: [$.minifyHtml({empty: true})],
vendor: [$.uglify( {preserveComments:'some'} ), $.rev()],
js: [$.ngAnnotate(), $.uglify( {preserveComments:'some'} ), $.rev()]
}
};
// scripts to check with jshint
config.lintJs = [].concat(config.js, config.distJS);
return config;
};
gulpfile.js
var argv = require('yargs').argv;
var usehtml = true;
var usertl = argv.usertl;
var usescss = argv.usescss;
var gulp = require('gulp'),
$ = require('gulp-load-plugins')(),
gutil = require('gulp-util'),
gulpsync = require('gulp-sync')(gulp),
path = require('path'),
glob = require('glob'),
del = require('del'),
runSequence = require('run-sequence'),
config = require('./gulp.config')($, usehtml);
// production mode
var isProduction = false;
//---------------
// TASKS
//---------------
// APP LESS
gulp.task('styles', function () {
log('Compiling styles to CSS..');
var stylesSrc = usescss ? config.scss.styles : config.less.styles;
return gulp.src(stylesSrc)
.pipe(isProduction ? gutil.noop() : $.sourcemaps.init())
.pipe(usescss ? $.sass() : $.less())
.on("error", handleError)
.pipe($.if(usertl, $.rtlcss()))
.pipe(isProduction ? $.minifyCss({processImport: false}) : gutil.noop())
.pipe(isProduction ? gutil.noop() : $.sourcemaps.write())
.pipe(gulp.dest(config.distCSS));
});
// BOOSTRAP
gulp.task('bootstrap', function () {
log('Compiling Bootstrap..');
var bsSrc = usescss ? config.scss.bootstrap : config.less.bootstrap;
return gulp.src(bsSrc)
.pipe(isProduction ? gutil.noop() : $.sourcemaps.init())
.pipe(usescss ? $.sass() : $.less())
.on("error", handleError)
.pipe($.if(usertl, $.rtlcss()))
.pipe(isProduction ? $.minifyCss({processImport: false}) : gutil.noop())
.pipe(isProduction ? gutil.noop() : $.sourcemaps.write())
.pipe(gulp.dest(config.distCSS));
});
// HTML
gulp.task('markup', ['index', 'views']);
gulp.task('views', buildMarkup(config.html.views, config.dist));
gulp.task('index', ['templatecache'], buildMarkup(config.html.index, '.', false, true));
gulp.task('templatecache', ['clean-scripts'], buildMarkup(config.html.templates, config.dist + 'js', true));
// SERVER
// -----------------------------------
gulp.task('webserver', function () {
log('Starting web server.. ');
return gulp.src(config.webserver.webroot)
.pipe($.webserver(config.webserver));
});
//---------------
// WATCH
//---------------
// Rerun the task when a file changes
gulp.task('watch', function () {
log('Starting watch with live reload ...');
$.livereload.listen();
if (usescss) gulp.watch([config.scss.watch, config.scss.styles], ['styles']);
else gulp.watch([config.less.watch, config.less.styles], ['styles']);
if (usescss) gulp.watch(config.scss.bootstrap, ['bootstrap']);
else gulp.watch(config.less.bootstrap, ['bootstrap']);
gulp.watch(config.html.all, ['markup']);
gulp.watch(config.html.templates, ['templatecache']);
gulp
.watch([].concat(config.less.watch, config.html.views, config.html.templates, config.js))
.on('change', function (event) {
setTimeout(function () {
$.livereload.changed(event.path);
}, 1400);
});
});
/**
* Clean
*/
gulp.task('clean', ['clean-scripts', 'clean-styles', 'clean-markup']);
gulp.task('clean-scripts', function (cb) {
var js = config.distJS + '/*{js,map}';
clean(js, cb);
});
gulp.task('clean-styles', function (cb) {
var css = config.distCSS + '/*{css,map}';
clean(css, cb);
});
gulp.task('clean-markup', function (cb) {
var html = ['index.html', config.dist + 'views/'];
clean(html, cb);
});
gulp.task('clean-build', function (cb) {
log('Removing development assets');
var delFiles = [
config.distJS + '/' + config.tplcache.file,
config.distCSS + '/bootstrap.css',
config.distCSS + '/styles.css'
];
clean(delFiles, cb);
});
/**
* vet the code and create coverage report
*/
gulp.task('lint', function () {
log('Analyzing source with JSHint');
return gulp
.src(config.lintJs)
.pipe($.jshint())
.pipe($.jshint.reporter('jshint-stylish', {verbose: true}))
.pipe($.jshint.reporter('fail'));
});
//---------------
// Visualizer report
//---------------
gulp.task('plato', function (done) {
log('Analyzing source with Plato');
log('Browse to /report/plato/index.html to see Plato results');
startPlatoVisualizer(done);
});
//---------------
// MAIN TASKS
//---------------
// build for production
gulp.task('build', [], function (cb) {
runSequence('clean', 'production', 'compile', 'clean-build', cb);
});
gulp.task('production', function () {
isProduction = true;
});
// default (no minify, sourcemaps and watch)
gulp.task('default', function (callback) {
runSequence('clean', 'compile', 'watch', 'done', callback);
}).task('done', done);
// serve development by default
gulp.task('serve', function (cb) {
runSequence('default', 'webserver', cb);
});
// optional serve production
gulp.task('serve-build', function (cb) {
runSequence('build', 'webserver', cb);
});
// run tasks without watch
gulp.task('compile', function (cb) {
runSequence(
'bootstrap',
'styles',
'templatecache',
'markup',
cb);
});
/////////////////
/**
* Error handler
*/
function handleError(err) {
console.log(err.toString());
this.emit('end');
}
/**
* Build html templates
* #param {string} src source files folder
* #param {string} dst target folder
* #param {boolean} useTplcache Should generate angular template cache
* #return {stream}
*/
function buildMarkup(src, dst, useTplcache, useMin) {
return function () {
log('Compiling HTML...');
if (useTplcache) log('Creating AngularJS templateCache..');
return gulp.src(src)
.pipe(isProduction ? gutil.noop() : $.changed(dst, {extension: '.html'}))
.pipe($.if(!usehtml, $.jade({
locals: {
scripts: glob.sync(config.source + 'js/**/*.js')
}
})
)
)
.on("error", handleError)
.pipe($.htmlPrettify(config.prettify))
// .pipe($.angularHtmlify())
.pipe(isProduction && useMin ?
$.usemin(config.usemin)
: gutil.noop()
)
.pipe(useTplcache ?
$.angularTemplatecache(config.tplcache.file, config.tplcache.opts)
: gutil.noop()
)
.pipe(gulp.dest(dst))
;
}
}
/**
* Delete all files in a given path
* #param {Array} path - array of paths to delete
* #param {Function} done - callback when complete
*/
function clean(path, done) {
log('Cleaning: ' + $.util.colors.blue(path));
del(path, done);
}
/**
* Start Plato inspector and visualizer
*/
function startPlatoVisualizer(done) {
log('Running Plato');
var files = glob.sync(config.plato.js);
var excludeFiles = /.*\.spec\.js/;
var plato = require('plato');
var options = {
title: 'Plato Inspections Report',
exclude: excludeFiles
};
var outputDir = config.report + 'plato/';
plato.inspect(files, outputDir, options, platoCompleted);
function platoCompleted(report) {
var overview = plato.getOverviewReport(report);
log(overview.summary);
if (done) {
done();
}
}
}
/**
* Just to be polite :)
*/
function done() {
setTimeout(function () { // it's more clear to show msg after all
log('Done.. Watching code and reloading on changes..');
}, 500);
};
/**
* Standard log
*/
function log(msg) {
var prefix = '*** ';
gutil.log(prefix + msg);
}

Answer 1

It seems there are multiple errors in your launch config.
Some of the paths in your config are wrong. for example:
"${workspaceRoot}./node_modules/gulp/bin/gulp.js"
should be
"${workspaceRoot}/node_modules/gulp/bin/gulp.js"
${workspaceRoot} is a placeholder for the absolute path to your workspace. You cannot use relative path syntax like ./[relativepath] in launch.json. just replace . with ${workspaceRoot}.
If you are using "type": "node" in your launch config "program": "${workspaceRoot}/node_modules/gulp/bin/gulp.js" should point to the index file of your node application and not to the gulp executable.
In your gulp file it looks like you are trying to debug a website. In this case you should use Debugger for Chrome or Debugger for Edge vscode extension