Run/Debug Configuration: Spy-js for Node.js

Node interpreter

In this field, specify the Node.js interpreter to use. This can be a local Node.js interpreter or a Node.js on Windows Subsystem for Linux.

With Spy-js, it is recommended that you use Node.js version 0.10.24 or later.

To enable tracing ECMAScript 6 scripts, use Node.js version 0.11.13 or later and specify --harmony as a Node parameter.

Node parameters

In this field, type the Node.js-specific command-line options to be passed to the Node.js executable file. For example, to enable tracing ECMAScript 6 scripts, specify --harmony as a Node parameter. Note that Node.js must be version 0.11.13 or later.

Working directory

In this field, specify the working directory of the application. By default, the Working directory field shows the project root folder. To change this predefined setting, specify the path to the desired folder or choose a previously used folder from the list.

JavaScript file

In this field, specify the path to the main file of the application that starts it (for example, bin/www for Express applications).

If you are going to trace CoffeeScript, specify the path to the generated JavaScript file. The file can be generated externally or through compilation using File Watchers. For more details, see Debugging CoffeeScript.

Application parameters

In this field, type the Node.js-specific arguments to be passed to the application on start through the process.argv array.

Environment variables

In this field, specify the environment variables for the Node.js executable file, if applicable. Click Browse to the right of the field and configure a list of variables in the Environment Variables dialog, that opens:

• To define a new variable, click and specify the variable name and value.

• To discard a variable definition, select it in the list and click .

• Click OK, when ready

The definitions of variables are displayed in the Environment variables read-only field with semicolons as separators, for example:

• NODE_PATH: A :-separated list of directories prefixed to the module search path.

• NODE_MODULE_CONTEXTS: Set to 1 to load modules in their own global contexts.

• NODE_DISABLE_COLORS: Set to 1 to disable colors in the REPL.

Configuration file

From this list, choose the file with the configuration settings to apply to the tracing session.

A configuration file is a JavaScript file with the extension .js or .conf.js that contains valid JavaScript code that meets the Spy-js configuration requirements. If WebStorm detects files with the extension .conf.js in the project, these files are displayed in the list.

Type the path to the configuration file manually or click Browse and choose the location in the dialog that opens. Once specified, a configuration file is added to the list so you can get if next time from the list instead of specifying the path.

Name

Specify a name for the run configuration to quickly identify it among others when editing or running.

Allow parallel run

Allow running multiple instances of this run configuration in parallel.

By default, it is disabled, and when you start this configuration while another instance is still running, WebStorm suggests stopping the running instance and starting another one. This is helpful when a run configuration consumes a lot of resources and there is no good reason to run multiple instances.

Store as project file

Save the file with the run configuration settings to share it with other team members. The default location is .idea/runConfigurations. However, if you do not want to share the .idea directory, you can save the configuration to any other directory within the project.

By default, it is disabled, and WebStorm stores run configuration settings in .idea/workspace.xml.

Alt+Insert

Create a run/debug configuration.

Alt+Delete

Delete the selected run/debug configuration. Note that you cannot delete default configurations.

Ctrl+D

Create a copy of the selected run/debug configuration. Note that you create copies of default configurations.

The button is displayed only when you select a temporary configuration. Click this button to save a temporary configuration as permanent.

Move into new folder / Create new folder. You can group run/debug configurations by placing them into folders.

To create a folder, select the configurations within a category, click , and specify the folder name. If only a category is in focus, an empty folder is created.

Then, to move a configuration into a folder, between the folders or out of a folder, use drag or and buttons.

To remove grouping, select a folder and click .

Click this button to sort configurations in the alphabetical order.

Alt+Insert

Click this icon to add one of the following available tasks:

• Launch Web Browser: select this option to have a browser started. In the dialog that opens, select the type of the browser and provide the start URL. Also, specify if you want the browser be launched with JavaScript debugger.

• Run External tool: select to run an external application. In the dialog that opens, select one or multiple applications you want to run. If it is not defined in WebStorm yet, add its definition. For more information, see External tools and External Tools.

• Run Another Configuration: select to execute another run/debug configuration and wait until it finishes before starting the current configuration. If you want to run several configurations in parallel, use a compound run/debug configuration.

• Run File Watchers: select this option to have WebStorm apply all the currently active File Watchers.

• Run Remote External tool: adds a remote SSH external tool.

• Run Grunt task: select this option to run a Grunt task.

  In the Grunt task dialog that opens, specify the Gruntfile.js where the required task is defined, select the task to execute, and specify the arguments to pass to the Grunt tool.

  Specify the location of the Node.js interpreter, the parameters to pass to it, and the path to the grunt-cli package.

• Run Gulp task: select this option to run a Gulp task.

  In the Gulp task dialog that opens, specify the Gulpfile.js where the required task is defined, select the task to execute, and specify the arguments to pass to the Gulp tool.

  Specify the location of the Node.js interpreter, the parameters to pass to it, and the path to the gulp package.

• Run npm Script: select this option to execute an npm script.

  In the NPM Script dialog that opens, specify the npm run/debug configuration settings.

• Compile TypeScript: select to run the built-in TypeScript compiler and thus make sure that all the changes you made to your TypeScript code are reflected in the generated JavaScript files. In the TypeScript Compile Settings dialog that opens, select or clear the Check errors checkbox to configure the behaviour of the compiler in case any errors are detected:

  • If the Check errors checkbox is selected, the compiler will show all the errors and the run configuration will not start.

  • If the Check errors checkbox is cleared, the compiler will show all the detected errors but the run configuration still will be launched.

• Generate CoffeeScript Source Maps: select this option to generate the source maps for your CoffeeScript sources. In the dialog that opens, specify where your CoffeeScript source files are located.

Alt+Delete

Click this icon to remove the selected task from the list.

Enter

Click this icon to edit the selected task. Make the necessary changes in the dialog that opens.

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Alt+Up/Alt+Down

Click these icons to move the selected task one line up or down in the list. The tasks are performed in the order that they appear in the list.

Show this page

Select this checkbox to show the run/debug configuration settings prior to actually starting the run/debug configuration.

Activate tool window

By default this checkbox is selected and the Run or the Debug tool window opens when you start the run/debug configuration.

Otherwise, if the checkbox is cleared, the tool window is hidden. However, when the configuration is running, you can open the corresponding tool window for it yourself by pressing Alt+4 or Alt+5.