PyCharm 2023.3 Help

Run/Debug Configuration: Meteor

Create: Run | Edit Configurations | Add New Configuration | Meteor

Use this dialog to create configurations for running and debugging Meteor applications.

Configuration tab

Item

Description

Meteor Executable

In this field, specify the location of the Meteor executable file (refer to Installing Meteor).

Program Arguments

In this field, specify the command-line additional parameters to be passed to the executable file on start up, if applicable. These can be, for example, --dev, --test, or --prod to indicate the environment in which the application is running (development, test, or production environments) so different resources are loaded on start up.

Working Directory

In this field, specify the folder under which the application files to run are stored. This folder must have a .meteor subfolder in the root so PyCharm recognizes your application as a Meteor project. By default, the field shows the path to the PyCharm project root.

Technically, several Meteor projects that implement different applications can be combined within one single PyCharm project. To run and debug these applications independently, create a separate run configuration for each of them with the relevant working directory. To avoid port conflicts, these run configurations should use different ports. In the Program Arguments field, specify a separate port for each run configuration in the format --port=<port_number>.

Environment Variables

In this field, specify the environment variables for the Meteor executable file, if applicable.

Browser / Live Edit tab

In this tab, configure the behaviour of the browser and enable debugging the client-side code of the application. This functionality is provided through a JavaScript Debug run configuration, so technically, PyCharm creates separate run configurations for the server-side and the client-side code, but you specify all your settings in one dedicated Meteor run configuration.

Item

Description

Open browser

In the field in this area, specify a project HTML file to create a correct URL to this file according to the project root to be started on the built-in web server. For example, if you choose project_root/inner_folder/index.html the resulting URL will be http://localhost:63342/project_root/inner_folder/index.html. If you select the After Launch checkbox, the browser will open this page automatically after the application starts. Alternatively you can view the same result by opening the page with this URL address in the browser of your choice manually.

After launch

Select this checkbox to automatically open the browser. From the list, select the browser to use:

  • To use the system default browser, select Default.

  • To use a custom browser, select it from the list. Note that debugging of JavaScript client-side code is only supported in Google Chrome and in other Chromium-based browsers.

  • To configure browsers, click the Browse button and adjust the settings in the Web Browsers and Preview dialog that opens. For more information, refer to Configure browsers.

with JavaScript debugger

Select this checkbox to enable debugging the client-side code in the selected browser.

Common settings

When you edit a run configuration (but not a run configuration template), you can specify the following options:

Item

Description

Name

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

Allow multiple instances

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, PyCharm 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 PyCharm stores run configuration settings in .idea/workspace.xml.

Toolbar

The tree view of run/debug configurations has a toolbar that helps you manage configurations available in your project as well as adjust default configurations templates.

Item

Shortcut

Description

the Add button

Alt+Insert

Create a run/debug configuration.

the Remove button

Alt+Delete

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

Copy

Ctrl+D

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

Save configuration

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

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 Folder, 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 Move Up and Move Down buttons.

To remove grouping, select a folder and click Remove Configuration.

Sort configurations

Click this button to sort configurations in the alphabetical order.

Before launch

In this area, you can specify tasks to be performed before starting the selected run/debug configuration. The tasks are performed in the order they appear in the list.

Item

Shortcut

Description

the Add button

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 PyCharm yet, add its definition. For more information, refer to 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 PyCharm 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.

the Remove button

Alt+Delete

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

Edit

Enter

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

Method up

Method down

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.

Last modified: 11 February 2024