Run/Debug Configuration: Node.js
The following Node.js versions are supported in JetBrains Rider 2020.3:
Node.js 10
Node.js 12
Node.js 14
Node.js 15
Learn more from Supported Node.js versions.
In this dialog, create configurations for starting the debugger together with your Node.js applications on your computer.
Before you start
Download and install Node.js.
Install the Node.js plugin on the Settings/Preferences | Plugins page, tab Marketplace, as described in Installing plugins from JetBrains repository.
Configuration tab
Item | Description |
---|---|
Node interpreter | In this field, specify the Node.js interpreter to use. This can be a local or remote Node.js interpreter or a Node.js on Windows Subsystem for Linux. Select an interpreter from the list or click and configure a new one in the dialog that opens. |
Node parameters | In this field, type the Node.js-specific command-line options to be passed to the Node.js executable file. The most common options are:
For a full list, see Node.js command-line options. |
Working directory | In this field, specify the working directory of the application. By default, the field shows the project root folder. |
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 debug CoffeeScript, specify the path to the generated JavaScript file with source maps. The file can be generated externally or through compilation using File Watchers. |
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:
The definitions of variables are displayed in the Environment variables read-only field with semicolons as separators, for example:
|
Docker container settings Click to open the dialog and specify the following settings: | |
Options |
Click to expand the tables. Click , , or to make up the lists. |
Auto configuration | Select this checkbox to have JetBrains Rider configure the container settings. In the Automatic configuration mode:
Even with automatic configuration, you still need to bind the port on which your application is running with the port of the container. Those exposed ports are available on the Docker host’s IP address (by default 192.168.99.100). Such binding is required when you debug the client side of a Express application. In this case, you need to open the browser from your computer and access the application at the container host through the port specified in the application. |
Configure port bindings
Click in the Docker Container Settings field and expand the Port bindings area in the Edit Docker Container Settings dialog that opens.
Click and in the Port bindings dialog that opens, map the ports as follows:
In the Container port field, type the port specified in your application.
In the Host port field, type the port through which you want to open the application in the browser from your computer.
In the Host IP field, type the IP address of the Docker's host, the default IP is 192.168.99.100. The host is specified in the API URL field on the Docker page of the Settings/Preferences.
Click OK to return to the Edit Docker Container Settings dialog where the new port mapping is added to the list.
Click OK to return to the Run/Debug Configuration: Node.js dialog.
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, JetBrains Rider creates separate run configurations for the server-side and the client-side code, but you specify all your settings in one dedicated Node.js run configuration.
Item | Description |
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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:
|
with JavaScript debugger | Select this checkbox to enable debugging the client-side code in the selected browser. |
V8 Profiling tab
In this tab, enable V8 CPU and memory profiling.
Item | Description |
---|---|
Record CPU profiling info | Select this checkbox to start logging the CPU profiling data when the application is launched. The controls in the area below become enabled. Specify the following:
|
Allow taking heap snapshots | Select this checkbox if you are going to run memory profiling. |
Logs tab
In this tab, enable showing information produced by a logging tool like morgan in the Console tab of the Run tool window. See Managing logs when running a Node.js app for details.
Common
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/debug configuration to quickly identify it when editing or running the configuration, for example, from the Run popup Alt+Shift+F10. |
Allow parallel run | Select to 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, JetBrains Rider suggests to stop the running instance and start another one. This is helpful when a run/debug 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 JetBrains Rider 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 solution as well as adjust default configurations templates.
Item | Shortcut | Description |
---|---|---|
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. | ||
View and edit the template (that is, the default run/debug configuration settings). The templates are displayed under the Templates node and used for newly created configurations. | ||
/ | Alt+Up/ Alt+Down | Move the selected run/debug configuration up and down in the list. The order of configurations in the list defines the order, in which the configurations appear when you choose a run/debug configuration. Default templates of run/debug configurations are always sorted alphabetically. |
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. |
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 |
---|---|---|
Alt+Insert | Click this icon to add one of the following available tasks:
| |
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. | |
/ | 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. |