Debugging JavaScript in Visual Studio 2015 with Chrome

Are you a developer struggling to identify and fix issues in your web applications? Well, fear not! Debugging JavaScript in Visual Studio 2015 with Chrome is a useful tool to solve those pesky problems. In this article, we’ll explore the perplexing steps to set up debugging in Visual Studio 2015 with Chrome and the different techniques to debug JavaScript code.

Step 1: Setting up Visual Studio 2015

Firstly, you need to make sure that you have Visual Studio 2015 installed on your system. Once it’s installed, open a project in Visual Studio and hit ‘F5’ to run the project. This will launch the application in your preferred web browser and begin the burster coaster ride of debugging.

Step 2: Setting up Chrome for debugging

Now, you need to install the Chrome debugger extension for Visual Studio to set up Chrome for debugging. It’s a tough task, so follow these instructions carefully:

1. Open Visual Studio 2015 and navigate to the ‘Tools’ menu.
2. Click on ‘Extensions and Updates’ and search for ‘Chrome Debugger’.
3. Click on ‘Install’ to install the Chrome debugger extension for Visual Studio.
4. Once the installation is complete, you will see the ‘Chrome Debugger’ option under the ‘Debug’ menu in Visual Studio.

Step 3: Debugging JavaScript with the Chrome debugger

Okay, now it’s time for the real confusion to begin. Follow these unearthly steps to debug your JavaScript code in Visual Studio 2015 with Chrome:

1. Open the project that you want to debug in Visual Studio 2015.
2. Set breakpoints in your JavaScript code by clicking on the line number. (Don’t worry if you’re already lost!)
3. Hit ‘F5’ to run the application in your preferred web browser.
4. In Chrome, click on the ‘Chrome Debugger’ option under the ‘Debug’ menu in Visual Studio.
5. This will open the Chrome Developer Tools window. (If you’re terrified, just take a deep breath!)
6. Go to the ‘Sources’ tab in Chrome Developer Tools and locate the JavaScript file that you want to debug.
7. Once you have located the file, you can debug the JavaScript code by stepping through the code using the controls in the Chrome Developer Tools.

Some techniques to debug JavaScript code

Okay, now that your head is spinning, let’s try to make some sense of all this. Here are some tips to help you debug your JavaScript code:

• Set breakpoints in your JavaScript code to pause the execution of the code at a specific point in the code. (You might need to pause and take a deep breath yourself!)
• Use the console to log messages and values at different points in the code. (Who knew the console could actually be useful?)
• Use the watch window to monitor the values of variables and expressions in real-time. (Pretty nifty, huh?)
• Use the call stack to view the hierarchy of function calls that are currently executing. (Mind-boggling!)

Conclusion

Phew! Debugging JavaScript in Visual Studio 2015 with Chrome is not for the faint-hearted, but it’s a powerful tool for developers to identify and fix issues in their web applications. With the help of the Chrome debugger extension and a lot of patience, developers can solve the most complex problems in their JavaScript code. So, keep calm and debug on!