JavaScript debugging in Eclipse

Question

How to debug JavaScript in Eclipse. I am using Eclipse 3.2.1. Each time I click on the side, it gives you the ability to add bookmarks, but does not have a breakpoint.

Can someone help me with this?

Answer 1

In 2015, there are at least six options for debugging JavaScript in Eclipse:

• New since Eclipse 3.7: support for debugging JavaScript Development Tools . The incubation section lists CrossFire . This means that Firefox + Firebug can be used as a page viewer without any changes to the Java code.
• New since October 2012: VJET JavaScript IDE
• Ajax tools framework
• Aptana provides JavaScript debugging capabilities.
• The commercial MyEclipse IDE also has JavaScript debugging support.
• From as stable as MyEclipse, the Webclipse plugin has the same JavaScript debugging technology.

Adding to the above, here are a few videos that focus on "debugging JavaScript using eclipse"

• Debugging JavaScript with Eclipse and Chrome Tools
• JavaScript debugging using Eclipse and CrossFire (with FB)

Outdated

• Google Chrome Developer Tools for Java allows you to debug using Chrome.

Answer 2

I don't believe Eclipse has a JavaScript debugger - these are breakpoints for Java code (I assume you are editing a JSP file?)

Use Firebug to debug Javascript code, this is a great add-on that all web developers should have in their toolbar.

Answer 3

I'm not 100% sure, but I think Aptana will let you do this.

Answer 4

I tried running aptana on my ubuntu 10.4. Unfortunately, I did not succeed. Chrome, on the other hand, has an eclipse plugin that allows you to debug javascript that runs on a chrome instance. It works very well. You will need to install the eclipse plugin, which you will find here:

http://code.google.com/p/chromedevtools/

Set breakpoints in javascript sources you are editing in eclipse and view the page in chrome. As soon as the javascript breakpoint is removed, the eclipse debugger stops and allows you to enter, navigate, view variables, etc. Very nice!

Answer 5

JavaScript is executed in a browser that is fairly remote from Eclipse. To debug it, Eclipse would have to somehow connect to the browser JavaScript engine. Therefore, there is no built-in JavaScript debugging through Eclipse, since JS is not really its main focus.

However, there are plugins that you can install to debug JavaScript. I believe the core is the AJAX Toolkit Framework (ATF) . It injects Mozilla browser into Eclipse to debug it, so it will not be able to handle the cross-browser complications that usually occur when writing JavaScript, but this will certainly help.

Answer 6

Use debugging tools supported by the browser. As mentioned above Firebug for Firefox Chrome Developer Tools from Chrome IE Developer for IE.

This way you can detect problems between browsers. To reduce cross browser issues, use the javascript framework, i.e. jQuery, YUI, moo tools, etc.

Below is a screenshot (javascript-debug.png) of what it looks like lime in Firebug.
1) hit 'F12'
2) go to the "Script" tab and "enable it" (if you are already on your page - press "F5" to reload)
3) next to the word "Everything", appears on the right. Select your javascript file from the drop-down list.
In the screenshot, I set a breakpoint on line 42 with the "left mouse button". This will allow you to tear, check, watch, etc.

Answer 7

You can debug JavaScript by setting breakpoints in Eclipse using the AJAX Tools Framework .

Answer 8

MyEclipse (based on eclipse, requires a subscription) and Webclipse (the eclipse plug-in is currently free), from my Genuitec company, recently created (as of 2015) JavaScript debugging built-in:

You can debug both general web applications and Node.js files.

Answer 9

For Node.js there is Nodeclipse 0.2 with some bug fixes for chromedevtools