Debug both javascript and c# in ASP.NET Core MVC using VS Code

Question

Is there a way to set breakpoints and debug javascript and c# at the same time in VS Code (on macOS)?

I have installed the chrome debugger extension and then created a new MVC app using dotnet new mvc.

But when I launch the app breakpoint are only hit in the C# files, they stay grayed out in the js files (site.js) because no symbols have been loaded.

These are my launch settings (the only thing I have modified is osx command because chrome is not my default browser on macOS):

"version": "0.2.0",    "configurations": [         {             "name": ".NET Core Launch (web)",             "type": "coreclr",             "request": "launch",             "preLaunchTask": "build",             // If you have changed target frameworks, make sure to update the program path.             "program": "${workspaceRoot}/bin/Debug/netcoreapp1.1/Foo.PhotoSite.dll",             "args": [],             "cwd": "${workspaceRoot}",             "stopAtEntry": false,             "internalConsoleOptions": "openOnSessionStart",             "launchBrowser": {                 "enabled": true,                 "args": "${auto-detect-url}",                 "windows": {                     "command": "cmd.exe",                     "args": "/C start ${auto-detect-url}"                 },                 "osx": {                     "command": "/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome"                 },                 "linux": {                     "command": "xdg-open"                 }             },             "env": {                 "ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT": "Development"             },             "sourceFileMap": {                 "/Views": "${workspaceRoot}/Views"             } 

Answer 1

What you want to do is debug 2 different processes. With your configuration you debug the server. If you want to debug the browser as well you have 2 options.

First option, just start a second debug session. VS Code will automatically start multi-target debugging. You will want to start an "attach to chrome" session (see below for configuration sample) or "Launch chrome" session. After that you debug the chrome instance you picked or started and the server.

Second option, possibly more convenient if you do it a lot is to create a compound. Results in the same thing but you can start it with one click.
In this case you could remove your launch browser configurations that start your browser unless you attach to that instance.

To get it running you can try your browser configuration separately. Make chrome debugging work correctly (ignore the server) and then combine it in the compound.

Example with 2 chrome configurations for launching or attaching:

Configuration should look like this: Please keep in mind that I took it from my Windows machine in case there are special notations for macOS or different debugging ports.

{     "version": "0.2.0",     "configurations": [         {             // ...your configuration for .NET Core here...              // called .NET Core Launch (web)         }         {             "type": "chrome",             "request": "launch",             "name": "LaunchChrome",             "url": "http://localhost:8080",             "webRoot": "${workspaceRoot}"         },         {             // This one in case you manually start 2 debug sessions.             // Like first .net core              // then attach to the browser that was started.             "type": "chrome",             "request": "attach",             "name": "AttachChrome",             "port": 9222,             "webRoot": "${workspaceRoot}"         }     ],     "compounds": [         {             "name": "Debug MVC and Chrome",             "configurations": [".NET Core Launch (web)", "LaunchChrome"]         }     ] } 

Essentially you use 2 different debugging extensions. The .NET debugger extension and the chrome debugger extension. Hence the 2 different configuration parts.

Reference:
Microsoft calls it "multitarget-debugging" in VS Code. See the docs here: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/debugging#_multitarget-debugging

Answer 2

serverReadyAction recommended over launchBrowser

if you create a new reactredux net core application with dotnet new reactredux -n testreactredux browser launches but still not debuggable until change action to debugWithChrome as following

{     "version": "0.2.0",         "configurations": [         {             "name": ".NET Core Launch (web)",             "type": "coreclr",             "request": "launch",             "preLaunchTask": "build",             "program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/Debug/netcoreapp3.0/testreactredux.dll",             "args": [],             "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",             "stopAtEntry": false,             // Enable launching a web browser when ASP.NET Core starts. For more information: https://aka.ms/VSCode-CS-LaunchJson-WebBrowser             "serverReadyAction": {                 "action": "debugWithChrome", // <---- CHANGE HERE ( default is 'openExternally' )                 "pattern": "^\\s*Now listening on:\\s+(https?://\\S+)"             },             "env": {                 "ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT": "Development"             },             "sourceFileMap": {                 "/Views": "${workspaceFolder}/Views"             }         }     ] } 

this way if I place breakpoint on c# code debugger will hit

and either on javascript ( I used typescript tsx )

I noted that breakpoint on js code still gray at start but then it stop there correctly.