How to debug Angular with VSCode?

Question

Tested with Angular 5 / CLI 1.5.5

1. Install the Chrome Debugger Extension
2. Create the launch.json (inside .vscode folder)
3. Use my launch.json (see below)
4. Create the tasks.json (inside .vscode folder)
5. Use my tasks.json (see below)
6. Press CTRL+SHIFT+B
7. Press F5

launch.json for angular/cli >= 1.3

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "Launch Chrome",
      "type": "chrome",
      "request": "launch",
      "url": "http://localhost:4200/#",
      "webRoot": "${workspaceFolder}"
    },
    {
      "name": "Attach Chrome",
      "type": "chrome",
      "request": "attach",
      "url": "http://localhost:4200/#",
      "webRoot": "${workspaceFolder}"
    },
    {
      "name": "Launch Chrome (Test)",
      "type": "chrome",
      "request": "launch",
      "url": "http://localhost:9876/debug.html",
      "webRoot": "${workspaceFolder}"
    },
    {
      "name": "Launch Chrome (E2E)",
      "type": "node",
      "request": "launch",
      "program": "${workspaceFolder}/node_modules/protractor/bin/protractor",
      "protocol": "inspector",
      "args": ["${workspaceFolder}/protractor.conf.js"]
    }
  ]
}

tasks.json for angular/cli >= 1.3

{
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "tasks": [
      {
        "identifier": "ng serve",
        "type": "npm",
        "script": "start",
        "problemMatcher": [],
        "group": {
          "kind": "build",
          "isDefault": true
        }
      },
      {
        "identifier": "ng test",
        "type": "npm",
        "script": "test",
        "problemMatcher": [],
        "group": {
          "kind": "test",
          "isDefault": true
        }
      }
    ]
  }

Tested with Angular 2.4.8

1. Install the Chrome Debugger Extension
2. Create the launch.json
3. Use my launch.json (see below)
4. Start the NG Live Development Server (ng serve)
5. Press F5

launch.json for angular/cli >= 1.0.0-beta.32

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "type": "chrome",
      "request": "launch",
      "name": "Launch Chrome",
      "url": "http://localhost:4200",
      "webRoot": "${workspaceFolder}",
      "sourceMaps": true,
      "userDataDir": "${workspaceFolder}/.vscode/chrome",
      "runtimeArgs": [
        "--disable-session-crashed-bubble"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Attach Chrome",
      "type": "chrome",
      "request": "attach",
      "url": "http://localhost:4200",
      "port": 9222,
      "webRoot": "${workspaceFolder}",
      "sourceMaps": true
    }
  ]
}

launch.json for angular/cli < 1.0.0-beta.32

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "Lunch Chrome",
      "type": "chrome",
      "request": "launch",
      "url": "http://localhost:4200",
      "webRoot": "${workspaceFolder}/src/app",
      "sourceMaps": true,
      "sourceMapPathOverrides": {
        "webpack:///./~/*": "${workspaceFolder}/node_modules/*",
        "webpack:///./src/*": "${workspaceFolder}/src/*"
      },
      "userDataDir": "${workspaceFolder}/.vscode/chrome",
      "runtimeArgs": [
        "--disable-session-crashed-bubble"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Attach Chrome",
      "type": "chrome",
      "request": "attach",
      "url": "http://localhost:4200",
      "port": 9222,
      "webRoot": "${workspaceFolder}/src/app",
      "sourceMaps": true,
      "sourceMapPathOverrides": {
        "webpack:///./~/*": "${workspaceFolder}/node_modules/*",
        "webpack:///./src/*": "${workspaceFolder}/src/*"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Looks like the VS Code team is now storing debugging recipes.

https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode-recipes/tree/master/Angular-CLI

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "Launch Chrome with ng serve",
      "type": "chrome",
      "request": "launch",
      "url": "http://localhost:4200",
      "webRoot": "${workspaceRoot}"
    },
    {
      "name": "Launch Chrome with ng test",
      "type": "chrome",
      "request": "launch",
      "url": "http://localhost:9876/debug.html",
      "webRoot": "${workspaceRoot}"
    },
    {
      "name": "Launch ng e2e",
      "type": "node",
      "request": "launch",
      "program": "${workspaceRoot}/node_modules/protractor/bin/protractor",
      "protocol": "inspector",
      "args": ["${workspaceRoot}/protractor.conf.js"]
    }      
  ]
}

There're two different ways of doing that. You can launch a new process or attach to an existing one.

The key point in both processes is to have webpack dev server and VSCode debugger running at the same time.

Launch a process

1. In your launch.json file add the following configuration:

   {
     "version": "0.2.0",
     "configurations": [
       {
         "name": "Angular debugging session",
         "type": "chrome",
         "request": "launch",
         "url": "http://localhost:4200",
         "webRoot": "${workspaceFolder}"
       }
     ]
   }
   

2. Run Webpack dev server from Angular CLI by executing npm start

3. Go to VSCode debugger and run "Angular debugging session" configuration. As a result, new browser window with your application will be opened.

Attach to an existing process

1. For that you need to run Chrome in the debugger mode with opened port (in my case it will be 9222):

   Mac:

   /Applications/Google\ Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google\ Chrome --remote-debugging-port=9222
   

   Windows:

   chrome.exe --remote-debugging-port=9222
   

2. launch.json file will look in the following way:

   {
     "version": "0.2.0",
     "configurations": [
       {
         "name": "Chrome Attach",
         "type": "chrome",
         "request": "attach",
         "port": 9222,
         "url": "http://localhost:4200/",
         "webRoot": "${workspaceFolder}"
       } 
     ]
   }
   

3. Run Webpack dev server from Angular CLI by executing npm start
4. Select "Chrome Attach” configuration and run it.

In this case, debugger attached to the existing Chrome process instead of launching up a new window.

I wrote my own article, where I described this approach with illustrations.

Simple instruction how to configure debugger for Angular in VSCode

This is explained in detail on the Visual Studio Code site: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/nodejs/angular-tutorial