# JavaScript Debugger

The JavaScript debugger operates much like any other debugger in Eclipse, such as the Java Debugger in the JDT. It shares many of the same UI concepts (views, gestures) provided by the base Eclipse platform. Currently, features in the debugger are limited to breakpoints, stepping, and call stack and variable inspection. Other features will follow.

To begin a debug session, right click on an application file (.html, .jsp, etc.) and choose "Debug in Mozilla" to create a launch configuration. Alternatively, you may use the Debug... menus. Debug targets are associated with a Mozilla browser launched by a debug launch configuration. There is only one thread per browser running JavaScript. The thread will suspend at breakpoints and optionally on exceptions. When suspended, the JavaScript call stack will be shown in the Debug View in the Debug Perspective. Selecting a stack frame will result in the corresponding source code being displayed. If it is possible to map this stack frame to script in the associated Project in your Workbench, an editor will open on that file, positioned at the corresponding line of script. If not, the source code will appear, as downloaded from the web, read-only. Modifications made to script or HTML in the editor during a debug session will not be reflected in the application until it is redeployed and run in a new session.

Technical background: The current implementation of the debugger uses the jsd debugging APIs in the Mozilla platform -- the same APIs that are used to implement Mozilla's Venkman, a XUL-based GUI debugger. An XPCOM to Java bridge is used to reflect these APIs into Java where it is associated with the Eclipse Debugger plugins and extension points.

Related concepts
JavaScript Debugger Demo

(C) Copyright IBM Corporation 2006. All Rights Reserved.
IBM is a registered trademark of IBM. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.