Debugging Node.js With Chrome DevTools

During my first couple of months learning to code in JavaScript, I worked almost exclusively in the browser. I had become accustomed to having easy access to Chrome’s DevTools for all sorts of troubleshooting and debugging. Once we started working with the back-end and started using Node.js I felt like an integral part of my workflow had been stolen from me. Fortunately for me, a quick web search provided exactly the solution I wanted; instructions on how to connect Chrome’s DevTools to Node.js for debugging.

As a TA at Hack Reactor, I realized that most students never discover they can use a debugger with Node, and many students are intimidated by the huge assortment of tools that Chrome’s debugger puts at their fingertips. Since I found the debugger to be a critical tool to my success at Hack Reactor, I wanted to expose more students to the power of the debugger. This workshop walks through the process of connecting the DevTools to Node (which is not the most intuitive process) as well as some basics on using the debugger.

You can follow along and try out the exercises by downloading the accompanying repo from GitHub.