How to consume Debug Adapter / debugServerMain.ts outside of VSCode?

[mickaelistria]

I'm willing to replace the usage of node-debug & node-debug2 modules in Eclipse Wild Web Developer by the newer js-debug module.
However, I didn't find out how to actually start the debug adapter. For node-debug, I could "extract" the module from VSCode, import it in Wild Web Developer and then run node node-debug2/out/src/nodeDebug.js to start the debug adapter and talk DAP with it; but with js-debug, I don't know what would be a similar entry point. I tried node ms-vscode.js-debug/src/extension.js but this requires VSCode running apparently. I found the very interesting debugServerMain.ts class but don't find it in the final distribution in VSCode.
Is there another command I should try? Or is the debugServerMain just removed in the distribution (so I should build vscode-js-debug myself) ?

[connor4312]

This thread should provide you some pointers: #902

Also related (to making it easier to consume) microsoft/vscode#116730

[mickaelistria]

Thanks.
So do I get it right that currently, the vscode-js-debug adapter needs to be built locally in order to be used out of VSCode? There is no "ready-to-go" distribution? (cc @pretentious7)

[connor4312]

That's right. What would your ideal 'ready to go' distribution look like? An npm package?

[mickaelistria]

Yes, a npm package would be great.

[pretentious7]

That's right. What would your ideal 'ready to go' distribution look like? An npm package?

Yes please, this would be ideal, linking to within .vscode after a bunch of confusing steps is not great.

Indeed, better docs and a more straightforward way to go about consuming it outside would be nice (like, straightforward run file -> input json thing in STDIO -> debugger response in STDOUT).I don't think it's really reasonable to expect editor devs to read and understand the structure of the dap adapter in order to correctly use it.

Of course I understand that the primary point of the exercise for you guys is to support vs-code's capabilities, but the more users the better, right? :)

[mickaelistria]

About going to npm.js, although it would be awesome, it IMO has to be done properly (defining upstream and downstream dependency relationships, with LS being as downstream as possible). If not done properly, the module may face same issue as microsoft/vscode#117013 and can become too easily out-of-date and less useful than expected.

[connor4312]

js-debug is pretty standalone and ships (in an extension) as a set of standalone webpacked js files

[mickaelistria]

Any news here? Is there a standalone npm package for the debug adapter? If not, any ETA? Thanks in advance!

[zulus]

I found interesting task in gulp: dapDebugServer

Is this possible to release package for example @vscode/js-debug-dap-server, same for flatSessionBundle and/or vsDebugServerBundle ?

[connor4312]

Forgot to duplicate this into #1388

We now publish a compliant pure-DAP server that works for clients that support the startDebugging request. This is in the assets in each release on Github as js-debug-dap-<version>.tar.gz https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-js-debug/releases

[mickaelistria]

Thank you very much for pointing to this assert @connor4312 , it's exactly what was needed and I'm happy to report we're already successfully adopting it for Eclipse Wild Web Developer as a replacement to node-debug2!