JetBrains Rider 2018.1 Help

Run/Debug Configuration: Spy-js

Run | Edit Configurations | new | Spy-js


In this dialog box, create configurations for tracing Web applications using the Spy-js tool.

Getting access to the Run/Debug Configuration: Spy-js dialog

  1. Download and install Node.js because it is used by the Spy-js trace server.
  2. Install and enable the Spy-js plugin. The plugin is not bundled with JetBrains Rider, but it can be installed from the JetBrains plugin repository as described in Installing, Updating and Uninstalling Repository Plugins and Enabling and Disabling Plugins.

Spy-js-specific configuration settings

ItemDescription
Node interpreter In this field, specify the Node.js interpreter to use, see Configuring a local Node.js interpreter for details.

With Spy-js, it is recommended to use Node.js version 0.10.24 or higher.

Trace server port In this spin box, specify the port on which Spy-js will act as a proxy server. This port number must be the same as your system proxy port. If the Automatically configure system proxy checkbox is selected, the specified port number is automatically set for the system proxy server. Otherwise you will have to specify the value of the field in the system proxy settings manually.

The trace server port is filled in automatically. To avoid port conflicts, it is recommended that you accept the suggested value and keep the Automatically configure system proxy checkbox selected.

Use In this drop-down list, specify the way to configure a tracing session.
  • To have Spy-js apply its internal predefined configuration, choose Default configuration.
  • To have your custom manually created configuration applied, choose the Configuration file option and then specify the location of your custom configuration file in the Configuration field below.

    A configuration file is a JavaScript file with the extension .js or .conf.js that contains valid JavaScript code that meets the Spy-js configuration requirements. If JetBrains Rider detects files with the extension .conf.js in the project, these files are displayed in the drop-down list.

    Type the path to the configuration file manually or click Browse browseButton and choose the location in the dialog box that opens. Once specified, a configuration file is added to the drop-down list so you can get if next time from the list instead of specifying the path.

URL to trace In this field, specify the URL address of the Web page to capture events on. By default, the field is empty. This means that Spy-js captures events on all the currently opened Web pages. If you want to restrict the tracing to a certain page, specify its URL address. Type the address manually or choose it from the drop-down list, if it has been once specified in the configuration.
Automatically configure system proxy
  • When this checkbox is selected, the system proxy server is activated automatically with the port specified in the Trace server port field.
  • Clear this checkbox to specify proxy settings manually. See how to configure proxy settings manually on Windows, Mac, Ubuntu, iOS, Android, Windows Phone. Please note that some desktop browsers have their own screens for proxy settings configuration.
The checkbox is selected by default, and it is strongly recommended that you accept this setting and have the proxy configured automatically.

Toolbar

ItemShortcutDescription
add Alt+Insert Click this button to add a new configuration to the list.
delete Ctrl+R, D Click this button to remove the selected configuration from the list.
copy icon Ctrl+D Click this button to create a copy of the selected configuration.
settings Edit defaultsClick this button to edit the default configuration templates. The defaults are used for newly created configurations.
arrowUp or arrowDown Alt+Up or Alt+Down Use these buttons to move the selected configuration or folder up and down in the list.

The order of configurations or folders in the list defines the order in which configurations appear in the Run/Debug drop-down list on the main toolbar.

sortAlphabetically Sort configurations Click this button to sort configurations in alphabetical order.

Common options

ItemDescription
NameIn this text box, specify the name of the current run/debug configuration. This field does not appear for the default run/debug configurations.
Defaults This node in the left-hand pane of the dialog box contains the default run/debug configuration settings. Select the desired configuration to change its default settings in the right-hand pane. The defaults are applied to all newly created run/debug configurations.
Share Select this check box to make the run/debug configuration available to other team members.

The shared run/debug configurations are kept in separate xml files under .idea\runConfigurations folder, while the local run/debug configurations are kept in the .idea\workspace.xml.

This check box is not available when editing the run/debug configuration defaults.

Single instance onlyIf this check box is selected, this run/debug configuration cannot be launched more than once.

Every time a new run/debug configuration is launched, JetBrains Rider checks the presence of the other instances of the same run/debug configuration, and displays a confirmation dialog box. If you click OK in the confirmation dialog box, the first instance of the runner will be stopped, and the next one will take its place.

This makes sense when the usage of certain resources can cause conflicts, or when launching two run/debug configurations of the same type consumes too much of the CPU and memory resources.

If this check box is not selected, it is possible to launch as many instances of the runner as required. So doing, each runner will start in its own tab of the Run tool window.

Before launchSpecify which tasks must be performed before applying the run/debug configuration. The specified tasks are performed in the order they appear in the list.
ItemKeyboard shortcutDescription
add Ctrl+N Click this icon to add a task to the list. Select the task to be added:
  • Run External tool. Select this option to run an application which is external to JetBrains Rider. In the dialog that opens, select the application or applications that should be run. If the necessary application is not defined in JetBrains Rider yet, add its definition.
  • Run Another Configuration. Select this option to have another run/debug configuration executed. In the dialog that opens, select the configuration to run.

    This option is available only if you have already at least one run/debug configuration in the current project.

  • Run File Watchers. Select this option to have JetBrains Rider apply all the currently active file watchers.
  • Run Grunt task. Select this option to run a Grunt task. In the Grunt task dialog box that opens, specify the Gruntfile.js where the required task is defined, select the task to execute, and specify the arguments to pass to the Grunt tool.

    Specify the location of the Node.js interpreter, the parameters to pass to it, and the path to the grunt-cli package.

  • Run Gulp task. Select this option to run a Grunt task. In the Gulp task dialog box that opens, specify the Gulpfile.js where the required task is defined, select the task to execute, and specify the arguments to pass to the Gulp tool.

    Specify the location of the Node.js interpreter, the parameters to pass to it, and the path to the gulp package.

  • Run npm Script. Select this option to execute an npm script. In the NPM Script dialog box that opens, specify the npm run/debug configuration settings.
  • Start React Native Bundler. Select this option to run the bundler automatically, as part of a running or debugging session. by default, this is done through react-native start. If your application uses Expo, you need to run the development server via the start npm task. To do that, click edit, then in the Configure React Native dialog, choose npm script and select start from the list.
  • Compile TypeScript. Select this option to run the built-in TypeScript compiler and thus make sure that all the changes you made to your TypeScript code are reflected in the generated JavaScript files. In the TypeScript Compile Settings dialog that opens, select or clear the Check errors checkbox to configure the behaviour of the compiler in case any errors are detected:
    • If the Check errors checkbox is selected, the compiler will show all the errors and the run configuration will not start.
    • If the Check errors checkbox is cleared, the compiler will show all the detected errors but the run configuration still will be launched.
  • Generate CoffeeScript Source Maps. Select this option to have the source maps for your CoffeeScript sources generated. In the dialog that opens, specify where your CoffeeScript source files are located.
  • Upload files to Remote Host. Select this option to have the application files automatically uploaded to the server according to the default server access configuration.
delete Ctrl+R, D Click this icon to remove the selected task from the list.
edit1 Enter Click this icon to edit the selected task. Make the necessary changes in the dialog that opens.
arrowUp Alt+Up Click this icon to move the selected task one line up in the list.
arrowDown Alt+Down Click this icon to move the selected task one line down in the list.
Show this page Select this check box to have the run/debug configuration settings shown prior to actually starting the run/debug configuration.
Activate tool windowSelect this option if you want the Run/Debug tool windows to be activated automatically when you run/debug your application. This option is enabled by default.
Last modified: 20 August 2018

See Also

Procedures: