Using JetBrains Chrome Extension
The JetBrains Chrome extension is mainly responsible for debugging JavaScript in Chrome and Dartium. During a debugging session, the extension also supports Live Editing of HTML, CSS, and other code that contains or produces JavaScript, and provides actual HTML DOM and dynamically updated source code of the actual page.
With the JetBrains Chrome extension, you can run several debugging sessions controlled by several IDEs and switch between them by changing the port which the extension listens to. And finally, the extension provides the possibility to override default CORS (Access-Control_Allow_Origin) settings and access local scripts on your machine that are by default protected.
On this page:
- Installing the JetBrains Chrome extension
- Enabling, disabling, and removing the JetBrains Chrome extension
- Overriding the default CORS settings
- Changing the port for connecting to WebStorm
Installing the JetBrains Chrome extension
You can install the extension during the first debugging session with Chrome or Dartium or at any time by visiting the Chrome Web Store.
-
Do one of the following:
- At any time open the Chrome Web Store at https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/jetbrains-ide-support/hmhgeddbohgjknpmjagkdomcpobmllji.
-
Start a JavaScript debugging session: create a run configuration with Chrome as the debugging browser, and click the Debug button
on the toolbar.
For details, see Debugging JavaScript.
WebStorm informs you that it is waiting for connection with the JetBrains IDE Support extension and shows the following message in the Debug tool window:
Click the JetBrains IDE Support extension link which brings you to the Chrome Web Store.
In either case the JetBrains IDE Support page opens where you can learn more about the extension.
-
Click the Add to Chrome button
.
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In the Confirm New Extension dialog box that opens, click Add.
The Add to Chrome button changes to Added to Chrome
.
When the extension is installed, the 
icon is displayed next to the Chrome address bar.
Enabling, disabling, and removing the JetBrains Chrome extension
Control over the JetBrains Chrome extension is provided through the chrome://extensions/ page.
-
To open the chrome://extensions/ page, click the Customize and control Chromium button
next to the address bar,
then choose Tools | Extensions on the context menu.
- To deactivate the extension, clear the Enabled check box. The check box name changes to Enable.
- To activate the extension, select the Enable check box.
-
To uninstall the extension, click the Remove from Chromium button
.
Overriding the default CORS settings
Suppose the page you are debugging requests a resource which is protected against access for security reasons through CORS settings. See more about CORS at https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/HTTP/Access_control_CORS.
You can enable access to the resources protected by default by changing the Chrome extension options.
-
Right-click the icon and choose Options on the context menu.
A web page with Chrome extension options opens showing the parameters to connect to WebStorm.
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In the Force CORS text box, type the pattern that defines the URL addresses you want to make accessible, for example:
http://youtrack.jetbrains.com/rest/*.
Changing the port for connecting to WebStorm
During a debugging session, the Chrome extension listens to the port of the software product from which the extension was invoked. Each software product including WebStorm has its own default port on which it starts by default.
If for some reason the default WebStorm port is already busy, WebStorm finds the closest available port and starts on it.
This results in a conflict: WebStorm is running on a "new" port while the Chrome extension still listens to the port
of a previously started product and fails to establish connection with WebStorm.
The conflict reveals when you initiate a debugging session from WebStorm: the extension fails to connect through the default port,
WebStorm waits for connection from the extension and displays the following message with the port number where it is actually running:
To fix the problem, specify the actual WebStorm port in the Chrome extension options.