How to use Visual Studio Code to debug ReactJS application

 In a Visual Studio Code (VS Code) environment, launch.json is part of the configuration for debugging. This file does not get automatically created when you set up a new React project or when you open an existing project in VS Code. Instead, you need to set up the debug configuration yourself if you want to use the debugging features of VS Code with your React application. Here's why your React project might not include a launch.json file and how you can add it:

Why launch.json Might Not Be Present:

Not Created by Default: React projects, created using tools like create-react-app, don't include a launch.json file in their setup. This file is specific to the VS Code editor and not to React itself.

Project Setup: If the project was not initially set up in VS Code or if it was set up without debugging configurations, the launch.json file would not be present.

Not Required for Basic Operation: For standard development tasks like writing code, running, and building the app, launch.json is not required. It's only needed if you want to use VS Code's debugger.

Creating a launch.json File:

If you want to add a launch.json file to enable debugging in your React project in VS Code, follow these steps:

Open Your Project in VS Code.

Go to the Debug View: You can click on the Debug icon in the Activity Bar on the side of the window.

Create a Debug Configuration: Click on the "create a launch.json file" link or the gear icon at the top of the Debug Sidebar and then select "Chrome" or "Edge" depending on your preferred browser for debugging.

Customize the Configuration: VS Code will generate a basic launch.json file that you can customize according to your project's needs. For React projects, the configuration is usually set to launch the app in a browser with source map support for debugging.

Save the File: Once you've set up your configurations, save the launch.json file. It should be located in the .vscode folder in your project directory.

{

  "version": "0.2.0",

  "configurations": [

    {

      "name": "Launch Chrome against localhost",

      "type": "chrome",

      "request": "launch",

      "url": "http://localhost:3000",

      "webRoot": "${workspaceFolder}/src"

    }

  ]

}

This configuration assumes you are running your React app on localhost:3000 and want to debug using Chrome. Adjust the settings as necessary for your setup.

After setting this up, you can start debugging by selecting the configuration you created from the Debugging panel and clicking on the green play button.

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