Debugging Perl with Visual Studio Code

Question

I have just started with Perl today and installed ActivePerl 5.24.1 and everything went well. I was able to create my test program testPerl.pl with simple a print command and run it through console.

Now I wanted to use Visual Studio Code to run my Perl script, and so I opened the project folder [testPerl.pl location] with Visual Studio Code and tried to debug the code. I have installed the Perl-Debug extension in the editor and when I hit F5, Visual Studio Code asked me to Select Environment and I chose the Perl Debug option, which actually created the launch.json file for me with the below contents.

{
    "version": "0.0.2",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "type": "perl",
            "request": "launch",
            "exec": "perl",
            "name": "Perl-Debug",
            "root": "${workspaceRoot}/",
            "program": "${workspaceRoot}/${command.AskForProgramName}",
            "inc": [],
            "stopOnEntry": true
        }
    ]
}

I have kept default values as it, and when I hit F5 again, it asked me for a command with default value test.pl. It is because of ${command.AskForProgramName}, I assume. I entered my file name testPerl.pl in the command, but then nothing happens. It starts and ends without any print in console.

How can I actually configure this launch.json file or is there another way I need to do this?

Korikorie

In this doc it says Please note that the attributes available in these launch configurations vary from debugger to debugger. You can use IntelliSense to find out which attributes exist for a specific debugger. – Sleek

@Sleek Agreed, and it is as expected and creates its own auto-generated launch.json file and according to its auto generated file, it is as similar as what we execute in command line.. – Korikorie

Unfortunately I don't have access to a Windows box where I am allowed to install an ActivePerl so I cannot try. It certainly looks right. Is there some way to get what it's doing into the log panel of your VSCode? – Sleek

I wish I could give you the details if it gets logged but unfortunately nothing logs in the Editor.. – Korikorie

Answer 1

I tried with a newer version of the plugin: Perl Debug version 0.2.0.

This works out of the box. The proposed configuration looks as follows:

{
    // Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes.
    // Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes.
    // For more information, visit: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=830387
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "type": "perl",
            "request": "launch",
            "name": "Perl-Debug local",
            "program": "${workspaceFolder}/${relativeFile}",
            "exec": "perl",
            "execArgs": [],
            "root": "${workspaceRoot}/",
            "inc": [],
            "args": [],
            "env": {},
            "stopOnEntry": true
        },
        {
            "type": "perl",
            "request": "launch",
            "name": "Perl-Debug remote",
            "program": "${workspaceFolder}/${relativeFile}",
            "root": "${workspaceRoot}/",
            "stopOnEntry": true,
            "port": 5000
        }
    ]
}

Do note I tried this out on a Mac, with Visual Studio Code version 1.24.0.

Haeres

For what is the Per-Debug remote? – Montgolfier

The link to Perl Debug Plugin is not valid anymore! – Commeasure

Answer 2

I ran Visual Studio Code on a Mac and changed

"program": "${workspaceRoot}/${command.AskForProgramName}"

to

"program": "${file}"

to get the current file to debug.

Juncture

Answer 3

"inc":['some/path'] doesn’t work for me but I successfully tried to specify paths in .vscode/settings.json:

{
  "perl.perlInc": ["."]
}

See https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=richterger.perl

Fillmore

Answer 4

Please install perl debug adapter from the market place and launch.json should look something like below {

"version": "0.2.0",
"configurations": [
    {
        "type": "perl",
        "request": "launch",
        "name": "Perl-Debug",
        "program": "${workspaceFolder}/${relativeFile}",
        "stopOnEntry": true,
        "reloadModules": true
    }
]

Chesser