Debugging In Vim (opens in new tab)

(zschoche.org)

56 pointszschoche12y ago16 comments

16 comments

I have also had a great time using `ddd` which is a lovely front-end for GDB. It's memory visualizer has helped me tremendously when learning complicated data structures.

cel12y ago

Similarly, debug JS in Vim (also using the netbeans protocol):

node-vim-debugger https://github.com/sidorares/node-vim-debugger

presentation: http://andreysidorov.com/presentations/melbjs/0913/

lightblade12y ago

Is this ready yet? I can't seem to find the node-vim-inspector.

cel12y ago

Looks like the npm package is out of date. Try cloning the source repo and running ./bin/node-vim-inspector.js

ktf12y ago

I highly recommend vdebug (https://github.com/joonty/vdebug) if you're looking for a great Vim interface to DBGP debuggers (for PHP, Python, Ruby, Perl, Node, etc.). Really nice, especially compared to the countless half-broken and out-of-date Vim/DBGP plugins that are scattered around vim.org and github.

puller12y ago

Maybe this is great for PHP, where DBGP is the standard, but...

I tried this for Python and was greatly put off by the need to download an obscure debugger tarball from ActiveState with some weird license on it, then (according to the vdebug documentation) run a very long command line by hand passing the name of the script every time I want to debug something.

If I am going to trouble myself with that, it's hard to understand why I don't just run a standard standalone debugger which works in the expected way, from the command line. I definitely don't see how it reproduces the experience of (say) pressing a debug button in Visual Studio or Xcode.

ktf12y ago

Yeah, I guess I should have qualified the above by saying that I've only used it with PHP/xdebug (so far).

Still, if you're trapped in the DBGP world for whatever reason, vdebug is miles better than any competition that I've found.

CraigJPerry12y ago

The site appears to be down for now but i got to the content via fullhn.com (there doesn't appear to be a permalink i can list for there, it's currently fullhn.com/#article-5)

Blinkky12y ago

Have a look at cgdb, it's gdb with a UI modeled after vim.

http://cgdb.github.io/

DiabloD312y ago

I don't get why you'd want a debugger in Vim when you could just use tmux to get what you want in a cleaner way.

JoshTriplett12y ago

I'd like to single-step through the code displayed in a vim editor window, with all the power of vim to navigate it, plus commands to single-step, watch variables, set breakpoints, etc. tmux or screen can't give me that, nor can gdb -tui.

jmcdowell12y ago

I was looking for the same thing, ended up using ddd, has watches, breakpoints etc. If you've found a better solution than that though feel free to let me know.

1 more reply

tareqak12y ago

One feature I can think of jumping to line numbers which come from make or compiler errors.

chongli12y ago

Vim has that with its quickfix window.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

16 comments

jamesmiller512y ago

I have also had a great time using `ddd` which is a lovely front-end for GDB. It's memory visualizer has helped me tremendously when learning complicated data structures.

cel12y ago

Similarly, debug JS in Vim (also using the netbeans protocol):

node-vim-debugger https://github.com/sidorares/node-vim-debugger

presentation: http://andreysidorov.com/presentations/melbjs/0913/

lightblade12y ago

Is this ready yet? I can't seem to find the node-vim-inspector.

cel12y ago

Looks like the npm package is out of date. Try cloning the source repo and running ./bin/node-vim-inspector.js

ktf12y ago

puller12y ago

Maybe this is great for PHP, where DBGP is the standard, but...

ktf12y ago

Yeah, I guess I should have qualified the above by saying that I've only used it with PHP/xdebug (so far).

Still, if you're trapped in the DBGP world for whatever reason, vdebug is miles better than any competition that I've found.

CraigJPerry12y ago

The site appears to be down for now but i got to the content via fullhn.com (there doesn't appear to be a permalink i can list for there, it's currently fullhn.com/#article-5)

Blinkky12y ago

Have a look at cgdb, it's gdb with a UI modeled after vim.

http://cgdb.github.io/

DiabloD312y ago

I don't get why you'd want a debugger in Vim when you could just use tmux to get what you want in a cleaner way.

JoshTriplett12y ago

jmcdowell12y ago

I was looking for the same thing, ended up using ddd, has watches, breakpoints etc. If you've found a better solution than that though feel free to let me know.

1 more reply

tareqak12y ago

One feature I can think of jumping to line numbers which come from make or compiler errors.

chongli12y ago

Vim has that with its quickfix window.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse