Using Visual Studio 2017 to develop and debug Electron Node js - Debugger attaches but incorrect application window

Question

Visual Studio community 2017 version 15.9.5 Node JS Version: 10.11.0 Chrome Version: 69.0.3497.106 Electron Version: 4.0.1

Using the modifications to the vs project properties as described here:

https://stackoverflow.com/a/46658784/2388129

as well as here

https://stackoverflow.com/a/35985306/2388129

I am able to attach to the VS debugger and hit breakpoints.

However, the Electron app window doesn't initialize properly. I can only get the app to run properly via node.js interactive window by executing .npm start.

When running under debug config and pressing F5 or Start in VS I get a console window, then I go and attach the debugger. Breakpoints hit, but the Electron app window looks like this:

The project's njsproj file contents are:

<Project DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" ToolsVersion="4.0">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <VisualStudioVersion Condition="'$(VisualStudioVersion)' == ''">14.0</VisualStudioVersion>
    <VSToolsPath Condition="'$(VSToolsPath)' == ''">$(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v$(VisualStudioVersion)</VSToolsPath>
    <Name>GitMon</Name>
    <RootNamespace>GitMon</RootNamespace>
    <SaveNodeJsSettingsInProjectFile>True</SaveNodeJsSettingsInProjectFile>
    <NodeExePath>D:\@Documents\My Open Source Repos\GitMon\node_modules\electron\dist\electron.exe</NodeExePath>
    <NodeExeArguments>main.js</NodeExeArguments>
    <JavaScriptTestFramework>ExportRunner</JavaScriptTestFramework>
    <ScriptArguments>--inspect-brk</ScriptArguments>
    <DebuggerPort>5858</DebuggerPort>
    <NodejsPort>
    </NodejsPort>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props" Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props')" />
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == '' ">Debug</Configuration>
    <SchemaVersion>2.0</SchemaVersion>
    <ProjectGuid>0e3d7742-5973-41e0-8411-97f609c13491</ProjectGuid>
    <ProjectHome>.</ProjectHome>
    <StartupFile>main.js</StartupFile>
    <StartWebBrowser>False</StartWebBrowser>
    <SearchPath>
    </SearchPath>
    <WorkingDirectory>.</WorkingDirectory>
    <OutputPath>.</OutputPath>
    <TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.0</TargetFrameworkVersion>
    <ProjectTypeGuids>{3AF33F2E-1136-4D97-BBB7-1795711AC8B8};{9092AA53-FB77-4645-B42D-1CCCA6BD08BD}</ProjectTypeGuids>
    <StartWebBrowser>True</StartWebBrowser>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == 'Debug' ">
    <DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == 'Release' ">
    <DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Include="main.js" />
    <Compile Include="renderer\badgeHandler.js" />
    <Compile Include="renderer\directoryPickerCaller.js" />
    <Compile Include="renderer\externalLinkHandler.js" />
    <Compile Include="renderer\gitStatusResultDOMHandler.js" />
    <Compile Include="renderer\mainDivSizeHandler.js" />
    <Compile Include="renderer\preloader.js" />
    <Compile Include="renderer\sidenav.js" />
    <Compile Include="renderer\titlebar.js" />
    <Compile Include="renderer\zoomHandler.js" />
    <Compile Include="renderer\_requires.js" />
    <Compile Include="store.js">
      <SubType>Code</SubType>
    </Compile>
    <Content Include="css\colors.css" />
    <Content Include="css\content.css" />
    <Content Include="css\preloader.css" />
    <Content Include="css\scrollbar.css" />
    <Content Include="css\sidenav.css" />
    <Content Include="css\titlebar.css" />
    <Content Include="index.html">
      <SubType>Code</SubType>
    </Content>
    <Content Include="package.json" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Folder Include="css\" />
    <Folder Include="renderer\" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <!-- Do not delete the following Import Project.  While this appears to do nothing it is a marker for setting TypeScript properties before our import that depends on them. -->
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v$(VisualStudioVersion)\TypeScript\Microsoft.TypeScript.targets" Condition="False" />
  <Import Project="$(VSToolsPath)\Node.js Tools\Microsoft.NodejsTools.targets" />
</Project>

I appreciate the assistance!

Answer 1

try this

in your main.js

replace this line:

mainWindow.loadFile(`index.html`);

with this

mainWindow.loadURL(`file://${__dirname}/index.html`);

ref:https://www.ryadel.com/en/visual-studio-2017-setup-electron-project-run-hello-world-sample-vs2017-template-quick-start/