Debugging PowerShell Scripts in Visual Studio Code

In this video, I show how to use the PowerShell Extension for Visual Studio Code to debug PowerShell scripts. We'll look at how to run scripts, set breakpoints and view variables during debugging. We'll also go through the various ways to step through scripts and evaluate variables and expressions with the watch window. Next, we'll learn about advanced breakpoints and how to configure launch.json to configure how to launch scripts.

[@conorpodonoghue]

Excellent tutorial - many thanks for posting.

[@gerardoverrone4902]

Amazing! First hit on the search on how to debug PS in VsCode and the complete and perfect explanation comes up! You even cover advance topics! Super Helpful!! Cheers

[@Our1stPlanet]

Excellent, this is how all videos should be.

[@servercare]

I thought I knew how to use the debugger, you still taught me some new tricks! thanks!

[@AdamDriscoll]

Cool! Glad you learned something!

[@TheMadMagician87]

Very helpful, thanks for sharing this. I hadn't looked into debugging since doing it on the CLI. This is way better!

[@NickRoman]

That's really awesome that there's a way to debug in a job process, especially with the Pro Tools GUI element. Having those kinds of tools is so essential to anyone doing any significant script writing. I know that Powershell has cmdlets for break-points, but figuring out how to use those and remember it is so much harder than just using a GUI element that's right there to click on.

[@brianclark3737]

Great Video Adam. Once question, is how can I run a selection in the debugger, without running the whole script?

[@karlstenator]

This was an excellent Debug tutorial for Powershell in VS Code - thanks for sharing! May I ask, is there any use for the "DEBUG CONSOLE"? When my code hits a breakpoint, the DEBUG CONSOLE allows me to enter a query, but it more or less just echo's what I type - nothing more or less... Is there any actual function to the DEBUG CONSOLE?

[@idanmashta]

when i run a script with a breakpoint in VS code it doesn't enter a [DBG] mode in terminal, tried to change to 'continue', 'Break' still the same, how can i get the script to stop when it reach a breakpoint? thanks

[@lubeda04]

Can you make a video on how to debug powershell universal dashboards?

[@silversword411]

How can you run the script debugging in the SYSTEM context?

[@Bruhfinally]

run and f5 pops open the debugger even without breakpoints for me. how do i disable that behavior?

[@AdamDriscoll]

I think you can use Ctrl+F5 to avoid invoking the debugger.