NodeJS - a step-by-step debugger for NodeJS
How about this?
You can try to test for Nodeclipse version 0.2.0 beta.
http://www.tomotaro1065.com/nodeclipse/
It will help you to debug node apps easily.
GENERATING OF EXPRESS PROJECT
Select the [File]-[New]-[Project] menu. Select [Node]-[Express Project], and push [Next] button. Enter [Project name], and push [Finish] button.
DEBUGGING
Open the JavaScript source files that you want to set breakpoints. Double-click on the ruler at the left end of the line you want to set a breakpoint. If you want to remove a breakpoint, double-click on the ruler again. Select the main source file of Node Application on the Project Explorer, open the context menu by right-clicking, select the [Debug As]-[Node Application] menu.
Basically, Node.js is built on top of V8, so its debugging capabilities are also built on top of V8's debugging capabilities.
V8 has an included debugger which can be accessed via TCP on port 5858.
So basically all you need is a frontend which is able to connect to port 5858 and talk V8's debugging protocol.
One option is to use node-inspector which basically provides a debugging UI in your browser. Unfortunately, it does only work with Google Chrome and Apple Safari (which for me is no problem, but there may be others ;-)).
Another option is to use a plugin for Eclipse.
And, last but not least, the built-in debugger of Node.js (which always reminds me of MS-DOS's edlin
) is also just a front-end for this TCP debugger, just a built-in one.
And of course, there are much more options ... these three were just the first three ones that came to my mind ;-)