#ruby-debug-web-ide A prototype app for debugging Ruby scripts in Web IDEs.

How it works

Screencast (try hi-res + full-screen)

1. User starts the server e.g. node socket-server.js.
2. Visits http://localhost:8888/.
3. Page loads and front.js opens one websocket to the server and gets the list of Ruby script available at public/ruby.
4. User selects a script from the drop-down, front.js loads it in the editor (Ace).
5. User enters line for breakpoint and presses the DEBUG button.
6. node socket-server.js
   • Spawns the debugger on a different process,
   • Sets the break point,
   • Inspects local variables,
   • Sends the data back to the client over the Websocket,
   • Terminates debugger process.
7. front.js renders data in a table.

Known issues

This is just a proof-of-concept and has several issues like racing-conditions, poor scalability, garbage-processes, etc. etc.

Notes about ruby-debugger-ide

• As far as I know it was used in NetBeans and RubyMine
• Now primaraly supported by the IntelliJ team (RubyMine)

Tested configuration

• Node.js v0.5.0-pre
  • Socket.io 0.7.7
  • Express 2.4.3
  • libxmljs 0.4.2
• Ruby 1.8.7
  • ruby-debug 0.10.4
  • ruby-debug-base 0.10.4
  • ruby-debug-ide 0.4.16
• Google Chrome 14 beta
  • jQuery 1.6.2
  • Underscore.js 1.1.7
• Mac OS X 10.6.8

Credits

• Werner Schuster, for bringing rdebug-ide to my attention.
• Martin Krauskopf, rdebug-ide committer for his tip.