Step Into for Generator Function triggers Continue

[cefn]

• Version: v12.4.0
• Platform: Linux cefn-bionic-thinkpad 4.15.0-50-generic npm install is unbelievably slow, fails in certain environments #54-Ubuntu SMP Mon May 6 18:46:08 UTC 2019 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
• Subsystem: Debugger protocol

When debugging, trying to STEP-IN to a generator function call causes the debugger session to CONTINUE.

This is inconsistent when...

• STEP-IN on a regular function call triggers STEP-IN (steps to first line in the called function)
• STEP-IN on a NON-function-call triggers STEP-OVER (steps to next line in the current function)
• STEP-IN on a NON-function-call at the end of a function triggers STEP-OUT (steps to a line following the original function-call)

The above three seem to me to be correct behaviour, consistent with using STEP-IN as a shortcut for go-to-the-next-line-of-code.

This inconsistency is a particular problem because it is impossible to judge from the interactive debugger session whether the apparent function call you are stepping into is a generator or a regular function. Therefore you might try to STEP-IN, then find that the debugger has chosen to CONTINUE because it was a generator call, making that stack call in the debugger session unrecoverable unless you had another breakpoint to catch it. The only workaround is to have a 100% accurate model of which calls are generators and Never call STEP-IN on a generator call.

Taking the below example, assuming just two manually-inserted Debugger breakpoints.

• One at run()
• One at: console.log("Finished script"). This is jumped to if you hit CONTINUE at any time.

Pressing the STEP-IN control in Chrome Inspector or VSCode ...

• STEP-IN on run() triggers STEP-IN
• STEP-IN on const nothing = makeNothing() triggers STEP-IN
• STEP-IN on functionRunning = makeNothing.name triggers STEP-OVER
• STEP-IN on return triggers STEP-OUT
• STEP-IN on const sequence = makeSequence(5) then surprisingly triggers CONTINUE - jumping to the next manually-inserted breakpoint at console.log("Finished script") instead of the expected behaviour - stepping over to the line console.log("Arbitrary logging")

let lastFunctionName = null

function makeNothing() {
  lastFunctionName = makeNothing.name
  return
}

function* makeSequence(limit) {
  lastFunctionName = makeSequence.name
  for (let i = 0; i < limit; i++) {
    yield i
  }
}

function run() {
  const nothing = makeNothing()
  const sequence = makeSequence(5)
  console.log("Arbitrary logging")
}

console.log("Starting script")
run()
console.log("X")
console.log("X")
console.log("X")
console.log("Finished script")