What problem does it solve?
It helps you diagnose failing Node.js behavior by letting you pause execution with real breakpoints and inspect locals, closures, and call stacks instead of relying only on console.log.
Core Features & Use Cases
- Interactive debugging via node inspect: step in/over/out, set breakpoints by file/line or function name, and evaluate expressions in the paused frame.
- Scriptable debugging via CDP: automate large breakpoint sets and state collection using chrome-remote-interface over the V8 inspector protocol.
- Operate on running processes: attach to already-started Node targets (including dev servers and ZedClaw’s ui-tui) and debug without restarting when possible.
Use it when a unit test fails, the Ink/TUI UI misbehaves, a closure value is undefined, or async control flow “hangs” and you need a precise pause point and call path.
Quick Start
Start your script paused with node --inspect-brk path/to/script.js, then run node inspect -p <pid> and use sb('path/to/file.js', 42) followed by cont to hit your breakpoint.