# Debug main.js of node-red-dashboard in vscode: vendor folder in src is missing

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-main-js-of-node-red-dashboard-in-vscode-vendor-folder-in-src-is-missing/77886>\
**Category:** Dashboard\
**Tags:** node-red-dashboard\
**Created:** [24 April 2023 15:21 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-main-js-of-node-red-dashboard-in-vscode-vendor-folder-in-src-is-missing/77886 "2023-04-24T15:21:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mannheim68199](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/mannheim68199/32/79210_2.png) [@Mannheim68199](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Mannheim68199)\
**Post date:** [24 April 2023 15:21 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-main-js-of-node-red-dashboard-in-vscode-vendor-folder-in-src-is-missing/77886/1 "2023-04-24T15:21:58Z")

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I am trying to enhance the dialog node in node-red-dashboard.  
Therefore I have changed locally the main.js file under node-red-dashboard/src.  
Now I want to debug the file in vscode. Therefore I installed  
-\> node-red  
-\> node-red-dashboard  
in node-red/.node-red folder and removed the node-red-dashboard/dist folder as mentioned in  
Developers section under: [https://github.com/node-red/node-red-dashboard/README.md](https://github.com/node-red/node-red-dashboard/README.md)  
My assumption is, that instead of using the index.html file in dist folder, the index.html file in folder src is used. But there are several references to a "vendor" folder under src, that does not exist.  
Where or how do I get the vendor folder to start the debugging of src/main.js?

BR, Reimund

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**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [24 April 2023 16:20 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-main-js-of-node-red-dashboard-in-vscode-vendor-folder-in-src-is-missing/77886/2 "2023-04-24T16:20:46Z")

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Hi.

The way I do this is...

1. Install node-red
2. Clone dashboard locally
3. `npm i /path/to/dashboard`
4. run code in VSCode for debugging following [this thread](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-proper-debug-custom-node/9308/13)
  1. For server side code, add debug stop points
  2. For client side code, add `debugger` statements (or console.log statements) and look for them in the browsers console

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**Author:** ![Mannheim68199](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/mannheim68199/32/79210_2.png) [@Mannheim68199](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Mannheim68199)\
**Post date:** [24 April 2023 16:45 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-main-js-of-node-red-dashboard-in-vscode-vendor-folder-in-src-is-missing/77886/3 "2023-04-24T16:45:27Z")

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Hi Steve,

Thank you for your answer. This is exactly what I try for several hours now - with different variations on where to install the node-red-dashboard and my own node:  
in .node-red directly or under nod-red folder or in separate folders not under .node-red. But whenever I do this, the application is alway running on app.min.js. Therefore I have at least removed the dist folder, but now I'm facing the issue with the references to the missing vendor folder under node-red-dashboard/src. I have sucessfully debugged my application, but only with app.min.js - when I rebuild it with gulp, but I want to debug the main.js file. Is this also possible?  
Sure, I can use the app.min.js version, but the original files will be better to debug.

BR, Reimund

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mannheim68199](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/mannheim68199/32/79210_2.png) [@Mannheim68199](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Mannheim68199)\
**Post date:** [26 April 2023 15:21 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-main-js-of-node-red-dashboard-in-vscode-vendor-folder-in-src-is-missing/77886/4 "2023-04-26T15:21:05Z")

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Once again my question:

Is there any way to debug the original **main.js** and not just the **app.min.js** file of **node-red-dashboard**  
I followed the steps mentioned and **I can debug frontend and backend** coding very well, but ....

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [26 May 2023 15:21 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/debug-main-js-of-node-red-dashboard-in-vscode-vendor-folder-in-src-is-missing/77886/5 "2023-05-26T15:21:18Z")

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