I’m new to Electron, and trying to help maintain an application whose developer has left. The resources/app folder consists of (at least) three things:
- The
app/lib/bundle.js, which contains the entire application, bundled and minified. This is what the app seems to actually run. - Node modules for all the code written by the developer. These are in TypeScript, and are in the structure
node_modules/@mainmodule/submodule/src/.../something.ts. Each of these also has anode_modules/@mainmodule/submodule/package.jsonandnode_modules/@mainmodule/submodule/tsconfig.json - Finally, for each of these, a corresponding lib folder:
node_modules/@mainmodule/submodule/src/.../something.js. The lib folder has Javascript corresponding to each of the TypeScript, as well asmapfiles showing how they correspond. It is these Javascript files that are minified and included in the bundle, which is actually run.
The source TypeScript is relatively clear and I can follow most of it. But to really understand it I need to set breakpoints on it and run it in a debugger (e.g. VS Code). However, when running the app, Electron doesn’t run it from the TypeScript (in src), or even the individual Javascript (in lib), but rather from bundle.js. Bundle.js is a giant file that, besides being minified, is too big to even load properly in my editor.
My question
How can I tell Electron to run the app not from the bundle.js, but from the individual src/...ts TypeScript, or, failing that, from the individual src/...js JavaScript?
If that’s not possible, what is the proper way to use a debugger, given the source, when the Electron application is bundled? I have full source but, when I invoke Electron, it runs out of the bundle: how I can change this?
I’m new to Electron and Node, so if I’m making an elementary mistake, please clarify.