Question 1

How does njsTrace compare to the built-in Node.js debugger?

Accepted Answer

njsTrace provides automatic, non-invasive tracing of all function calls without manual breakpoints, offering a broader view of execution flow, while the built-in debugger is better for interactive, step-by-step debugging.

Question 2

How to trace only specific files with njsTrace?

Accepted Answer

Use the files configuration option with glob patterns to include or exclude files. For example, set files: ['src/**/*.js', '!**/node_modules/**'] to trace only files in the src directory.

Question 3

Can njsTrace handle asynchronous functions?

Accepted Answer

Yes, njsTrace instruments all functions regardless of synchronicity, tracing entries and exits, but async functions might have complex call stacks that require careful interpretation.

Question 4

What is the performance impact when tracing is disabled?

Accepted Answer

When enabled is false, tracing methods do nothing, but the instrumented code still has injected calls, resulting in minimal overhead. However, options like wrapFunctions can still affect optimizations.

Question 5

How to output traces to a file instead of the console?

Accepted Answer

Configure the formatter's stdout option to a file path. For example, use formatter: { stdout: 'trace.log' } in the inject configuration to write traces to a log file.

Question 6

Is njsTrace compatible with TypeScript or Babel-transpiled code?

Accepted Answer

njsTrace instruments JavaScript code at runtime via require, so it might not work directly with source maps or transpiled code unless the runtime JavaScript matches the source structure.

njsTrace

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