I am surprised this has not been mentioned yet:

Simply open the .js file in question in VS Code, switch to the 'Debug Console' tab, hit the debug button in the left nav bar, and click the run icon (play button)!

Requires nodejs to be installed!

Answer from tenwest on Stack Overflow
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Visual Studio Code
code.visualstudio.com โ€บ docs โ€บ languages โ€บ javascript
JavaScript in Visual Studio Code
November 3, 2021 - You can use the GitHub Copilot extension in VS Code to generate code, or to learn from the code it generates. GitHub Copilot provides suggestions for numerous languages and a wide variety of frameworks, and it works especially well for Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby, Go, C# and C++. You can learn more about how to get started with Copilot in the Copilot documentation. Once you have the Copilot extension installed and enabled, you can test it out for your JavaScript projects.
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CodeMag
codemag.com โ€บ article โ€บ 2003031
JavaScript Testing in VS Code and Node.js
Learn to test JavaScript using the Visual Studio Code editor using Node.js as a JavaScript execution environment.
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YouTube
youtube.com โ€บ watch
How To Test JavaScript Visual Studio Code Tutorial - YouTube
How To Test JavaScript Visual Studio Code TutorialToday we talk about test javascript,javascript testing,javascript unit testing,vs code tutorial,vs code jav...
Published ย  February 11, 2023
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sebhastian
sebhastian.com โ€บ run-javascript-visual-studio-code
How to run JavaScript code inside Visual Studio Code | sebhastian
April 2, 2021 - To run the file, you first need to open the integrated VSCode terminal in View > Terminal menu command: ... Once inside the terminal, you can then run the code using node name_of_file.js command.
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Code Institute
codeinstitute.net โ€บ blog โ€บ visual studio javascript tips
Visual Studio JavaScript Tips - Code Institute Global
February 6, 2023 - Installing Node.js locally on your computer and then running the script from Node.js is usually the simplest approach to running JavaScript using VSCode. This guide will help you run and debug JavaScript in Visual Studio. Installing Node.js on your MacBook or Windows is the first step in using Node.js to call scripts. You must first create a new folder before opening it in Visual Studio Code.
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Tailwind CSS
kombai.com โ€บ javascript โ€บ how-to-run-javascript-in-visual-studio-code
How to run JavaScript in Visual Studio Code?
Learn how to run and debug JavaScript in VSCode, both for Vanilla JS & frameworks like React.
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Reddit
reddit.com โ€บ r/learnjavascript โ€บ how to start with javascript in vs code as a beginner in javascript?
r/learnjavascript on Reddit: How to start with javascript in VS code as a beginner in javascript?
April 14, 2025 -

So I am actually a beginner in the coding world. I learn python some months ago and now I want to learn JavaScript but i don't know where to begin with. I read throughout the internet like download node.js and all but I didn't some how understood that can you correct me in the next lines if i am lacking some information:

  1. To type javascript in VS code I need to download node.js

  2. Then I have to open the VS code and fetch the file extension with js And anyone correct me and guide me after 2nd step

Or is there any other way to start with js without much hustle Like someone had written that you just need a browser to learn js and can be performed in console section of the browser

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DEV Community
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How to run JavaScript in Visual Studio Code - DEV Community
December 6, 2023 - After that's done, put "console.log('hello world')" in your javascript file! The console will pop up automatically when you click on the vs code's running tab. In the vs code window, you'll see something that says "Attach". Once you click on attach, a new vs code window will pop up and it will run your javascript file!
Top answer
1 of 3
9

Open launch.json

Then paste this entire chunk if empty, or add the single object to an existing list.

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "Node: Current File",
            "type": "node",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${file}",
            "console": "integratedTerminal"
        }
    ]
}

Now when you click on the Debug menu (the bug > button) on the side panel (or press F5), You'l have a Node: Current File as a run time dropdown option that will execute your JS via Node, and display the results in the attached VSC terminal.

Click the green triangle (my first image) to start debugging (or press F5) and pay attention to the terminal output (in VS code).

NOTE: If you attach break points, by clicking on the line numbers, indicated with red dots, you can use the Debug Console (left of Terminal tab)as a namespace environment to check variables etc (much like Quokka), during control flow evaluation.

I took this snippet from the VS Code documentation. It's a solid read.

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0

I just want to add to this. I had this working as accepted answer with the "Chrome debugger" plugin, which is now deprecated and the built-in js-debug is referenced as the replacement. I spent a good 2 hours for this to work with Angular yesterday. I tried both using the node configuration and also the chrome and edge type like the documentation says should work. Didn't get it to work.

What actually solved it for me was:

  • ng serve in the terminal to bring up the angular dev server on https://localhost:4200 (I have added a localhost certificate to use SSL/TLS, out of the box, dev server runs on http)
  • open chrome and go to https://localhost:4200
  • using ctrl+shift+P >Debug: Open Link and then typing the url https://localhost:4200 to my dev chrome instance

It is now attached properly and the debug console is reflecting that it is actually attached. I can set break points and debug the code.

I should add that I am running WSL and using vs code remote to point to my WSL instance, where my code also resides, within the wsl filesystem.

Typescript debugging documentation, Angular

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NxtWave
ccbp.in โ€บ blog โ€บ articles โ€บ how-to-run-javascript-in-visual-studio-code
How to Run Javascript In Visual Studio Code
Learn how to run JS file in VS code with simple steps with this article. Use Node.js, Code Runner, or HTML to easily write, execute, and debug JavaScript in Visual Studio Code.
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Wallaby
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VS Code | Wallaby
Value Peek is similar to Watch Expressions, but is available when the debugger is not running, and can display values from all test execution paths simultaneously. Another powerful way to log any expression is to use a special comment right after the expression you want to log. Inserting the special comment //? (or /*?*/) after some expression will log just the value of that expression. You may also write any JavaScript code right in the comment to shape the output.
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Geekflare
geekflare.com โ€บ development โ€บ how to run javascript in visual studio code and program like a pro
How to Run JavaScript in Visual Studio Code and Program Like a Pro
December 28, 2024 - Click install and enable the extension, and you are now ready to run your code. I have a simple statement saying console.log(โ€œHello, World!โ€); in my app.js file. I can run it using Code Runner. I will use the F1 shortcut and type RUN CODE. ... [Running] node "/home/tk/JavaScript-VSCode-app/app.js" Hello, World!
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Linux Hint
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How to run JavaScript in Visual Studio Code
Linux Hint LLC, [email protected] 1210 Kelly Park Circle, Morgan Hill, CA 95037 Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
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Visual Studio Code
code.visualstudio.com โ€บ docs โ€บ nodejs โ€บ working-with-javascript
Working with JavaScript
November 3, 2021 - The Babel transpiler turns ES6 files into readable ES5 JavaScript with Source Maps. You can easily integrate Babel into your workflow by adding the configuration below to your tasks.json file (located under the workspace's .vscode folder). The group setting makes this task the default Task: Run Build Task gesture. isBackground tells VS Code ...
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Wallabyjs
wallabyjs.com
Wallaby - Immediate JavaScript test feedback in your IDE as-you-type
Wallaby runs your JavaScript and TypeScript tests immediately as you type in VS Code, WebStorm and other editors, highlighting results next to your code.
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Reddit
reddit.com โ€บ r/vscode โ€บ extension for dynamic execution of javascript code
r/vscode on Reddit: Extension for dynamic execution of javascript code
August 19, 2023 -

Most websites online recommend executing a JS file via 'node myfile.js' in visual studio code.

Is there a simple extension (e.g. without browser) where I can execute JS code line by line? Like a jupyter notebook, mark code then press CTR/Shift-enter to execute selected lines?

Top answer
1 of 2
1
'node myfile.js' Let's break down the above: Just so we're all on the same page, the above terminal command should be read as, "using the program 'node,' execute the JavaScript file named 'myfile." If you want to run JavaScript on your computer, you will need some sort of JS runtime environment (node is the most popular, but there are other options) installed no matter what. There are apps and such you can run on your workstation that have a working version of node inside of them, but mostly JS will be executed by the system-wide install. VScode is like that. It does not matter what your file's name is as long as it is a valid JavaScript file... so if you just wanted to execute an arbitrary JS file, you can use the terminal command node and it would be just the same as your original command. If you are developing inside VScode and you want to test the JS code you've written, then after properly installing node, you can use VScode's built-in debug console. If for some reason you aren't installing node (which I don't know why you wouldn't), there are multiple online JS playgrounds that allow you to run your code. There is codesandbox.io, jsfiddle.net, jsbin.com... I'm not sure of any Windows-specific apps, but I know for macOS there is runJS which has aligned output with source . Edit: Looks like runJS has a Windows app: check it out here .
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Might not meet your exact use case here, but Quokka might be of interest for something similar?... https://quokkajs.com/ https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=WallabyJs.quokka-vscode https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=quokkajs+vscode
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4Geeks
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How to run Javascript in Visual Studio Code?
June 14, 2025 - Start Visual Studio Code. Open a new Terminal. Write on the terminal npm init -y. ... If successful, a package.json file will be created on your project folder. Right click on the file explorer (where the package.json is displayed) and select new file. We are naming it app.js (js is a Javascript extension).
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DEV Community
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JavaScript Unit Test Debugging with VSCode - DEV Community
April 15, 2025 - This process has become remarkably simple. By opening the command palette and searching for "JavaScript Debug Terminal", developers can quickly access the terminal that automatically connects to the debugging process.