SystemJS module loader: Enable JavaScript debugging with Visual Studio and Internet Explorer

In a project, we switched from the JavaScript module loader RequireJS to SystemJS. After the migration, debugging JavaScript directly from Visual Studio in Internet Explorer stopped working.

The problem is that Visual Studio cannot detect the loading of script files because SystemJS uses JavaScript HTTP calls instead of injected <script> tags to load modules.

But there’s an option in SystemJS to use <script> tags. The option can easily be enabled as follows:

<script>
    System.config({
        meta: {
            "*": { scriptLoad: true }
        }
    });
</script>

After enabling this setting, JavaScript debugging should work as expected. In a project, we switched from the JavaScript module loader RequireJS to SystemJS. After the migration, debugging JavaScript directly from Visual Studio in Internet Explorer stopped working. The problem is that Visual Studio cannot detect the loading of script files because SystemJS uses JavaScript HTTP calls instead of injected <script> tags to load modules. But there’s an option in SystemJS to use <script> tags. The option can easily be enabled as follows:

<script>
    System.config({
        meta: {
            "*": { scriptLoad: true }
        }
    });
</script>

After enabling this setting, JavaScript debugging should work as expected.