@ian-pascoe/pi-dap

Configured Debug Adapter Protocol (DAP) sessions for Pi.

Install

pi install npm:@ian-pascoe/pi-dap
# or
pi install git:github.com/ian-pascoe/pi-extensions

For a local checkout, run pi -e ./packages/pi-dap/src/index.ts.

Debug Adapter executables are user-managed. Pi DAP has no adapter discovery, installer, or catalog. The repository-only vscode-js-debug development dependency supports this repository's Node smoke test; its files are not packed or installed with the package.

Settings

Pi DAP reads only the dap key from Pi's global settings.json and trusted project .pi/settings.json:

{
  "dap": {
    "timeouts": {
      "startupMs": 10000,
      "requestMs": 10000,
      "executionMs": 30000,
      "shutdownMs": 5000
    },
    "adapters": {
      "node": {
        "command": "node",
        "args": ["/absolute/path/to/dapDebugServer.js", "$PORT", "127.0.0.1"],
        "environment": {},
        "transport": {
          "type": "tcp",
          "host": "127.0.0.1",
          "port": 0
        }
      }
    },
    "profiles": {
      "node": {
        "adapter": "node",
        "arguments": {
          "type": "pwa-node",
          "console": "internalConsole",
          "stopOnEntry": true
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

An Adapter Definition needs a non-empty command and transport; args and environment default to an empty array and object, respectively. transport is either "stdio" or a TCP object with type: "tcp"; its host defaults to 127.0.0.1, and a missing or zero port selects a local port. TCP arguments may use $PORT anywhere in an argument, and Pi DAP also supplies that selected port as PORT in the adapter environment. $PORT is invalid for stdio adapters. Environment strings overlay the inherited environment; null removes an inherited variable.

A Launch Profile needs an existing Adapter Definition ID and opaque JSON-object arguments. Global and trusted-project timeouts merge by field. Adapter and profile maps merge by ID: a project entry replaces the complete global entry; null removes it. Invalid project replacements still shadow global entries. Invalid entries are quarantined independently and produce path-qualified warnings at session start, while unrelated valid entries stay available. Untrusted project settings are ignored. Use Pi /reload to reload settings.

Node and TypeScript

Node/TypeScript through Microsoft vscode-js-debug is the Supported Adapter workflow. For example, set the Node adapter command to node and point its TCP arguments at dapDebugServer.js followed by $PORT, as above. Other standards-based adapters are Experimental: they may work through DAP but have no compatibility promise.

dap tool

Pi DAP registers one strict dap tool with exactly these operations:

launch            set_breakpoints   continue          next
step_in           step_out          pause             stack
variables         evaluate          status            stop

launch selects a profile (it may be omitted only when exactly one valid profile exists). program, args, and cwd replace the same profile arguments; relative program and cwd paths resolve from Pi's project working directory. A Debug Session is single-active: launching while one is active fails. Desired Breakpoints are complete per-file lists and survive stop and later launches in the same Pi conversation session; [] clears a file. Relative breakpoint paths also resolve from Pi's project working directory.

Execution and inspection require a stopped Debuggee: continue, next, step_in, step_out, stack, variables, and evaluate. pause requires a running Debuggee. status and stop are idempotent. stack defaults to the stopped thread, offset 0, and count 20; variables takes exactly one frame_id or variables_reference and defaults its count to 100; evaluate defaults to the top Stack Frame.

Execution waits end on a stop, exit, cancellation, or executionMs; an execution timeout reports running. Request, startup, and shutdown timeouts are errors. A natural exit leaves a terminal snapshot available from status until the next launch.

Output and lifecycle

Each successful operation drains currently unread Debuggee output. Pi DAP retains at most 1 MiB of unread output, reporting discarded older bytes. Tool text follows Pi's 2,000-line/50-KB visible limit; when truncated, the retained complete result is written to a Result Spill and its path appears in the result. Adapter stderr retains its newest 1 MiB in the session directory and process or protocol failures name that path.

Adapters start lazily at launch, use the project working directory, and are owned by one Pi conversation session. stop, launch cancellation, adapter failure, and session shutdown attempt DAP termination and disconnect before terminating owned Linux process groups. Session shutdown removes session files. Cancelling an execution wait only ends that wait; the live Debug Session remains recoverable.

Observer UI

In TUI mode, calls and results use compact semantic transcript rows. Expanding a row shows only explicitly supplied arguments and bounded Breakpoint, Stack Frame, variable, or evaluation details. Long execution waits update once per second. Malformed or historical rows fall back to their original tool text.

One widget above the editor follows launching, running, stopped, and terminated activity. It is derived only from lifecycle transitions and successful results Pi DAP has already received; it sends no additional DAP request and provides no human debugger controls. Stopped source locations clear on resume. The terminal snapshot remains for ten seconds, while idle sessions have no widget. RPC, JSON, and print modes do not mount it.

The model still receives the unchanged raw DAP <operation>: <JSON> text, Debuggee output, truncation, and Result Spill notice. Only the human-visible copy of Debuggee output is stripped of terminal sequences and unsafe controls; the raw tool result and Result Spill retain the original bytes.

V1 boundary

V1 supports configured stdio and TCP adapters on Linux, one active Debug Session, source breakpoints, core execution control, stack/variables/evaluation, and headless runInTerminal. The Supported vscode-js-debug workflow uses one adapter-owned primary target channel; it is not a second model-facing Debug Session, and unrelated, second, or nested startDebugging requests are rejected. V1 excludes attach, restart, function/data/instruction breakpoints, hit counts, logpoints, memory, disassembly, modules, user-requested child Debug Sessions, raw DAP requests, launch.json, WebSocket, persistence, and a directly operated debugger UI.

Trusted project settings can run arbitrary local executables with Pi's permissions. Review adapter commands and configuration before trusting a project.