I’ve recently started a new front end project. It’s been years since I have done any sort of front end work, so besides getting into the more recent frameworks, I’ve been exploring IDEs. I had used VS Code for a long time, but since I have all products package for Jetbrains, I thought I would give WebStorm a try.
Overall I’m very happy. It uses the same format as all other Jetbrains products, so opening it is as familiar as GoLand, PyCharm, or Rider. Upon first opening WebStorm, it asks which IDE you wish to import settings from, further adding to the familiarity and cross compatibility between Jetbrains products.
The feature I think I most want to write about (what most impressed me) is the fact that the debugger attaches to the node process. The warnings, messages, and errors are brought out of the console and into the IDE itself. It also opens its own dedicated chrome window, which is an additional bonus. When starting a process, there is a small “open in debugger” button beside your localhost url that allows you to easily attach the debugger. I find it very useful because I can see how changes react on the browser while monitoring any logs I add to the console without another window on my already limited screen real estate.
I think the all products package is definitely worth the money, and WebStorm is another useful tool in my toolbelt.