Karate Debug

A powerful VS Code extension for debugging Karate tests. Set breakpoints directly in your .feature files, step through scenarios including Java and JavaScript code, inspect variables, and run tests with a single click.

This is a new extension! Feature requests, bug reports, and any other feedback or contributions are welcome! Feel free to Contact Me.

Features

Breakpoint Debugging for Karate, Java and JavaScript

Debug Karate, Java and JavaScript code in the same debugging session. Set breakpoints in your .feature files, Java files and JavaScript files. Step through your Karate tests line by line. Inspect variables, view request/response data, and understand exactly what's happening at each step.

Hot Reload Variables

Modify variable values on-the-fly while paused at a breakpoint. Right-click any variable in the Variables panel and set a new value to test different scenarios without restarting your test.

One-Click Test Execution

CodeLens buttons appear above every Feature and Scenario, letting you debug with a single click—no configuration required.

Feature Explorer

Browse all your Karate features and scenarios in a dedicated sidebar. Navigate your test suite at a glance and run any test directly from the tree view.

Environment Switching

Quickly switch between environments (dev, qa, stage, or your custom environments) from the status bar. Your selection persists across sessions.

Syntax Highlighting

Full syntax highlighting for the Karate DSL, including Gherkin keywords, JSON/XML payloads, JavaScript expressions, and embedded variables.

File Navigation

Clickable file references throughout your feature files. File paths appear as underlined links - Cmd+Click (Mac) or Ctrl+Click (Windows/Linux) to navigate directly to the referenced file or tag:

• classpath:path/to/file.feature - Opens the referenced file
• read('path/to/file.json') - Works with or without classpath: prefix
• read('@tagName') - Jumps to a tag in the current file
• file.feature@tagName - Opens the file and jumps to the specified tag

Log Breakpoints

Pause execution when specific strings appear in log output. Useful for catching exceptions or specific error messages without setting traditional breakpoints - just specify strings like "NullPointerException" or "ERROR" to break on. Configure via the karateDebug.logBreakpoints setting.

Log Filtering

Hide noisy log output by configuring exclude patterns. Filter out verbose framework messages (like HikariPool, Thymeleaf) to focus on what matters during debugging. Configure via the karateDebug.logFilter.exclude setting.

Requirements

• Java 17+ (Java 21 recommended for best compatibility)
• Maven project with Karate dependencies
• Tests located in src/test/java or src/test/resources

Quick Start

1. Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace
2. Open a Maven project containing Karate tests
3. Open any .feature file
4. Click Debug Feature or Debug Scenario above your test

That's it! The debugger will start, and you can set breakpoints, step through code, and inspect variables.

Configuration

Configure the extension via VS Code Settings (Cmd+, or Ctrl+,):

Example settings.json

{
  "karateDebug.environments": ["local", "dev", "qa", "stage", "prod"],
  "karateDebug.defaultEnvironment": "dev",
  "karateDebug.logFilter.exclude": ["THYMELEAF", "HikariPool", "PoolBase"],
  "karateDebug.logBreakpoints": ["NullPointerException", "ERROR", "FATAL"]
}

Launch Configuration

The extension automatically creates a default launch configuration when you first debug a feature file. For advanced scenarios, you can customize the .vscode/launch.json configuration.

Default Configuration

{
  "type": "karate",
  "request": "launch",
  "name": "Karate: Debug",
  "feature": "${file}",
  "enableJavaDebugging": true,
  "enableJsDebugging": true,
  "skipJdkClasses": false,
  "skipKarateFramework": false,
  "skipKarateDependencies": false
}

Launch Configuration Options

Step Filtering Options

Control which code is automatically skipped when stepping through Java code:

When step filtering is enabled, stepping into framework code will automatically step out and return to user code.

• Set skipKarateFramework to false to step into Karate source code
• Set skipKarateDependencies to false to also step through Karate's internal libraries

Java Source Options

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to Contact Me.

License

This extension is proprietary software. See the full license terms.

Acknowledgments

• Karate - My favorite automation testing framework