ExtendScript Debug Extension Issue

[default6o3welpszuye]

I can't get the ExtendScript Debug extension to work in my VScode. I am new to this extension and have tried to follow several walk-throughs along with reading through forum posts to try and understand what I need to do to set it up to work correctly.

When I first set it up and tried to debug I got the option to select Adobe Illustrator 28.064 and nothing happened in my Adobe Illustrator. I then went to help and "about illustrator" in the application and I have 28.5 installed but its not an option in the dropdown I get in VScode. 

So I thought perhaps the extension hadn't been updated and only supports up to the 28.064 version of Illustrator. So I reverted to Illustrator 28.0 and tried again to run the debug with the same results. It's running but I am not seeing the simple alert that I am using to test to see if it's working correctly. Which consist of  alert("test test"); When I run it I see that I have the same Adobe Illustrator 28.064 to choose from even though it says I have Illustrator 28.0 installed. Still nothing happens in Illustrator.

I then read some post that said that you should set the host to the version of Illustrator you have like this.

"hostAppSpecifier": "illustrator-28.0",

but when I do this it give me an error that the application is not installed and to please check the specifer again.

I am currently at a lost on what to try next to get it to communicate with my Illustrator and show the alert.

[ajabon grinsmith]

Hi,

If you are using a Mac with an M1 processor or later, you must be running VSCode with Rosseta.
I used to have trouble with that.

If not, your information is still lacking. You should at least list the OS.

[default6o3welpszuye]

I am running Windows 10 Pro.

[erinferinferinf]

There's a nice new guide here: https://creativepro.com/setting-up-vscode-for-extendscript-a-practical-guide/ 

And some other hints here: https://extendscript.docsforadobe.dev/vscode-debugger/getting-started-with-vscode-debugger.html#gett...

The Q&A page also suggest you might have to run but VS Code and Illustrator as an admin on Windows: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Adobe.extendscript-debug&ssr=false#qna 

[default6o3welpszuye]

Believe it or not I have also followed this guide and still wasn't able to get it to connect to my Illustrator 😕

[erinferinferinf]

Can you post a video of what happens when you try to conenct to Illustrator?

[erinferinferinf]

Here's what I usually run as a basic test. I don't bother with hostapp specifiers in the config file.

function sayHello() {
    alert("Hello, from Host");
}
sayHello();

Since you're running Windows, you may need to run both Illustrator and Visual Studio Code as an administrator... 

[Jakub Kozniewski]

Anbyone managed to run the extension under Apple Silicon, Sonoma and recent Illustrator version ?
I mean it's a joke really that there is no option to develop scripts on the whole platform.