How to debug ocliff commands using Visual Studio Code without running sfdx plugins:install all the time

[AllanOricil]

If you are unfamiliar with Visual Studio Code debugging tools, read this documentation before continuing.

1. Create a .vscode folder in the root of the project, and then add a launch.json file with the following content in it:

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{
	"version": "1.0.0",
	"configurations": [
	  {
		"type": "node",
		"request": "launch",
		"name": "full: sgd:source:delta",
		"program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/run",
		"cwd": "${input:sfdxProjectDirectoryPath}",
		"args": [
		  "sgd:source:delta",
		  "-t",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaTo}",
		  "-f",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaFrom}",
		  "-r",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaRepo}",
		  "-i",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaIgnore}",
		  "-D",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaIgnoreDestructive}",
		  "-s",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaSource}",
		  "-o",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaOutput}",
		  "-a",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaApiVersion}",
		  "-n",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaInclude}",
		  "-N",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaIncludeDestructive}"
		]
	  },
	  {
		"type": "node",
		"request": "launch",
		"name": "full: sgd:source:delta -d",
		"program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/run",
		"cwd": "${input:sfdxProjectDirectoryPath}",
		"args": [
		  "sgd:source:delta",
		  "-t",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaTo}",
		  "-f",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaFrom || HEAD}",
		  "-r",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaRepo}",
		  "-i",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaIgnore}",
		  "-D",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaIgnoreDestructive}",
		  "-s",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaSource}",
		  "-o",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaOutput}",
		  "-a",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaApiVersion}",
		  "-n",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaInclude}",
		  "-N",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaIncludeDestructive}",
		  "-d"
		]
	  },
	  {
		"type": "node",
		"request": "launch",
		"name": "full: sgd:source:delta -W",
		"program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/run",
		"cwd": "${input:sfdxProjectDirectoryPath}",
		"args": [
		  "sgd:source:delta",
		  "-t",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaTo}",
		  "-f",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaFrom || HEAD}",
		  "-r",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaRepo}",
		  "-i",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaIgnore}",
		  "-D",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaIgnoreDestructive}",
		  "-s",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaSource}",
		  "-o",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaOutput}",
		  "-a",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaApiVersion}",
		  "-n",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaInclude}",
		  "-N",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaIncludeDestructive}",
		  "-W"
		]
	  },
	  {
		"type": "node",
		"request": "launch",
		"name": "full: sgd:source:delta -d -W",
		"program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/run",
		"cwd": "${input:sfdxProjectDirectoryPath}",
		"args": [
		  "sgd:source:delta",
		  "-t",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaTo}",
		  "-f",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaFrom || HEAD}",
		  "-r",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaRepo}",
		  "-i",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaIgnore}",
		  "-D",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaIgnoreDestructive}",
		  "-s",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaSource}",
		  "-o",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaOutput}",
		  "-a",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaApiVersion}",
		  "-n",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaInclude}",
		  "-N",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaIncludeDestructive}",
		  "-d",
		  "-W"
		]
	  },
	  {
		"type": "node",
		"request": "launch",
		"name": "simple: sgd:source:delta",
		"program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/run",
		"cwd": "${input:sfdxProjectDirectoryPath}",
		"args": [
		  "sgd:source:delta",
		  "-f",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaFrom}"
		]
	  },
	  {
		"type": "node",
		"request": "launch",
		"name": "simple: sgd:source:delta -d",
		"program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/run",
		"cwd": "${input:sfdxProjectDirectoryPath}",
		"args": [
		  "sgd:source:delta",
		  "-f",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaFrom}",
		  "-d",
		]
	  },
	  {
		"type": "node",
		"request": "launch",
		"name": "simple: sgd:source:delta -W",
		"program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/run",
		"cwd": "${input:sfdxProjectDirectoryPath}",
		"args": [
		  "sgd:source:delta",
		  "-f",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaFrom}",
		  "-W",
		]
	  },
	  {
		"type": "node",
		"request": "launch",
		"name": "simple: sgd:source:delta -d -W",
		"program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/run",
		"cwd": "${input:sfdxProjectDirectoryPath}",
		"args": [
		  "sgd:source:delta",
		  "-f",
		  "${input:sgdSourceDeltaFrom}",
		  "-d",
		  "-W"
		]
	  },
	],
	"inputs": [
		{
			"id": "sfdxProjectDirectoryPath",
			"type": "promptString",
			"description": "Full path of a sfdx project to run ocliff command on"
		},
		{
			"id": "sgdSourceDeltaTo",
			"type": "promptString",
			"description": "commit sha to where the diff is done",
			"default": "HEAD"
		},
		{
			"id": "sgdSourceDeltaFrom",
			"type": "promptString",
			"description": "commit sha from where the diff is done [git rev-list --max-parents=0 HEAD]"
		},
		{
			"id": "sgdSourceDeltaRepo",
			"type": "promptString",
			"description": "git repository location",
			"default": "."
		},
		{
			"id": "sgdSourceDeltaIgnore",
			"type": "promptString",
			"description": "file listing paths to explicitly ignore for any diff actions"
		},
		{
			"id": "sgdSourceDeltaIgnoreDestructive",
			"type": "promptString",
			"description": "file listing paths to explicitly ignore for any destructive actions"
		},
		{
			"id": "sgdSourceDeltaSource",
			"type": "promptString",
			"description": "source folder focus location related to --repo",
			"default": "."
		},
		{
			"id": "sgdSourceDeltaOutput",
			"type": "promptString",
			"description": "source package specific output",
			"default": "./output"
		},
		{
			"id": "sgdSourceDeltaApiVersion",
			"type": "promptString",
			"description": "salesforce metadata API version, default to sfdx-project.json \"sourceApiVersion\" attribute or latest version"
		},
		{
			"id": "sgdSourceDeltaInclude",
			"type": "promptString",
			"description": "file listing paths to explicitly include for any diff actions"
		},
		{
			"id": "sgdSourceDeltaIncludeDestructive",
			"type": "promptString",
			"description": "file listing paths to explicitly include for any destructive actions"
		},
	]
  }

3. Add breakpoints in the source code.

4. run yarn build and confirm that the lib folder was created/updated.

5. In the Visual Studio Code's sidebar menu, click on the Run and Debug button.

6. Select the command you want to execute, and click on the play button

Demonstration:

Screen.Recording.2023-03-11.at.15.09.01.mov