Prerequisites

Install Node.js on your machine and confirm node and npm work in Gyaanmitra's integrated terminal. Version managers (nvm, fnm, and similar) work when your shell profile loads them for non-login terminals too.

Editing and IntelliSense

A Node project is an ordinary JavaScript or TypeScript workspace. Automatic type acquisition pulls @types packages for many dependencies, so completion understands APIs from npm.

Running and debugging

• Run a file with node app.js in the terminal, or a script with npm start.
• Debug with a launch configuration (F5) that uses the Node debug type. Breakpoints, the call stack, and the Debug Console work like any other debug session. See Debugging.

Tasks for npm scripts

Scripts in package.json can be detected as tasks. Tasks: Configure Task offers them. Names like build, compile, and watch are treated as build tasks by default.