Revision 784267 of debugger

<div>{{jsSidebar("Statements")}}</div>

<p>The <strong>debugger statement</strong> invokes any available debugging functionality, such as setting a breakpoint. If no debugging functionality is available, this statement has no effect.</p>

<h2 id="Syntax">Syntax</h2>

<pre class="syntaxbox">
<code>debugger;</code></pre>

<h2 id="Examples">Examples</h2>

<p>The following example shows code where a debugger statement has been inserted, to invoke a debugger (if one exists) when the function is called.</p>

<pre class="brush:js">
function potentiallyBuggyCode() {
    debugger;
    // do potentially buggy stuff to examine, step through, etc.
}</pre>

<p>When the debugger is invoked, execution is paused at the debugger statement. It is like a breakpoint in the script source.</p>

<p><a href="https://mdn.mozillademos.org/files/6963/Screen Shot 2014-02-07 at 9.14.35 AM.png"><img alt="Paused at a debugger statement." src="https://mdn.mozillademos.org/files/6963/Screen%20Shot%202014-02-07%20at%209.14.35%20AM.png" style="width: 700px; height: 371px;" /></a></p>

<h2 id="Specifications">Specifications</h2>

<table class="standard-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th scope="col">Specification</th>
   <th scope="col">Status</th>
   <th scope="col">Comment</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>ECMAScript 1st Edition.</td>
   <td>Standard</td>
   <td>Initial definition.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('ES5.1', '#sec-12.15', 'Debugger statement')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('ES5.1')}}</td>
   <td>&nbsp;</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('ES6', '#sec-debugger-statement', 'Debugger statement')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('ES6')}}</td>
   <td>&nbsp;</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

<h2 id="Browser_compatibility">Browser compatibility</h2>

<p>{{CompatibilityTable}}</p>

<div id="compat-desktop">
<table class="compat-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th>Feature</th>
   <th>Chrome</th>
   <th>Firefox (Gecko)</th>
   <th>Internet Explorer</th>
   <th>Opera</th>
   <th>Safari</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Basic support</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>
</div>

<div id="compat-mobile">
<table class="compat-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th>Feature</th>
   <th>Android</th>
   <th>Chrome for Android</th>
   <th>Firefox Mobile (Gecko)</th>
   <th>IE Mobile</th>
   <th>Opera Mobile</th>
   <th>Safari Mobile</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Basic support</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>
</div>

<h2 id="See_also">See also</h2>

<ul>
 <li><a href="/en-US/docs/Debugging_JavaScript">Debugging JavaScript</a></li>
 <li><a href="/en-US/docs/Tools/Debugger">The Debugger in the Firefox Developer Tools</a></li>
</ul>