---
title: Easier debugging of TFS 2012 Web Access scripts
description: Easier debugging of TFS 2012 Web Access scripts
---

[InCycle Software's Application Modernization and DevOps Blog ](https://blogs.incyclesoftware.com)

# [Easier debugging of TFS 2012 Web Access scripts](https://blogs.incyclesoftware.com/2012/07/easier-debugging-of-tfs-2012-web-access-scripts/)

 Written by [Leo Vildosola](https://blogs.incyclesoftware.com/author/leo-vildosola) | Jul 16, 2012 3:31:52 PM

I have been doing some extensibility work in [Visual Studio 2012](http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/11/en-us) for the last 6 or so months, and that has taken me into doing some [TFS 2012](http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/11/en-us/downloads) Web Access work as well. So, needless to say, when it comes to debugging JavaScript any help is welcome. This tidbit comes courtesy of [Ed Hintz](http://blogs.msdn.com/b/edhintz/) at Microsoft. Thanks Ed!

The Visual Studio team knew they would need it as well. So, they added a **Diagnostics** page to TFS 2012 Web Access. From there they can control certain debugging flags, including the **Script Debug Mode** which tells the server to use the corresponding **.debug.js** files that you might have seen under your installation directory of TFS 2012. As a result, we can now see the debug version of the scripts instead of attempting to discern the [minified](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minification_(programming)) versions of these files.

To enable this feature do the following:

1. Go to http[s]://<tfsserver>[:port]/tfs/_diagnostics<https://blogs.incyclesoftware.com/hs-fs/file-3472673905-png/blog-files/snaghtmle525c6c.png>
2. In the Diagnostics page, click on the hyperlink beside **Script Debug Mode:**

Once you do that the link will appear as **Enabled**. Now, all corresponding debug.js files will come down on your next refresh.

*(NOTE: if the hyperlink does not get updated just refresh the page)*

For this to work you need to do the change in the browser that you're using for debugging since it seems to use a cookie to track the setting. So, if you’re using IE or Chrome, for example, you will have to enable it for each.

*Don’t forget to turn it off when you’re done!*

[View full post](https://blogs.incyclesoftware.com/2012/07/easier-debugging-of-tfs-2012-web-access-scripts/)

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