Running babel-node in visual studio code - node.js

Question

Normally to start up via command line, I can type:
babel-node server.js
When I try to set this up so that breakpoints and what not work in visual studio code I receive:
/Users/me/proj/node_modules/babel-cli/lib/babel-node.js --debug-brk=31893 --nolazy server.js
/Users/me/proj/node_modules/babel-cli/lib/babel-node.js: line 1: /Applications: is a directory
/Users/me/proj/node_modules/babel-cli/lib/babel-node.js: line 3: /Applications: is a directory
/Users/me/proj/node_modules/babel-cli/lib/babel-node.js: line 4: Dockerfile: command not found
/Users/me/proj/node_modules/babel-cli/lib/babel-node.js: line 5: syntax error near unexpected token `('
/Users/me/proj/node_modules/babel-cli/lib/babel-node.js: line 5: ` * when found, before invoking the "real" _babel-node(1) executable.'
I surmise it has to do with the fact that the executable is being called from that directory, rather than from the same directory as the server.js file - but I really don't know.
launch.json
{
"version": "0.2.0",
"configurations": [
{
"name": "Launch",
"type": "node",
"request": "launch",
"program": "${workspaceRoot}/server.js",
"stopOnEntry": false,
"args": [],
"cwd": "${workspaceRoot}",
"preLaunchTask": null,
"runtimeExecutable": "${workspaceRoot}/node_modules/babel-cli/lib/babel-node.js",
"runtimeArgs": [
"--nolazy"
],
"env": {
"NODE_ENV": "development"
},
"externalConsole": false,
"sourceMaps": false,
"outDir": null
},
{
"name": "Attach",
"type": "node",
"request": "attach",
"port": 5858,
"address": "localhost",
"restart": false,
"sourceMaps": false,
"outDir": null,
"localRoot": "${workspaceRoot}",
"remoteRoot": null
}
]
}

Answer 1

The error occurs because the babel-node.js file is not the babel-node executable but a wrapper file that adds node flags:
babel-node.js
/* eslint indent: 0 */
/**
* This tiny wrapper file checks for known node flags and appends them
* when found, before invoking the "real" _babel-node(1) executable.
*/
To fix this, the location of the babel-node binary should be set as the value of the runtimeExecutable property. The location is:
"${workspaceRoot}/node_modules/.bin/babel-node"