---

name: adapter-development description: Comprehensive guide for AIDB debug adapter development. Covers component-based architecture, language-specific patterns (Python/debugpy, JavaScript/vscode-js-debug, Java/java-debug), lifecycle hooks, process management, port management, launch orchestration, resource cleanup, child sessions, and common pitfalls. Essential for developing or maintaining AIDB debug adapters.

AIDB Adapter Development Skill

Executive Summary

AIDB debug adapters provide language-agnostic debugging capabilities through the Debug Adapter Protocol (DAP). The architecture is component-based - adapters delegate to specialized components rather than implementing everything in monolithic classes.

For comprehensive architecture details, see docs/developer-guide/overview.md for the complete system architecture and data flow diagrams.

Core Architecture

CopyDebugAdapter (base class)
├── ProcessManager       - Process lifecycle (launch, monitor, stop, cleanup)
├── PortManager          - Port acquisition, verification, release
├── LaunchOrchestrator   - Launch sequence coordination
├── TargetResolver       - Target type detection and normalization
├── SourcePathResolver   - Source path resolution for remote debugging
└── AdapterHooksMixin    - Lifecycle hooks for extension points

Key Principles

1. Component Delegation: Adapters delegate to focused components (ProcessManager, PortManager, LaunchOrchestrator)
2. Lifecycle Hooks: Customize behavior via hooks rather than overriding entire methods
3. Resource Management: Centralized cleanup via ResourceManager
4. Human-Cadence Debugging: Operations happen at human speed, not API speed
5. Language-Agnostic API: Same Python API works across Python, JavaScript, Java

Resource Files

This skill is organized into focused resource files for language-specific patterns:

• python-adapter-patterns.md - debugpy configuration, module vs script patterns
• javascript-adapter-patterns.md - vscode-js-debug, child sessions, Node.js patterns
• java-adapter-patterns.md - java-debug + JDT LS integration, compilation

Related Skills

When working on adapter development, you may also need:

• dap-protocol-guide - Adapters heavily rely on DAP protocol types and request/response patterns
• testing-strategy - Adapters must be tested using E2E patterns with DebugInterface abstraction
• code-reuse-enforcement - Always check for existing utilities before implementing adapter components

Quick Start: Creating a New Adapter

Copyfrom aidb.adapters.base import DebugAdapter
from aidb.adapters.base.config import AdapterConfig

class MyLanguageAdapter(DebugAdapter):
    """My language debug adapter using component architecture."""

    def __init__(self, session, ctx=None, config=None, **kwargs):
        if config is None:
            config = MyLanguageConfig()

        super().__init__(
            session=session,
            ctx=ctx,
            config=config,
            **kwargs
        )

        # Register language-specific hooks
        self._register_my_language_hooks()

    def _register_my_language_hooks(self):
        """Register language-specific lifecycle hooks."""
        self.register_hook(
            LifecycleHook.PRE_LAUNCH,
            self._validate_environment,
            priority=90  # High priority = runs first
        )

    async def _validate_environment(self, context: HookContext):
        """Pre-launch hook to validate environment."""
        # Validation logic here
        pass

    async def _build_launch_command(self, target, adapter_host,
                                   adapter_port, args=None):
        """Build the command to launch the debug adapter."""
        return [
            "/path/to/debug/adapter",
            "--host", adapter_host,
            "--port", str(adapter_port),
            target
        ]

    def _add_adapter_specific_vars(self, env: dict) -> dict:
        """Add language-specific environment variables."""
        env["MY_LANG_DEBUG"] = "1"
        return env

    def _create_target_resolver(self) -> "TargetResolver":
        """Create language-specific target resolver."""
        return MyLanguageTargetResolver(adapter=self, ctx=self.ctx)

    def _create_source_path_resolver(self) -> "SourcePathResolver":
        """Create language-specific source path resolver for remote debugging."""
        return MyLanguageSourcePathResolver(adapter=self, ctx=self.ctx)

    def _get_process_name_pattern(self) -> str:
        """Get process name pattern for cleanup."""
        return "my-language-debug"

Component Access Patterns

ProcessManager Usage

See ProcessManager in src/aidb/adapters/base/components/process_manager.py for full implementation.

Copyfrom aidb.resources.process_tags import ProcessType

# Launch subprocess with session tagging
proc = await self._process_manager.launch_subprocess(
    cmd=cmd,
    env=env,
    session_id=self.session.id,
    language=self.config.language,
    process_type=ProcessType.ADAPTER,  # String constant: "adapter", "debuggee", or "lsp_server"
    kwargs={}
)

# Wait for adapter readiness
await self._process_manager.wait_for_adapter_ready(port, start_time)

# Get process status
if self._process_manager.is_alive:
    pid = self._process_manager.pid

PortManager Usage

See PortManager in src/aidb/adapters/base/components/port_manager.py for full implementation. Key methods:

• acquire(requested_port=None) - Acquire and verify port availability
• release() - Release the port
• port property - Get current port

LaunchOrchestrator Usage

See LaunchOrchestrator in src/aidb/adapters/base/components/launch_orchestrator.py for full implementation. Key methods:

• launch(target, port, args) - Simple launch with target file
• launch_with_config(launch_config, port, workspace_root) - Launch with VS Code launch.json configuration

SourcePathResolver Usage

See SourcePathResolver in src/aidb/adapters/base/source_path_resolver.py for base implementation. Each language adapter implements its own resolver:

• Python: src/aidb/adapters/lang/python/source_path_resolver.py - Handles site-packages, venv, egg paths
• JavaScript: src/aidb/adapters/lang/javascript/source_path_resolver.py - Handles node_modules, webpack paths
• Java: src/aidb/adapters/lang/java/source_path_resolver.py - Handles JAR notation, Maven layouts

Key methods:

• extract_relative_path(file_path) - Extract language-specific relative path from adapter-returned path
• resolve(file_path, source_paths) - Resolve remote path to local source file

Lifecycle Hooks Reference

Hooks execute in priority order (lower number = runs first):

Hook Priorities

• 90-100: Critical validation (environment, target file)
• 70-80: Setup/preparation (workspaces, configurations)
• 50: Default priority
• 20-30: Post-operation delays/waits
• 10: Cleanup operations

Common Hooks

Copy# Pre-launch validation
self.register_hook(
    LifecycleHook.PRE_LAUNCH,
    self._validate_environment,
    priority=90
)

# Post-launch setup
self.register_hook(
    LifecycleHook.POST_LAUNCH,
    self._wait_for_ready,
    priority=20
)

# Post-stop cleanup
self.register_hook(
    LifecycleHook.POST_STOP,
    self._cleanup_resources,
    priority=10
)

Code Reuse: Existing Utilities

Before implementing new functionality, check these shared resources:

Base Classes

• DebugAdapter (aidb/adapters/base/adapter.py) - Base adapter with component architecture
• AdapterConfig (aidb/adapters/base/config.py) - Configuration base class
• BaseLaunchConfig (aidb/adapters/base/launch.py) - VS Code launch.json support

Components

• ProcessManager (aidb/adapters/base/components/process_manager.py)
• PortManager (aidb/adapters/base/components/port_manager.py)
• LaunchOrchestrator (aidb/adapters/base/components/launch_orchestrator.py)

Utilities

• AdapterBinaryLocator (aidb/adapters/utils/binary_locator.py) - Find adapter binaries
• AdapterOutputCapture (aidb/adapters/utils/output_capture.py) - Capture stdout/stderr
• AdapterTraceLogManager (aidb/adapters/utils/trace_log.py) - Trace log management

Common Patterns (aidb_common/)

See source code docstrings in src/aidb_common/ for detailed API documentation.

• Obj (aidb_common/patterns/) - Base class with context support
• normalize_path() (aidb_common/path.py) - Path normalization
• config (aidb_common/config/) - Environment variable reading
• Language enum (aidb_common/constants.py) - Supported language constants

Launch Configuration Patterns

Adapters can support VS Code launch.json configurations:

Copydef get_launch_configuration(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
    """Get launch configuration for DAP Launch request."""
    config = {
        "type": "mylang",
        "request": "launch",
        "name": "Debug MyLang",
        "program": self._target_file,
        "args": self._target_args,
        "cwd": self._target_cwd,
        "env": self._target_env,
    }
    return config

Environment Variable Patterns

See src/aidb_common/env/ for environment handling utilities (reader.py, resolver.py).

Use the template method pattern for environment preparation:

Copydef _prepare_environment(self) -> dict[str, str]:
    """Prepare environment (base implementation)."""
    env = self._load_base_environment()
    env = self._add_trace_configuration(env)
    return self._add_adapter_specific_vars(env)

def _add_adapter_specific_vars(self, env: dict) -> dict:
    """Add language-specific variables (override this)."""
    env["MY_LANG_HOME"] = "/path/to/lang"
    return env

Resource Cleanup Patterns

Always implement proper cleanup in hooks:

Copyasync def stop(self) -> None:
    """Stop the debug adapter and clean up."""
    context = await self.execute_hook(LifecycleHook.PRE_STOP)

    if not context.cancelled:
        # Stop process manager
        await self._process_manager.stop()

        # Release port
        if self.port:
            self._port_manager.release()

        # Cleanup auxiliary components
        if self._trace_manager:
            self._trace_manager.cleanup()

    await self.execute_hook(LifecycleHook.POST_STOP)

Process Tagging for Orphan Detection

All AIDB-spawned processes are tagged with environment variables for safe cleanup:

Copyfrom aidb.resources.process_tags import ProcessType

# Automatically handled by ProcessManager
proc = await self.process_manager.launch_subprocess(
    cmd=cmd,
    env=env,
    session_id=self.session.id,        # Tags process with session ID
    language=self.config.language,      # Tags with language
    process_type=ProcessType.ADAPTER,   # String constant: "adapter", "debuggee", or "lsp_server"
    kwargs={}
)

Tags enable:

• Safe orphan detection across sessions
• Cleanup of only AIDB-owned processes
• Session-to-process mapping

DAP Protocol Reference

The authoritative DAP protocol reference is in src/aidb/dap/protocol/ - fully typed and always up-to-date.

Copyfrom aidb.dap.protocol.types import (
    Capabilities,
    InitializeRequest,
    LaunchRequest,
    SetBreakpointsRequest,
)

Testing Your Adapter

Use the shared test infrastructure:

Copy# Test with API directly
session = await client.start_session(
    target="/path/to/file",
    language="mylang",
    breakpoints=[{"line": 10}]
)

# Test with launch.json
session = await client.start_session(
    target="/path/to/file",
    language="mylang",
    launch_config_name="Debug MyLang",
    workspace_root="/path/to/project"
)

Navigation to Resource Files

For detailed language-specific patterns and examples:

1. Python Adapter Patterns → resources/python-adapter-patterns.md
   • debugpy configuration, module vs script patterns, trace logging
2. JavaScript Adapter Patterns → resources/javascript-adapter-patterns.md
   • vscode-js-debug, child sessions, Node.js debugging, breakpoint transfer
3. Java Adapter Patterns → resources/java-adapter-patterns.md
   • java-debug + JDT LS integration, compilation, pooling patterns

Important Reminders

1. Don't override entire methods - Use lifecycle hooks for customization
2. Don't manage processes directly - Use ProcessManager component
3. Don't handle ports manually - Use PortManager component
4. Don't forget cleanup - Register POST_STOP hooks
5. Don't block async operations - Use await for I/O operations
6. Check existing code first - Look for reusable utilities before implementing

File Paths Reference

All file paths mentioned in this skill are relative to the repo root:

• Base adapter: src/aidb/adapters/base/adapter.py
• Components: src/aidb/adapters/base/components/
• SourcePathResolver base: src/aidb/adapters/base/source_path_resolver.py
• Python adapter: src/aidb/adapters/lang/python/python.py
• Python source resolver: src/aidb/adapters/lang/python/source_path_resolver.py
• JavaScript adapter: src/aidb/adapters/lang/javascript/javascript.py
• JavaScript source resolver: src/aidb/adapters/lang/javascript/source_path_resolver.py
• Java adapter: src/aidb/adapters/lang/java/java.py
• Java source resolver: src/aidb/adapters/lang/java/source_path_resolver.py
• DAP protocol: src/aidb/dap/protocol/ (types.py, requests.py, responses.py, events.py, bodies.py, base.py)