JavaScriptExpert
diff --git a/‎apps/api-extractor/src/cli/ApiExtractorCommandLine.ts‎
Lines changed: 6 additions & 0 deletions b/‎apps/api-extractor/src/cli/ApiExtractorCommandLine.ts‎
Lines changed: 6 additions & 0 deletions
diff --git a/‎apps/rush-lib/src/cli/RushCommandLineParser.ts‎
Lines changed: 5 additions & 0 deletions b/‎apps/rush-lib/src/cli/RushCommandLineParser.ts‎
Lines changed: 5 additions & 0 deletions
diff --git a/‎common/reviews/api/node-core-library.api.ts‎
Lines changed: 1 addition & 0 deletions b/‎common/reviews/api/node-core-library.api.ts‎
Lines changed: 1 addition & 0 deletions
diff --git a/‎libraries/node-core-library/src/InternalError.ts‎
Lines changed: 14 additions & 0 deletions b/‎libraries/node-core-library/src/InternalError.ts‎
Lines changed: 14 additions & 0 deletions
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import * as colors from 'colors';
 import * as os from 'os';
 
 import { CommandLineParser, CommandLineFlagParameter } from '@microsoft/ts-command-line';
+import { InternalError } from '@microsoft/node-core-library';
+
 import { RunAction } from './RunAction';
 
 export class ApiExtractorCommandLine extends CommandLineParser {
@@ -27,6 +29,10 @@ export class ApiExtractorCommandLine extends CommandLineParser {
   }
 
   protected onExecute(): Promise<void> { // override
+    if (this._debugParameter.value) {
+      InternalError.breakInDebugger = true;
+    }
+
     return super.onExecute().catch((error) => {
 
       if (this._debugParameter.value) {
 
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import * as os from 'os';
 import * as path from 'path';
 
 import { CommandLineParser, CommandLineFlagParameter, CommandLineAction } from '@microsoft/ts-command-line';
+import { InternalError } from '@microsoft/node-core-library';
 
 import { RushConfiguration } from '../api/RushConfiguration';
 import { RushConstants } from '../logic/RushConstants';
@@ -81,6 +82,10 @@ export class RushCommandLineParser extends CommandLineParser {
     // -- if it falsely appears to succeed, we could merge bad PRs, publish empty packages, etc.
     process.exitCode = 1;
 
+    if (this._debugParameter.value) {
+      InternalError.breakInDebugger = true;
+    }
+
     return this._wrapOnExecute().catch((error: Error) => {
       this._reportErrorAndSetExitCode(error);
     }).then(() => {
 
@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ interface IJsonSchemaValidateOptions {
 // @public
 class InternalError extends Error {
   constructor(message: string);
+  static breakInDebugger: boolean;
   // @override (undocumented)
   toString(): string;
   readonly unformattedMessage: string;
 
@@ -11,6 +11,16 @@
  * @public
  */
 export class InternalError extends Error {
+  /**
+   * If true, a JavScript `debugger;` statement will be invoked whenever the `InternalError` constructor is called.
+   *
+   * @remarks
+   * Generally applications should not be catching and ignoring an `InternalError`.  Instead, the error should
+   * be reported and typically the application will terminate.  Thus, if `InternalError` is constructed, it's
+   * almost always something we want to examine in a debugger.
+   */
+  public static breakInDebugger: boolean = true;
+
   /**
    * The underlying error message, without the additional boilerplate for an `InternalError`.
    */
@@ -39,6 +49,10 @@ export class InternalError extends Error {
     (this as any).__proto__ = InternalError.prototype; // tslint:disable-line:no-any
 
     this.unformattedMessage = message;
+
+    if (InternalError.breakInDebugger) {
+      debugger; // tslint:disable-line:no-debugger
+    }
   }
 
   /** @override */