Overview
The vm_service package provides a Dart library for communicating with the Dart VM service protocol, enabling developers to inspect and control running Dart applications. It supports real-time debugging, performance profiling, and runtime introspection across multiple platforms including Android, iOS, Web, macOS, Windows, and Linux. The package uses WebSocket connections to exchange structured data with the VM, making it essential for tools like debuggers, profilers, and observatories. It is primarily used by development and analysis tools rather than end-user apps.
Use cases
- Debugging Dart applications
- Performance profiling
- Runtime inspection
- Tooling integration
- Live app monitoring
- Development environment diagnostics
Key features
- WebSocket-based communication
- Supports all major platforms
- Integration with Dart DevTools
- Real-time data streaming
- Structured JSON-RPC protocol
- Extensible for custom operations
Suitable for
- Dart tool developers
- Debugging frameworks
- Profiling utilities
- IDE integrations
- Development environment builders
Considerations
- Requires running VM with service protocol enabled
- Not intended for production app use
- Needs proper security handling in networked environments
- Limited to debugging and analysis workflows
- Depends on SDK internals that may change