Breakpoint Setting Through a Debugger User Interface
A debugging system may display snapshot information that may be collected in response to an event identified while an application executes. The debugging system may allow a user to browse the various data elements in the snapshot, and may allow the user to modify a snapshot configuration by including or excluding various data elements within the snapshot data. The user interface may have a mechanism for including or excluding data elements that may be presented during browsing, as well as options to change the events that may trigger a snapshot. The updated snapshot configuration may be saved for future execution when the event conditions are satisfied.
1 . A system comprising:
at least one processor;
a debug user interface comprising:
a source code viewing area; and
a local variable viewing mechanism.
a debug viewer executing on said at least one processor, said debug viewer that:
retrieves a first instance of a snapshot, said first instance of said snapshot being taken during execution of an application and containing local variable values and call stack data;
said first instance comprising a first value for a first local variable, said first instance being stored in a first repository;
displays said first value in said debug user interface and displays at least some source code relating to said first local variable in said user interface;
retrieves a second instance of a snapshot, said second instance of said snapshot being taken during said execution of said application;
said second instance comprising a second value for a first local variable, said second instance being stored in said first repository; and
displays said second value in a user interface and displays at least some source code relating to said first local variable in said user interface;
2 . The system of claim 1 , said first instance of said snapshot comprising at least a portion of source code for said application.
3 . The system of claim 1 , said first instance of said snapshot comprising at least a pointer to a location in source code.
4 . The system of claim 3 , said system further comprising:
a source code library comprising a first version of said source code, said first version being executed as said application when said first instance of said snapshot is taken;
said first instance of said snapshot comprising a reference to said first version of said source code.
5 . The system of claim 1 , said debug user interface comprising:
a timeline comprising a plurality of indicators, each of said indicators representing an instance of said snapshot.
6 . The system of claim 5 , said debug user interface further comprising:
a snapshot mechanism by which a user may select said first instance of said snapshot.
7 . The system of claim 1 , said debug user interface further comprising:
controls comprising a pause mechanism, said pause mechanism causing said application to pause executing.
8 . The system of claim 7 , said debug user interface further comprising:
a browser that displays a plurality of local variables while said application has paused executing; and
a user control that selects said first local variable as a value to be collected during a future snapshot.
9 . The system of claim 8 , said debug user interface further comprising:
a user input mechanism that identifies a condition for taking said first snapshot.
10 . The system of claim 9 , said condition comprising a predefined value for a second local variable.
11 . The system of claim 9 , said condition comprising a predefined value for a global variable.
12 . The system of claim 9 , said condition comprising a predefined event.
13 . A method performed by at least one computer processor, said method comprising:
retrieving a first instance of a snapshot from a repository, said snapshot being generated by collecting a set of values while an application is paused, prior to continuing executing said application, said snapshot defining a set of data to collect and an event that when satisfied causes said set of data to be collected;
displaying at least a portion of said first instance on a user interface, said first instance comprising a value for a first local variable and at least a portion of a call stack;
browsing said first instance of said snapshot by receiving a first input to display a second local variable value and displaying said second local variable value; and
retrieving a first portion of source code related to said first instance of said snapshot and displaying said first portion of source code.
14 . The method of claim 13 , said first portion of source code being contained in said first instance of said snapshot.
15 . The method of claim 13 , said first portion of source code being retrieved from a source code repository, said first instance of said snapshot being stored in a snapshot repository.
16 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
causing said application to pause execution;
while said application is paused, receiving a current value for said first local variable and displaying said current value.
17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising:
identifying a second local variable; and
adding said second local variable to said snapshot definition.
18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising:
receiving an event description, said event description defining said event.
19 . The method of claim 18 , said event description comprising an expression comprising said second local variable.
20 . The method of claim 18 , said event description comprising an expression comprising a global variable.