Remote debugging – PB Docs 125

Getting ready to debug a component

Before you begin debugging a remote component, check that
your configuration meets the following requirements:

• You are using the same version of the application and PBLs
  as were used to develop the deployed component. If you want to debug
  several deployed components in the same session, they must all have
  been built using the same versions of the PBLs,
  the same application name, and the same library list.

• The Supports Remote Debugging check box on the Components properties
  page in the Project painter is checked. You can also set the debugging
  option by checking the Supports Remote Debugging check box in the
  Project wizard.

• You have a client application that exercises the
  methods and properties in the deployed components. This can be a
  compiled executable built with any compatible development tool or
  a PowerBuilder application running in another PowerBuilder session.

Selecting EAServer components
for debugging

When you debug an EAServer target, the set of components that
can be debugged is determined from the project. The set includes
all components selected on the Components page in the Project painter
for which the Remote Debugging check box is selected. If you want
to select a different set of components or debug components from
more than one package, select Debug>Select Components from
the menu bar in the debugger or click the Select Components button
on the PainterBar.

Starting the debugger

To begin debugging, open the target that contains the deployed
components. Click the Start Remote Debugging button in the PainterBar
and complete the wizard. You can select only components that were
generated in PowerBuilder with remote debugging support turned on.
Remote debugging support is a security setting that does not add
any debugging information to the component. You turn remote debugging
support on when you are testing a component, then turn it off when
you deploy the component to a user’s site to prevent users
from stepping into and examining your code.

Set breakpoints as you would when debugging a local application,
then start the client application that invokes the remote components
(if it is not already running).

Differences from local debugging

You will notice two major differences between debugging local
and remote applications:

• When you start the
  debugger, it does not minimize.

• The new Instances view shows each instance of the
  components you are debugging. For each instance, it shows the component
  and package names, an instance number, and its current state: running,
  idle, or stopped. If there is more than one instance, a yellow arrow
  indicates which one is currently being debugged.

Unsupported features

The Objects In Memory view, expression evaluation, and changing
variable values are not supported.

About states

The instances view shows the state of each instance of each
component:

• Idle

  The component is idle or in the instance pool.

• Running

  The component is currently executing code.

• Stopped

  The component is stopped at a breakpoint waiting for a debugger
  action.

When an instance is destroyed, it is removed from the Instances
view.

Multiple instances

Multiple component instances can be stopped at the same time,
but actions you take in the debugger act only on the first instance
that hits a breakpoint. This instance is indicated by a yellow arrow
in the Instances view. The current instance changes to the next
instance in the queue when the method completes or when you click
Continue.

You can also change context from one instance to another by
double-clicking the new instance in the Instances view. You might
want to do this if you step over a call to another component instance
and the Instances view shows that the called instance stopped.