debugger frustrations
funaroma
Charlie Arehart
I’m not on a Mac, but having helped people with solving problems with step debugging CFML for years (whatever their platform), I’ll see if I can help here.
It may help, though, to clarify more about your setup in both CFE and your CFML server.
Since you’re asking on the cfeclipse group, I’ll assume you’re not using CF Builder. So did you set that up using the old CF8 “eclipse extensions for CF”, which offered the debugger before it was built-into CFB (and was never updated after that)? Or might you be using FusionDebug, the commercial alternative for step debugging (which does support CFE, CFB, and indeed any Eclipse platform, whether for CF or Railo or Lucee)?
Especially with respect to suggesting specific places to look for settings in the debug config within Eclipse, it could help for us to know which you are using (and which CFML server).
For instance, as for your saying your new setup could not debug anything but your root, just to be clear, are you saying you have no problem running the pages (in tyour browser)? I ask because there can be problems with the web server connector (especially in CF10 and 11) where you may find that it can’t run anything under the root. You only say that when you step debug into a subdir the debugger “can’t find it”. Are you saying it really is only the debugger? You have no problem browsing to CFML templates in such a subdir?
Then you say things are configured identically. Are you saying you went to the debugger configuration settings and added any mappings, which may have been required on the old setup? Again, without knowing the exact CFML debugger you’re using I hesitate to point to a specific tab/setting name, but it’s in the edit of the debug config in all of them.
Finally, you don’t clarify: is your CFML server on the same machine as CFE? If so, you generally shouldn’t need to bother with any sort of mapping (but there are cases where you must). Since you say it “can’t find the source”, it would help to know for sure.
Hope that’s helpful.
/charlie
funaroma
On Monday, December 14, 2015 at 2:49:46 PM UTC-5, charlie arehart wrote:
I’m not on a Mac, but having helped people with solving problems with step debugging CFML for years (whatever their platform), I’ll see if I can help here.
I appreciate it... have followed you on and off for years! =D
It may help, though, to clarify more about your setup in both CFE and your CFML server.
Since you’re asking on the cfeclipse group, I’ll assume you’re not using CF Builder. So did you set that up using the old CF8 “eclipse extensions for CF”, which offered the debugger before it was built-into CFB (and was never updated after that)? Or might you be using FusionDebug, the commercial alternative for step debugging (which does support CFE, CFB, and indeed any Eclipse platform, whether for CF or Railo or Lucee)?
My exact configuration is:
Eclipse Mars (PHP - seemed closest to what i'd need daily....?)
Latest CFEclipse
ColdFusion extensions (to get RDS to appear in Eclipse)
Especially with respect to suggesting specific places to look for settings in the debug config within Eclipse, it could help for us to know which you are using (and which CFML server).
ColdFusion Server 10 Enterprise running inside a Windows VM (Parallels) - was originally bare metal install. Debugger in my Windows 7 VM (also Parallels) still works.
For instance, as for your saying your new setup could not debug anything but your root, just to be clear, are you saying you have no problem running the pages (in tyour browser)? I ask because there can be problems with the web server connector (especially in CF10 and 11) where you may find that it can’t run anything under the root. You only say that when you step debug into a subdir the debugger “can’t find it”. Are you saying it really is only the debugger? You have no problem browsing to CFML templates in such a subdir?
The site is configured fine in ColdFusion server, and runs as it should. They run in an external browser as well as the CFEclipse Browser view inside Eclipse. I have no problems accessing files below webroot either via file system access or web browser. The files are there and fully accessible.
Then you say things are configured identically. Are you saying you went to the debugger configuration settings and added any mappings, which may have been required on the old setup? Again, without knowing the exact CFML debugger you’re using I hesitate to point to a specific tab/setting name, but it’s in the edit of the debug config in all of them.
Mappings in the eclipse debugger are identical as far as i can tell.
Finally, you don’t clarify: is your CFML server on the same machine as CFE? If so, you generally shouldn’t need to bother with any sort of mapping (but there are cases where you must). Since you say it “can’t find the source”, it would help to know for sure.
The cf server is, for all intents and purposes, on a separate machine, with files accessible to the MAC os via file share over the network.
Charlie Arehart
OK, thanks for that.
So when you say, “Mappings in the eclipse debugger are identical as far as i can tell”, you do mean (I suppose) that you have changed them to be unique to your Mac environment as distinct from the old one, right? For those who may be following along, the mappings for the debugger setup map what the path looks like locally to what they look like on the remote server.
And since you’re on a Mac, have you made sure there are no problems with case sensitivity of those mappings, especially with respect to the local-side mapping?
And when you refer to the settings, are these ones you’re making in the Preferences area, or the specific “Debug configuration” you will have created (under the Run menu)?
Also, to be clear, you have to open the file in Eclipse from within a project (using the Navigator). You are doing that, right? Not just opening the file using the File Explorer?
One more thing: in CF, at least, and with respect to its debugger, Adobe has documented a useful jvm argumente:
-DDEBUGGER_TRACE=true
which causes CF to log extra info (to the console or the ColdFusion-out.log), which can be useful to understand the interaction between the debugging client and the server (including success of your mappings). I don’t know if that’s only useful if using the debugger as they have implemented it in CFBuilder, but it’s worth a shot if none of the other ideas I’ve shared help (and no one else proposes a better solution for you).
/charlie
From: cfeclip...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cfeclip...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of funaroma
Sent: Monday, December 14, 2015 2:22 PM
To: CFEclipse Users
Subject: Re: [cfeclipse-users] debugger frustrations
inline responses below
<snip>
funaroma
On Monday, December 14, 2015 at 4:15:22 PM UTC-5, charlie arehart wrote:
OK, thanks for that.
So when you say, “Mappings in the eclipse debugger are identical as far as i can tell”, you do mean (I suppose) that you have changed them to be unique to your Mac environment as distinct from the old one, right? For those who may be following along, the mappings for the debugger setup map what the path looks like locally to what they look like on the remote server.
The ColdFusion path should be identical, because it's on the same server. The Eclipse path is a UNC since Mac does not support drive letters of course.
And since you’re on a Mac, have you made sure there are no problems with case sensitivity of those mappings, especially with respect to the local-side mapping?
have not encountered any difficulties with case sensitivity on Mac but yes, the paths are the proper case.
And when you refer to the settings, are these ones you’re making in the Preferences area, or the specific “Debug configuration” you will have created (under the Run menu)?
The configuration under the debug icon's "Debug Configurations" choice is the same as that under the run icon's "Run Configurations" choice. Identical to what appears under Preferences > ColdFusion > Debug Mappings.
Also, to be clear, you have to open the file in Eclipse from within a project (using the Navigator). You are doing that, right? Not just opening the file using the File Explorer?
It's an Eclipse project, and I can actually open the files that it says it cannot find in the subdirectories of my project. To be clear, as an example... i can place a breakpoint in the root Application.cfc file. I am using CFWheels, so that includes a file in the core /wheels directory. When I begin debugging, it stops at the breakpoint in /Application.cfc and opens the file just fine. As soon as I step into the include, it cannot open the file in the /wheels subdirectory, though it knows what line number in that file is being executed next. Strangest thing I ever sawz.
One more thing: in CF, at least, and with respect to its debugger, Adobe has documented a useful jvm argumente:
-DDEBUGGER_TRACE=true
which causes CF to log extra info (to the console or the ColdFusion-out.log), which can be useful to understand the interaction between the debugging client and the server (including success of your mappings). I don’t know if that’s only useful if using the debugger as they have implemented it in CFBuilder, but it’s worth a shot if none of the other ideas I’ve shared help (and no one else proposes a better solution for you).
I can give that a shot of course, and will do so today.
Thanks for your persistence!
funaroma
I'd give my left nut for a real development environment, but i'm not holding my breath, Adobe. Microsoft's ASP.NET MVC is starting to look real good.
Charlie Arehart
Did you try that trace option?
BTW, note that you can also do debugging in the new FR6, whereby you do the debugging not with any IDE but via FR’s web interface. It’s a powerful new capability (And designed even to be safe for production, with many protections that keep it ill-effecting the server being monitored, or in this case debugged). As for pricing concerns, I’ll note in advance that it’s only in the new “ultimate” edition of FR, but is indeed in the free trial which one can try for 14 days.
Still, I’d love to hear if that trace flag may have helped you, with the old eclipse-CF-extensions approach you are using.
/charlie
From: cfeclip...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cfeclip...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of funaroma
Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 11:14 AM
To: CFEclipse Users
Subject: Re: [cfeclipse-users] debugger frustrations
Guess i give up and go back to eclipse on windows. the only thing that works. I'd pay $200 for fusiondebug at this point, but not $200 a YEAR. just want to buy my tools and get to work.
I'd give my left nut for a real development environment, but i'm not holding my breath, Adobe. Microsoft's ASP.NET MVC is starting to look real good.
On Tuesday, December 15, 2015 at 7:12:29 AM UTC-5, funaroma wrote:
once again inline...
<snip>
Charlie Arehart
BTW, about pricing and the hope of a “real dev environment for CF”, do note that IntelliJ IDEA is $500 per year to start. As always, we generally get what we pay for. :-)
/charlie
From: Charlie Arehart [mailto:charli...@carehart.org]
Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 2:08 PM
To: 'cfeclip...@googlegroups.com'
Subject: RE: [cfeclipse-users] debugger frustrations
Did you try that trace option?
BTW, note that you can also do debugging in the new FR6, whereby you do the debugging not with any IDE but via FR’s web interface. It’s a powerful new capability (And designed even to be safe for production, with many protections that keep it ill-effecting the server being monitored, or in this case debugged). As for pricing concerns, I’ll note in advance that it’s only in the new “ultimate” edition of FR, but is indeed in the free trial which one can try for 14 days.
Still, I’d love to hear if that trace flag may have helped you, with the old eclipse-CF-extensions approach you are using.
/charlie
From: cfeclip...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cfeclip...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of funaroma
Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 11:14 AM
To: CFEclipse Users
Subject: Re: [cfeclipse-users] debugger frustrations
Guess i give up and go back to eclipse on windows. the only thing that works. I'd pay $200 for fusiondebug at this point, but not $200 a YEAR. just want to buy my tools and get to work.
I'd give my left nut for a real development environment, but i'm not holding my breath, Adobe. Microsoft's ASP.NET MVC is starting to look real good.
On Tuesday, December 15, 2015 at 7:12:29 AM UTC-5, funaroma wrote:
once again inline...
<snip>
funaroma
I've started down the path of installing CF10 locally on the mac, in the hopes that the debugger will (1) be more reliable, and (2) not have any issues finding files. I could then stage and test sites on the windows 2012 server instance, which is the same as the production environment. I don't know what else to do. All in all, it just seems like everything is clunky and buggy, and i just want to get back to work... so freakin far behind, one brick wall after another... so i'm a whiny b#$ch right now.
Charlie Arehart
Fair enough. And to be clear, you were trying to work with the Eclipse Extensions for CF which were from CF8. They should work, but they are indeed quite old.
You say you are changing to CF10, but that may not help things. You’re still using the old “client”. BTW, you may also want to consider CFBuilder, which has the newer Adobe-provided debugger capability built-in.
I know this is a CFE group, so mentioning CFB is borderline heretical, but I’m just saying that the only formally supported CFML debugger for Eclipse (and CF Eclipse) is FD, so if you don’t want to use that, and can’t get the old Adobe extensions-based approach to work, then CFB is at least an alternative to consider, even if only for debugging. And note that you get a free trial (60 days, I think), after which it reverts to a free edition, and from my testing the step debugging does still work in that free edition.
All that said, I don’t see how the trace option would have led to “more frustration” of the sort you mention. It should not prevent the debugger starting, or affect what can be debugged. Are you really saying those problems arose after you put in that option and restarted CF? BTW, what version of CF are you talking to? The trace option (if it works) should instead HELP you solve the problem by showing what the debugger (on the server) receives as a request from the IDE (as the client). It really should help solve the problems you were describing before, not add to them. :-)
/charlie
From: cfeclip...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cfeclip...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of funaroma
Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 2:36 PM
To: CFEclipse Users
Subject: Re: [cfeclipse-users] debugger frustrations
I started down the path of trying the trace option, only to meet more frustration -- I'm having trouble simply getting the debugger to start when i set a breakpoint and load a page in the eclipse browser. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. when it does, eclipse on mac cannot find the files on the windows server, even though eclipse on my windows 7 instance handily finds them on the same server, with the same configuration.
funaroma
Answers below
On Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at 3:58:55 PM UTC-5, charlie arehart wrote:
Fair enough. And to be clear, you were trying to work with the Eclipse Extensions for CF which were from CF8. They should work, but they are indeed quite old.
Eclipse Extensions for ColdFusion, in Eclipse Mars. Yeah. they're old.
You say you are changing to CF10, but that may not help things. You’re still using the old “client”. BTW, you may also want to consider CFBuilder, which has the newer Adobe-provided debugger capability built-in.
I've been on CF10 the entire time... dev edition; first on windows 2012 and now hosting directly on mac with internal web server.
Had to play around with port forwarding, since tomcat is on 8500 and i couldn't change it to port 80 without running it as root. Just at the point now where i'm trying to figure out how to set up an individual/separate site.
I know this is a CFE group, so mentioning CFB is borderline heretical, but I’m just saying that the only formally supported CFML debugger for Eclipse (and CF Eclipse) is FD, so if you don’t want to use that, and can’t get the old Adobe extensions-based approach to work, then CFB is at least an alternative to consider, even if only for debugging. And note that you get a free trial (60 days, I think), after which it reverts to a free edition, and from my testing the step debugging does still work in that free edition.
I don't know if i was at the wrong site or something, but the only fusiondebug i saw was a 10 day trial and then $200 per year. I saw no options of anything reverting to a free edition.
All that said, I don’t see how the trace option would have led to “more frustration” of the sort you mention. It should not prevent the debugger starting, or affect what can be debugged. Are you really saying those problems arose after you put in that option and restarted CF? BTW, what version of CF are you talking to? The trace option (if it works) should instead HELP you solve the problem by showing what the debugger (on the server) receives as a request from the IDE (as the client). It really should help solve the problems you were describing before, not add to them. :-)
At the point where the debugger wouldn't reliably start after adding the trace switch, i started considering simplifying my configuration to be more like what everyone else seems to do - run CF/tomcat locally and enjoy life. That could just be my perception, and not reality of course. Again, talking to CF10 dev edition the whole time here.
I'm making the assumption that CF will run well on this machine directly... hope i'm not out of my mind on that...
Charlie Arehart
You say you appreciate my persistence, and I thank you for that, but then is your first in-line reply said in jest? Of course MARS is not old, but the Eclipse extensions for CF really are. They were released with CF8 in 2007, and have not been updated since. That’s what I was referring to. (I had no info on the Eclipse version you were using, and it wouldn’t have mattered with respect to this point.)
And as for your observation about not finding a free edition, well, you seem to have misread my words. I was referring to CFBuilder (also as “CFB”), which after 60 days reverts to a free edition. I should note as well that CFB is offered either as a standalone edition (Eclipse installed and branded as CFB), as well as a plug-in edition (which you can add to an existing Eclipse setup).
My point was simply that if perhaps the old Eclipse extensions for CF were a factor in your challenge, there are these other alternatives.
Since no one else here is interjecting on the challenge, we just won’t know if what you wanted to do originally (from Mac) could work. It may, or perhaps your new approach may.
Finally, not sure why you’re wanting to do port forwarding. You don’t need to use CF with its port 8500. That’s what you get if you tell it to not use an external web server. If you do have Apache or IIS, you can tell CF to use that, and then use port 80 to get to your CFML pages.
/charlie
From: cfeclip...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cfeclip...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of funaroma
Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 3:27 PM
To: CFEclipse Users
Subject: Re: [cfeclipse-users] debugger frustrations
I appreciate your persistence.
Answers below
On Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at 3:58:55 PM UTC-5, charlie arehart wrote:
funaroma
I must be exhaused... writing things wrong and reading things wrong too. I'll have to check and see what the free version of CFBuilder can do, indeed. I hate to be a penny-pincher, but it's been a really bad year here, both personally and professionally... not the least of which was having to start over with a brand new workstation.
As far as port forwarding, i have installed CF10 developer edition with internal web server. i was hoping to keep things as "dead simple" as i thought Adobe had intended. But in order to have the local browser access the local internal web server on port 80, simply changing the XML file is not enough, as the rule on mac is, anything under port 1024 requires elevated privileges... or port forwarding, so that a request on 80 is passed to tomcat's 8500. that much is working.
I cannot find a single, simple step by step process for adding additional hosts though. I have been windows/IIS forever and know my way around that cold. Editing all these config files is something i havent had to do in a long time, and it's quickly numbing my brain. I added a <host> block to my server.xml file for a separate website besides default; it's not working. But that's outside the topic of this thread of course, now. Other than... if i can get the separate website/host set up, then i can get back to configuring eclipse so that i can use the debugger... and maybe sometime before the end of the year, actually get back to writing code, lol.
Charlie Arehart
Thanks for the clarification. Hope you can get things sorted out.
/charlie
From: cfeclip...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cfeclip...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of funaroma
Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 6:54 PM
To: CFEclipse Users
Subject: Re: [cfeclipse-users] debugger frustrations
no no no. i only meant that i knew the CF Extensions were. I was simply agreeing with you. =D
I must be exhaused... writing things wrong and reading things wrong too. I'll have to check and see what the free version of CFBuilder can do, indeed. I hate to be a
<snip>
Alan Holden
"borderline heretical" - so what the heck.
Your comments read like you feel under-employed or perhaps lacking for
work. I have too much CFML contract work at the moment and could sub out
some. There's a contact form at akh.com if your interested.
Again, sorry to interrupt. Please continue your conversation of
debugging tools. It's been fun to lurk and read this one.
Al Holden
Charlie Arehart
(I only make this comment because it could be misconstrued since you concluded the previous sentence referring to me, but I assume you were basing your offer on his reference to having had "a really bad year", leading to "penny pinching".)
Kind of you to make him that offer.
/charlie
-----Original Message-----
From: cfeclip...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cfeclip...@googlegroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 10:43 PM
To: cfeclip...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [cfeclipse-users] debugger frustrations
Alan Holden
On retrospect, it does appear that my comment lacked a more fully
qualified target ;-]
Al
funaroma
I will make time today to complete the contact form you provided. I am headed out of town for a (much, much needed!) vacation until the end of the year, and upon my return i plan on being refreshed and much less on edge, lol. =D
Charlie, thanks again for your help so far. I managed to lose almost two days of work due to a really fun stomach bug that came around my way - bedridden all day yesterday(!) but perhaps that was a good thing, getting my mind out of this for a bit. I will definitely report back with anything new.