Interactive source debugger

Shelley Rea Hunter

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Mar 11, 1997, 3:00:00 AM3/11/97

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We need an interactive source debugger that will work with the menu
structure currently in place. The tools used so far are:

STRSRCDBG: This tool was deemed inefficient on the AS400. I don't believe
it but it was taken away( it was a free software tool with no source but IT
WORKED). Now we struggle with trying to debug programs.

STRISDB: Works ok providing you write down or remember every parameter
being passed so you can call it. You can not use the menu system while in
debug mode. Therefore you can not run a few processes without going in and
out of debug mode at the right step. I prefer leaving the debug on and
using the menu at the same time. The debug tool should recognize the
program when it is called.

EXTERMINATE: Works similar to STRISDB and maybe worse. We had a demo
version here but it is not much better.

Can you help?? We need it to work with our menus.

Thanking you in advance,

Shelley Hunter (srhu...@mccain.ca)
McCain Foods Ltd.

Gary Guthrie

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Mar 11, 1997, 3:00:00 AM3/11/97

to Shelley Rea Hunter

Regarding debugging...

Can you fill us in on a few details?

1) What release of OS/400 are you running?
2) Are you trying to debug ILE, OPM or both?
3) Why specifically can you not debug programs using your menu system?

Gary Guthrie

Bill Thompson

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Mar 11, 1997, 3:00:00 AM3/11/97

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Have you ever tried STRSRVJOB. You can use your menu programs with this.
Works well if you have two terminals close together for interactive
programs. For batch programs hold the jobq then issuse the STRSRVJOB and
STRISDB then release the jobq. Check the Control Language Programmer's
Guide under Testing functions in section Using a job to debug another
job.
I find this works great for me because you can debug any program at any
time.

Shelley Rea Hunter wrote:
>
> We need an interactive source debugger that will work with the menu
> structure currently in place. The tools used so far are:
>

> STRISDB: Works ok .... You can not use the menu system while in

> debug mode. Therefore you can not run a few processes without going in and
> out of debug mode at the right step. I prefer leaving the debug on and
> using the menu at the same time. The debug tool should recognize the
> program when it is called.
>

Gary Guthrie

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Mar 11, 1997, 3:00:00 AM3/11/97

to Bill Thompson

> For batch programs hold the jobq then issuse the STRSRVJOB and
> STRISDB then release the jobq.

This procedure will not work for STRISDB. STRISDB requires that the job
be active. In other words, the job cannot be held when STRISDB is
issued. (At least as of V3R1)

See "Painless Batch Debugging", in the March, 1996 issue of News/400
where I describe batch debugging techniques for both STRDBG and STRISDB.

Gary Guthrie

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Mar 11, 1997, 3:00:00 AM3/11/97

to Shelley Rea Hunter

Here are the steps you can take to debug via STRISDB using your menu
system.

STRISDB for the program, specifying *NO for the invoke program
parameter. You will not need to pass any parameters.

When the command line is displayed, use GO MenuName (or whatever you do
to display your menu) and take the option to run the program.

The parameters will be passed from your menu program, the source will
pop up and you can set any breakpoints you wish and instruct the
debugger to continue.

Gary Guthrie

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Mar 11, 1997, 3:00:00 AM3/11/97

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Oops, I lost a year! Make that March, 1997 for "Painless Batch
Debugging".