Debugging with jdb

1. Set the configuration variable jde-db-debugger to jdb if you are using version 1.3 (or later) of the Windows or Solaris versions of the JDK or version 1.2.2 (or later) of the Linux version of the JDK. Set jde-db-debugger to oldjdb if you are using older versions of the JDK.
2. Use jde-db-set-source-paths to specify the paths of any source code that you expect to visit while debugging your application (see Specifying Source Code Paths). If you suspect that a problem is occurring in the Java API, you should include the API source files in your source path.
3. Compile your source files with the -g option (see Compiling Java Programs). This causes the compiler to insert information needed by the debugger into your application's class files.
4. Specify the app's main class either by running the jde-run-set-app command (you need only do this once) or by starting the debugger from the buffer that contains the source file for the main class.

Starting the Debugger

To start the debugger, run the jde-db command (JDE->Debug, C-c C-v C-d). The JDE splits the Emacs window into two frames. One shows the debugger interaction buffer. The other frame displays your application's main method. An arrow (=>) points to the main method's first line. The menu bar of the source buffer displays a menu (Jdb) of debug commands.

Setting Debugger Options Interactively

If you set the customization variable jde-db-read-vm-args to a non-nil value, the JDE compile command prompts you to enter debugger options in the minibuffer. It appends the options that you enter to the options specified via customization variables. The JDE saves the arguments that you enter in a minibuffer history list. You can recall previously entered options by pressing the up or down arrows on your keyboard.

Setting Command-Line Application Arguments Interactively

If you set the customization variable jde-db-read-app-args to a non-nil value, the JDE compile command prompts you to enter command-line application arguments in the minibuffer. It appends the options that you enter to the arguments specified via the customization variable jde-db-option-application-args. The JDE saves the arguments that you enter in a minibuffer history list. You can recall previously entered options by pressing the up or down arrows on your keyboard.

Entering Debugger Commands

The JDE lets you enter commands from either the current source buffer or from the debugger command-line interaction buffer. You can enter all debugger commands from the debugger buffer. You can enter only a subset of debugger commands from the current source buffer.

Entering Commands from the Current Source Buffer

The current source buffer is the buffer in which your program is currently halted (initially the buffer containing the source for your program's main class).To enter a debugger command from the current source buffer, select the command from the jdb menu or type the shortcut key for the command. The jdb menu lists the shortcut keys for debugger commands.

Entering Commands in the Debugger Interaction Window

To enter a command in the debugger interaction window, type the command at the debugger prompt and press the Enter key. To see a list of debugger commands, enter the command help.

Running an Application Step-by-Step

Set a breakpoint at the line where you want to begin stepping through your program (see Setting Breakpoints). Then,  type the run command. The debugger runs your program, stopping at the breakpoint. At this point, you can step through your code by entering commands in either the Java source buffer or the jdb interaction buffer.

• In the source buffer, choose Jdb->Step (C-x C-a C-s) or Jdb->Next (C-x C-a C-n) to step into or step over the current line, respectively. Select Jdb->Continue (C-x C-a C-r) to continue to the next breakpoint or to the end of your program, whichever comes first.
• In the jdb buffer, enter step, next, or cont at the jdb command prompt.

The debugger executes the current line and stops at the next line. If the next line is in another source file, the debugger opens the source file in the source buffer (replacing the existing file) and positions the display at the new stopping point. At this point, you can enter a debugger command to display the value of a variable, set or clear a breakpoint, or perform some other operation.

Note. A blank source buffer indicates that the debugger cannot find the source file into which you have stepped. You should check your source path setting (see Specifying Source Code Paths) to ensure that it includes all source files in the execution path of your program.

Setting Breakpoints

You can set breakpoints in the debugger  buffer or the current source buffer. When setting breakpoints from the current source buffer, you can set breakpoints only in the class displayed in the buffer. If you want to set breakpoints at other points in your program, you must set them from the debugger interaction buffer.

Setting Breakpoints from the Debugger Buffer

The stop in command sets a breakpoint in a specified function. For example,

     > stop in myapp.Main.main

sets a breakpoint in the main method of myapp.Main class. The stop at command sets a breakpoint at a particular line. For example,

> stop at myapp.Main:20

sets a breakpoint at line 20 of myapp.Main class. Use the clear command to clear a breakpoint from a specified line. For example,

> clear myapp.Main:20

clears the breakpoint set at line 20 of myapp.Main.

Setting Breakpoints in the Source Buffer

To set a breakpoint on any executable line in the source file buffer, click on the line and select Jdb->Set Breakpoint (C-x SPC). To clear a breakpoint from a line in the current buffer, click on the line and select Jdb->Remove Breakpoint (C-x C-a C-d).

The jde-db-source-directories variable specifies the directories the JDE should search for source for classes visited by the debugger as you step through your program. You can set the value of this variable in a customization buffer or in the minibuffer.

Using Customization to Set Source Paths

To use customization, select JDE->Options->Project and edit the jde-db-source-directories entry in the resulting customization buffer. To show the current value of the variable, select the Show/Hide button. To add a directory, click the last INS button in the list  and enter the directory in the resulting edit field. When you are done adding entries, press the State button to set the variable. To save the setting in your project file, select JDE->Options->Save Project. The following figure shows an example of the jde-db-source-directories entry in a customization buffer.

You must specify the paths of the top-level directories of any source code that you might visit while debugging your application. The source code directory structure must mirror your app's package structure. For example, suppose that your application includes a set of classes packaged in the myapp directory. Then, the source for those classes must be reside in a directory named myapp and you must specify the path of myapp's parent directory.

Tip: If you want to step through the JDK source code, select the source code install option when you install the JDK and set the jde-db-source-directoiries variable to  the top-level directory containing the source code. The JDE will use the JDK's package structure to find the source code in the subdirectories.

Tip: Save the setting of jde-db-source-directories in your prj.el file (see Saving Project Settings) to avoid having to set them every time you start a session.

Displaying Variables

The debugger lets you display the value of any local variable currently in scope. To display a variable from the debugger buffer, enter print x at the debugger prompt where x is the name of the variable whose value you want to display. The debugger displays the value of the variable in the debugger buffer. To display a local, in-scope variable whose source is displayed in the debugger source buffer, put the point on the variable and select Jdb->Print Expression or type C-x C-a C-p. To display all variables in scope, enter locals at the debugger command prompt in the debugger buffer.

When the debugger displays a user-defined object, it prints the value returned by the object's toString() method. By default, the toString() method returns the object's id. You can override the toString()

Debug Options

The JDE allows you to specify debug options by setting JDE configuration variables.You can use the Emacs customization feature to set debug variables interactively. To use the customization feature, select Options->Debug from the JDE menu. (See Configuring the JDE for more information on using the customization feature). In some cases, the JDE also provides functions for setting the buffer-local values of the compilation variables. To save the compilation settings in the project file (see Using Project Files) for the current source buffer, select Options->Update Project from the JDE menu.

The following table lists the JDE run-time variables and the functions used to set them.