Programming Guide - Actian

How Debugging an Application WorksHow You Can Use the Watch FacilityThe watch facility examines selected local and global variables to determinewhether a change in their value has occurred or their specified value has beenreached.Control of execution during the watch state is the same as when theapplication is running in a normal state except that the Step To End choice isnot available. Control can be exercised by selecting Step, Step Into, orContinue while in the watch state of execution.The watch facility places the Debugger in a watch state whenever there areentries in the Watch window. You can use the Debugger window to examinethe value of watch items line by line until one or more of the watch values arereached or a watch change in value is triggered.The Tools, Watchpoint menu command lets you select a variable as awatchpoint. The value entered for the variable is the watch value. After awatch value is reached, the Debugger is given control at the beginning of thenext statement following the one that set the watch value.While the Debugger has control, you can do the following:• Examine new variables• Enter new watch values• Delete variables from either the Examine window (the data values displayarea) or the Watch window• Terminate the watch by deleting all of the variables in the Watch windowSet a WatchExecution continues when you again select one of the execution controloptions.You can access the watch facility from the Debugger window.To access the watch facility1. Select a variable in the displayed script.2. Click Tools, Watchpoint, Watch Value, or right-click the highlighted variableto display a pop-up menu and select Watch Value.The Watch Values dialog appears.3. Enter the desired watch value, or select the Watch for Change option tostart a watch for any change in value.4. Click OK.478 Programming Guide