HP UX SoftBench Software manual Understanding SoftBench Debugger, 156

Using SoftBench Debugger

Understanding SoftBench Debugger

Understanding SoftBench Debugger

SoftBench Debugger provides interactive source and assembly-level debugging for software programs. It provides an area for viewing source code, an area for entering debugger commands, and areas for debugger output and program I/O. SoftBench Debugger also provides an interface for editing and rebuilding programs. When you work with SoftBench Debugger, you use the same language constructs as in the program you are debugging.

SoftBench Debugger operates in two modes. When you start it from the SoftBench window, it operates with the knowledge of your project data. If you start SoftBench Debugger directly from the command line, it operates with limited knowledge of your application and you may need to provide information such as where the source directories are located.

SoftBench Debugger lets you:

Display and modify variables

You can view the value of any type of data item in the program and display it in the most appropriate format. When necessary, you can change the value of a data item.

Trace program flow

You can execute one or more statements at a time, allowing you close examination of program flow and data areas. If you have a large program, you might prefer to set breakpoints at certain statements in the program. When the breakpoints occur, you can examine data areas and alter them if necessary. If your program contains several procedure calls, you might want to display the program stack to trace those calls.

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