The Debug Console and Windows

The Debug Console is the Builder's central debugging workspace. It is where you display and work with breakpoints, local variables and parameters, globals and form values, and stack frames.

When application execution is suspended during debugging, debug information associated with the current execution context is found in various debug windows in the console. Use the windows to examine the call stack, enable and disable breakpoints, inspect and modify local and global variables, and so on.

Debug Console

You can resize, move, maximize, and minimize the Debug Console, just like any other window.

The Debug Console includes the following:

Debug Console Button Description

Console toolbar

Contains various window buttons for you to toggle showing and hiding the debug windows.

Stack button

Click to toggle showing and hiding the Stack window.

Variables button

Click to toggle showing and hiding the Variables window.

Watch button

Click to toggle showing and hiding the Watch window.

Form Values button

Click to toggle showing and hiding the Form Values window.

PL/SQL Packages button

Click to toggle showing and hiding the PL/SQL Packages window.

Global/System Variables button

Click to toggle showing and hiding the Global/System Variables window.

Breakpoints button

Click to toggle showing and hiding the Breakpoints window.

Debug windows

Debug windows are accessible from the window buttons in the Debug Console toolbar or from the Debug | Debug Windows submenu.

The debug windows display inside the console (docked) or outside the console (undocked or floating) and provide information about the program state relevant to the current execution context during debugging. As you show and hide debug windows in the console, the windows automatically contract and expand to fill the console.

To undock debug windows from the console, click the upward pointing arrow (Undock) in the top right corner of the window. To dock, click the downward pointing arrow (Dock). When undocked, you can resize, move, minimize, or maximize a floating window, just like any other window.

Pop-up menu commands (right-click in Windows) are also accessible from the top line in the debug window (above the tab names). The commands available are:

The debug windows are:

Debug Window Description

Stack

Displays the stack frames, each of which corresponds to a subprogram call, in the current execution context.

Variables

Displays the local variable values of the current stack frame.

Watch

Displays Form values and different types of variable values on a single window for monitoring.

Form Values

Displays the currently loaded form modules and the values of the forms.

PL/SQL Packages

Displays the instantiated PL/SQL packages in the currently running modules.

Global/System Variables

Displays the values of global variables, system variables, and command line parameters in the current execution context.

Breakpoints

Displays the list of breakpoints and break on exceptions created in the current Builder session.


Hide and Show a Debug Window

Hide and Show the Debug Console

Resize a Debug Window in the Debug Console

Resize Columns in a Debug Window

Undock and Dock a Debug Window

Form Values Window