Controlling PL/SQL Program Execution

You can control the execution of a PL/SQL program using most of the Visual Studio debugging commands available for other types of programs, however, the following debugging commands are not available:

  • Set the Execution Point

  • Edit and Continue

This section includes the following topics:

Starting the Oracle PL/SQL Debugger

Starting the Oracle PL/SQL Debugger is different for each of the three debugger modes. See the specific mode documentation for information on how to start the debugger:

Stepping Through a PL/SQL Program

You can step through the debugging execution using the debug step commands from the Visual Studio Debug menu or the Debug Toolbar.

Step Into

This command single-steps through source statements in a PL/SQL program.

You cannot step into an object method during debugging.

If a source statement is a call to other PL/SQL programs, the debugger enters the called PL/SQL program or programs. From there, how the debugger behaves depends on whether or not any called PL/SQL programs are compiled with the debug information as follows:

  • If the called PL/SQL programs are compiled with debug information, the debugger stops at the entry point of each program.

  • If the called PL/SQL programs are not compiled with the debug information, a message box appears with several choices. This is described in Behavior for PL/SQL Programs Compiled Without Debug Information.

Step Over

This command single-steps through source statements in a PL/SQL program.

If a source statement is a call to another PL/SQL program, the debugger stops at the next breakpoint or executes that PL/SQL program, and stops at the next source statement or the next breakpoint.

Step Out

This command is generally used from within a called PL/SQL program. It stops at the next breakpoint or completes the called program, returns execution to the calling program, and stops at the next source statement.

Continuing the Debug Execution

When the debugging process stops at a specific location, you can select Continue from the Visual Studio Debug Menu or from the Debug Toolbar to continue the PL/SQL program execution.

Stopping the Debug Processing

You can select Stop Debugging from the Visual Studio Debug Menu or from the Debug Toolbar to stop the PL/SQL program execution.

Breaking PL/SQL Program Execution

You can command the debugger to break into the PL/SQL debugging process, by selecting Break All from the Visual Studio Debug Menu or from the Debug Toolbar.

Running to the Cursor Location

When a PL/SQL program stops, you can command the debugger to stop program execution at a cursor location, as follows:

  1. Open the PL/SQL program in the source window.
  2. Place the cursor where you want the execution to stop.
  3. Right-click and from the menu, select Run To Cursor.