Breakpoint Setting Through a Debugger User Interface

Abstract

A debugging system may display snapshot information that may be collected in response to an event identified while an application executes. The debugging system may allow a user to browse the various data elements in the snapshot, and may allow the user to modify a snapshot configuration by including or excluding various data elements within the snapshot data. The user interface may have a mechanism for including or excluding data elements that may be presented during browsing, as well as options to change the events that may trigger a snapshot. The updated snapshot configuration may be saved for future execution when the event conditions are satisfied.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 at least one processor;   a debug user interface comprising:
 a source code viewing area; and 
 a local variable viewing mechanism. 
   a debug viewer executing on said at least one processor, said debug viewer that:
 retrieves a first instance of a snapshot, said first instance of said snapshot being taken during execution of an application and containing local variable values and call stack data; 
 said first instance comprising a first value for a first local variable, said first instance being stored in a first repository; 
 displays said first value in said debug user interface and displays at least some source code relating to said first local variable in said user interface; 
 retrieves a second instance of a snapshot, said second instance of said snapshot being taken during said execution of said application; 
 said second instance comprising a second value for a first local variable, said second instance being stored in said first repository; and 
 displays said second value in a user interface and displays at least some source code relating to said first local variable in said user interface; 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , said first instance of said snapshot comprising at least a portion of source code for said application. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , said first instance of said snapshot comprising at least a pointer to a location in source code. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , said system further comprising:
 a source code library comprising a first version of said source code, said first version being executed as said application when said first instance of said snapshot is taken;   said first instance of said snapshot comprising a reference to said first version of said source code.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , said debug user interface comprising:
 a timeline comprising a plurality of indicators, each of said indicators representing an instance of said snapshot.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , said debug user interface further comprising:
 a snapshot mechanism by which a user may select said first instance of said snapshot.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , said debug user interface further comprising:
 controls comprising a pause mechanism, said pause mechanism causing said application to pause executing.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , said debug user interface further comprising:
 a browser that displays a plurality of local variables while said application has paused executing; and   a user control that selects said first local variable as a value to be collected during a future snapshot.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , said debug user interface further comprising:
 a user input mechanism that identifies a condition for taking said first snapshot.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , said condition comprising a predefined value for a second local variable. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , said condition comprising a predefined value for a global variable. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , said condition comprising a predefined event. 
     
     
         13 . A method performed by at least one computer processor, said method comprising:
 retrieving a first instance of a snapshot from a repository, said snapshot being generated by collecting a set of values while an application is paused, prior to continuing executing said application, said snapshot defining a set of data to collect and an event that when satisfied causes said set of data to be collected;   displaying at least a portion of said first instance on a user interface, said first instance comprising a value for a first local variable and at least a portion of a call stack;   browsing said first instance of said snapshot by receiving a first input to display a second local variable value and displaying said second local variable value; and   retrieving a first portion of source code related to said first instance of said snapshot and displaying said first portion of source code.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , said first portion of source code being contained in said first instance of said snapshot. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , said first portion of source code being retrieved from a source code repository, said first instance of said snapshot being stored in a snapshot repository. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 causing said application to pause execution; 
 while said application is paused, receiving a current value for said first local variable and displaying said current value. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising:
 identifying a second local variable; and 
 adding said second local variable to said snapshot definition. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising:
 receiving an event description, said event description defining said event. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , said event description comprising an expression comprising said second local variable. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , said event description comprising an expression comprising a global variable.