Debugging

Brandon Krakowsky
Debugging in Eclipse

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What is Debugging?
• Debugging allows you to run a program interactively while watching the source code and the
variables during the execution
• A breakpoint in the source code specifies where the execution of the program should stop
during debugging
• Once a program is stopped, you can investigate variables (and even change their content)

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Debugging Support in Eclipse
• Eclipse allows you to start a Java program in Debug mode
• Eclipse provides a Debug perspective, which gives you a pre-configured set of views
• Eclipse allows you to control the execution flow via debug commands

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Setting Breakpoints
• To define a breakpoint in your source code, right-click in the left margin in the Java editor and
select “Toggle Breakpoint”

• You can also double-click on this position in the margin to toggle a breakpoint

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Setting Breakpoints
• For example, here we’ve set a breakpoint on the line:
int max = 10;

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Starting the Debugger
• To debug your application, do the following:
- Select your program (Java file) in the Package Explorer
- Go to “Debug As” • “Java Application”

• You can also use the Debug button in the Eclipse toolbar

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Starting the Debugger
• Eclipse might ask you if you want to open the Debug perspective once a stop point is reached
- Click “Switch”

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Controlling the Program Execution
• Eclipse provides buttons in the toolbar for controlling the execution of the program you are
debugging

• The Step Into (F5) button executes the currently selected line and goes to the next line in your
program
- If the selected line is a method call, the debugger steps into the associated code

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Controlling the Program Execution
• Eclipse provides buttons in the toolbar for controlling the execution of the program you are
debugging

• The Step Over (F6) button steps over the call

• This means it executes a method without stepping into it in the debugger

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Controlling the Program Execution
• Eclipse provides buttons in the toolbar for controlling the execution of the program you are
debugging

• The Step Return (F7) button steps out to the caller of the currently executed method
- This finishes the execution of the current method and returns to the caller of this method

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Controlling the Program Execution
• Eclipse provides buttons in the toolbar for controlling the execution of the program you are
debugging

• The Resume (F8) button tells the Eclipse debugger to resume the execution of the program code
until it reaches the next breakpoint

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Controlling the Program Execution
• The Debug view shows the parts of the program which are currently executed and how they
relate to each other

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Evaluating Variables in the Debugger
• The Variables view displays variables with their current values

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Evaluating Variables in the Debugger
• The Variables view displays variables with their current values

• Use the drop-down menu in the top-right of the Variables view to display static variables

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Evaluating Variables in the Debugger
• You can customize the displayed columns

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Evaluating Variables in the Debugger
• You can customize the displayed columns

• For example, you can show the “Actual Type”

of each variable declaration

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Evaluating Variables in the Debugger
• The Variables view now displays the “Actual Type” for each variable

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Returning to Java Perspective
• To go back to the Java perspective (and exit the Debug perspective), click the Java button on the
right of the Eclipse toolbar

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Debugging Examples - People

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Person Class

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Person Class

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Person Class
• Start debugging using the Java stack trace displayed in the console
- It contains hyperlinks for jumping to particular source code locations

Execution of code leading to an Exception starts here

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Person Class
• Add a breakpoint and debug in the Debug perspective …

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Person Class
• … then fix the bug by creating and adding at least one person

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Person Class
• Start debugging again using the Java stack trace displayed in the console

Execution of code leading to an Exception starts here

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Person Class
• Add a 2nd breakpoint and debug in the Debug perspective …

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Person Class
• … then fix the bug by setting the person’s name

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Person Class

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Debugging Examples – Syllable Counter

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SyllableCounter Class

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Word Class

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Word Class

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Word Class

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Word Class

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Word Class

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Word Class

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SyllableCounter Class
• Run the program and type a sentence ending with a period

• Note the output:

- Every word lost its last character

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SyllableCounter Class
• Add a breakpoint and debug in the Debug perspective …
- Step Into the getText method to see what’s happening

• Note: By default, Step Into will

enter the first method it finds on
the line

• Step Into will first enter the println method. You’ll have to Step Return out of the println
method, then Step Into the getText method.

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SyllableCounter Class
• Now, add a new breakpoint where the instance of Word is created …
- Step Into the Word constructor

• Note: By default, Step Into

will enter the first method
it finds on the line

• Step Into will first enter a loadClass method in the ClassLoader. You’ll have to Step Return out of
the loadClass method, then Step Into the Word constructor.

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Word Class
• Step Over each line in the Word class constructor

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Word Class
• … then fix the bug by correctly setting i and j

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SyllableCounter Class
• Run the program and type a sentence ending with a period

• Note the output:

- The syllables are counted incorrectly

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SyllableCounter Class
• Add a breakpoint and debug in the Debug perspective …
- Step Into the countSyllables method to see what’s happening

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Word Class
• … then fix the bug by correctly resetting the insideSyllable variable

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SyllableCounter Class
• Run the program and type a sentence ending with a period

• Note the output:

- It’s not perfect, but it’s getting there!

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