Using Breakpoints
Using the Watch Properties Dialog Box
The Debug Inspector
Other Debugging Tools
Stepping Through Your Code
Debugging Techniques
Debugger Options
Workshop

Essential Cookies: Certain cookies are necessary in order for you to use our websites. These are used 'in-session' each time you visit and then expire when you leave the site. Remarks: all options for debugging are set properly (as for F7 causes delphi stop at the 'begin' of the program, blue dots are visible in the whole unit the line stays red while executing the app) and all DCUs that have according PAS files were deleted from all of my disks and within all folders, before I did a complete build on the whole project.

A major feature of the Delphi IDE is the integrated debugger. The debugger enablesyou to easily set breakpoints, watch variables, inspect objects, and do much more.Using the debugger, you can quickly find out what is happening (or not happening)with your program as it runs. A good debugger is vital to efficient program development.

Debugging is easy to overlook. Don't tell anyone, but when I first started Windowsprogramming, I ignored the debugger for a long time because I had my hands full justlearning how to do Windows programming. When I found out how valuable a good debuggeris, I felt a little silly for cheating myself out of the use of that tool for solong. Oh well, live and learn. You have the luxury of learning from my mistakes.Today, you learn about what the debugger can do for you.

The IDE debugger provides several features and tools to help you in your debuggingchores. The following are discussed today:

Debugger menu items
Using breakpoints
Inspecting variables with the Watch List
Inspecting objects with the Debug Inspector
Other debugging tools
Stepping through code
Debugging techniques

Why Use the Debugger?

The quick answer is that the debugger helps you find bugs in your program. Butthe debugging process isn't just for finding and fixing bugs--it is a developmenttool as well. As important as debugging is, many programmers don't take the timeto learn how to use all the features of the IDE debugger. As a result, they costthemselves time and money, not to mention the frustration caused by a bug that isdifficult to find.

You begin a debugging session by starting up the program under the debugger. Youautomatically use the debugger when you click the Run button on the toolbar. Youcan also choose Run|Run from the main menu or press F9 on the keyboard.

The Debugging Menu Items

Before getting into the details of the debugger, let's review the menu items thatpertain to the debugger. Some of these menu items are on the main menu under Run,and others are on the Code Editor context menu. Table 10.1 lists the Code Editorcontext menu items specific to the debugger along with their descriptions.

TABLE 10.1. CODE EDITOR CONTEXT MENU DEBUGGING ITEMS.

Item	Shortcut	Description
Toggle Breakpoint	F5	Toggles a breakpoint on or off for the current line in the Code Editor.
Run to Cursor	F4	Starts the program (if necessary) and runs it until the line in the editor window containing the cursor is reached.
Item	Shortcut	Description
Inspect	Alt+F5	Opens the Debug Inspect window for the object under the cursor.
Goto Address	Ctrl+Alt+G	Enables you to specify an address in the program at which program execution will resume.
Evaluate/Modify	Ctrl+F7	Enables you to view and/or modify a variable at runtime.
Add Watch at Cursor	Ctrl+F5	Adds the variable under the cursor to the Watch List.
View CPU	Ctrl+Alt+C	Displays the CPU window.

The Run item on the main menu has several selections that pertain to running programsunder the debugger. The Run menu items enable you to start a program under the debugger,to terminate a program running under the debugger, and to specify command-line parametersfor your program, to name just a few functions. Some items found here are duplicatedon the Code Editor context menu. Table 10.2 shows the Run menu items that controldebugging operations.

TABLE 10.2. THE RUN MENU'S DEBUGGING ITEMS.

Item	Shortcut	Description
Run	F9	Compiles the program (if needed) and then runs the program under the control of the IDE debugger. Same as the Run toolbar button.
Parameters	None	Enables you to enter command-line parameters for your program and to assign a host application when debugging a DLL.
Step Over	F8	Executes the source code line at the execution point and pauses at the next source code line.
Trace Into	F7	Traces into the method at the execution point.
Trace to Next Source Line	Shift+F7	Causes the execution point to move to the next line in the program's source code.
Run to Cursor	F4	Runs the program and pauses when program execution reaches the current line in the source code.
Show Execution Point	None	Displays the program execution point in the Code Editor. Scrolls the source code window if necessary. Works only when program execution is paused.
Program Pause	None	Pauses program execution as soon as the execution point enters the program's source code.
Program Reset	Ctrl+F2	Unconditionally terminates the program and returns to the Delphi IDE.
Inspect	None	Displays the Inspect dialog box so that you can enter the name of an object to inspect.
Evaluate/Modify	Ctrl+F7	Displays the Evaluate/Modify dialog box.
Add Watch	Ctrl+F5	Displays the Watch Properties dialog box.
Add Breakpoint	None	Displays a submenu that contains items to add a source, address, data, or module load breakpoint.

You will use these menu items a lot when you are debugging your programs. Youshould also become familiar with the various keyboard shortcuts for the debuggingoperations. Now let's take a look at breakpoints and how to use them in your program.

Using Breakpoints

When you run your program from the Delphi IDE, it runs at full speed, stoppingonly where you have set breakpoints.

New Term: A breakpoint is a marker that tells the debugger topause program execution when it reaches that place in the program.

Setting and Clearing Breakpoints

To set a breakpoint, click in the editor window's gutter to the left of the lineon which you want to pause program execution (the gutter is the gray margin alongthe Code Editor window's left edge). The breakpoint icon (a red circle) appears inthe gutter and the entire line is highlighted in red. To clear the breakpoint, clickon the breakpoint icon and the breakpoint is removed. You can als

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