Debugger Limitations

When using the debugger you have to be aware of some of its limitations. Most of them are caused by the limitations of Smallworld's Virtual Machine itself.:

• Debugging is possible only for Smallworld™ CST 4.1 and higher.
• Debugger can be used only with methods, never with procedures or blocks of code.
• Debugger does not support multithreading. Thus two or more threads cannot be suspended on a single breakpoint at the same time. If two or more threads are running only the first will be suspended, the other ones will continue running.
• It is not recommended to save a session running in Debug mode to an image file.
• Breakpoint cannot be installed in the same line as result statement ( '>>' chevron). A quick solution is to change '>>' into '_return'.
• Method's comment can be not restored after installing a breakpoint - it happens only when the file has no '_package' definition. Moreover if a method is located in a different file than the declaration of a class, '_package' definition for this method should be the same as for the class.
• Loading Coverage Analyzer to the session running in Debug mode can cause the session to hang unless a specific patch is applied. Only then, Coverage Analyzer can be safely loaded and used, but never on the same classes/methods as MDT Debugger.
• It is not recommended to simultaneously debug the same methods in MDT and Very Simple Debugger. Breakpoints can get invalid during tool switches.

Local Debugging

Breakpoints
Stepping through the execution of Magik program

Debug view