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Enhance the Debugger

The current version of JMP debugger is not user-friendly especially to step through code. In order to be able to visualize the values of code before a breakpoint, the user is required to add the variables of interest to a watch window. This is extremely painful, inefficient and old. 
Provided below are samples from other tools, where debugging is much more easier and user friendly. 


Matlab - Debugger 



Visual Studio 

Moving the Pointer
Best 
Uday 

9 Comments
martindemel
Staff

In additon to Uday's comments the debugger should not stay as a own instance. It would be much better if it is possible to debug and change on the fly in the same editor. This is the standard in programming editors and most tools providing scripting.


 

uday_guntupalli
Level VIII

I would like to add more color to the potential features that can be added to the debugger: 

 

Feature 1: When the debugger is launched and a breakpoint is set, all the variables that are evaluated before that should the value that they have evaluated to when the user hovers over the variable.

MatlabSample.jpg

Feature 2: 

If you click and hover over a variable name in the Debugger, the value of the variable will appear in a tooltip.  This feature was broken between JMP 13.0 and 14.0.  However, the issue was fixed in JMP 14.1.  Below is an example to demonstrate.  

data.png

guillaumebugnon
Level V

Hi,

 

A button that allows "step by step" would be interesting too.

 

Regards,

Guillaume

bobmorrane
Level V
  • Add color! why does eveything have to be gray ? why not enable the same colors as the script editor ?

 

  • Error messages that show you exactly where the errors are! Sometimes it shows a green Arrow next to the error line but sometimes it doesn't. Why not ?

 

  • And why on earth is the error message displayed in the toolbar ? all too often one has to click on "more détails" button to read the full message.

 

  • Also, as martidemel proposed, it should not "stay as own instance". Being able to edit code as you debug would be very valuable. Also not having the debugger window as modal would be great. All too often it crashes JMP if you acccidentally click on another JMP window while the debugger is open. 

 

 

MWalther
Level II

I would appreciate a rework of the debugger.

To add on Matrin's suggestion to work more interactively between editor and debugger:
Breakpoints should be tied to the line of code. If I add/remove code, the breakpoint positions should follow.

A little hint about breakpints in "outcommented" lines would also be good (If I disable part of the code and a breakpoint gets disabled too.)

I strongly agree with Uday about the variables seen "automatically" when debugging. Beeing able to modify the content in addition would help.

 

regards, Marten

bobmorrane
Level V

Being able to see a window's variables before you close the window would be great too

Status changed to: Acknowledged

Hi @uday_guntupalli, thank you for your suggestion! We have captured your request and will take it under consideration.

hogi
Level XII

candidate of the Wish List Prioritization Survey - pilot run:
Introducing the JMP Wish List Prioritization Survey!