org.netbeans.api.debugger.jpda/2 2.44

JPDA Debugger API
Official

The JPDA Debugger API module defines common API for Java debuggers.

See: Description

JPDA Debugger API 
Package Description
org.netbeans.api.debugger.jpda
JPDA Debugger APIs provide representation of JDI functionality.
org.netbeans.api.debugger.jpda.event  
org.netbeans.spi.debugger.jpda
JPDA Debugger SPIs defines support for Smart Stepping, Variables Filtering and filtering of all Debugger Views.

The JPDA Debugger API module defines common API for Java debuggers.
List of APIs:

What is New (see all changes)?

  • Apr 30 '13 A possibility to get/set mirror objects from debugger variables.

    MutableVariable interface is introduced. It's to be implemented by variables that can change their values. Field, LocalVariable and JPDAWatch now extend MutableVariable.

    Object createMirrorObject() method is added to Variable class and void setFromMirrorObject(Object obj) method is declared by MutableVariable.

  • Feb 27 '13 Breakpoints can deactivated.

    Two methods are added to JPDADebugger class: getBreakpointsActive() and setBreakpointsActive(boolean). The set method fires PROP_BREAKPOINTS_ACTIVE event.
    These methods are used to activate/deactivate all breakpoints in the debugger session. Initially, the breakpoints are active in the debugger session.

  • Feb 19 '13 Breakpoints can be made session-specific.

    getSession()/setSession() methods are added to JPDABreakpoint class. They can be used to make the breakpoint debugger session-specific.

  • Aug 4 '12 BreakpointsClassFilter provider introduced.

    BreakpointsClassFilter introduced to provide a customized set of classes for breakpoints.

  • Mar 23 '10 JPDADebugger.startListeningAndGetEngines().

    JPDADebugger.startListeningAndGetEngines() introduced to return the debugger engines that are started, for use by the fix of the defect #182439. This method is identical to JPDADebugger.startListening(), but returns the started engines.

Use Cases

UseCase I. - Install and use CPP debugger plug-in to NetBeans + Java Debugger.

CPP debugger plug-in installs support for debugging of some new language to the NetBeans IDE, and some new debugging engine. This implementation of debugger should share UI components (actions, Debugger Views, ...) with default NB Java Debugger. It should share basic debugger model too - notion of current context, current session, thread, call stack line, ...

CPP debugger plug-in installs:
  • New set of breakpoint types - CPPLineBreakpointType, CPPMethodBreakpointType...
    • This set of breakpoint types will have special cathegory in Add Breakpoint Dialog called "CPP". Each breakpoint type will install a new JPanel to Add Breakpoint Dialog.
    • ToggleBreakpointAction on CPP files will create / remove a instance of CPPLineBreakpointType.
  • Install some watches evaluator for CPP language.
  • Some new View to Debugger Window
  • Use Termilnal Emulator in Output Window as command line interface to CPP debugger plug-in.
  • Install / uninstall a columns to / from standard Debugger Window Views.
  • Redefine Nodes used for representation of CPP threads, watches, variables, callstacks, sessions and breakpoints
    • Add / remove some properties
    • Add / remove some actions
    • change icons
    • change display names
  • Register CPP Actions for:
    • Step Into, Over, Out, Continue, Pause, Start, Kill, Restart, Finish
  • Some new CPP specific actions.

UseCase II. - Install and use JSP debugger plug-in to NetBeans + Java Debugger.

JSP debugger plug-in installs support for debugging of some new language to the NetBeans Java Debugger. It does not contain a new debugger engine, but it delegates to standard NB Java debugger. So it does not depends on Debugger Core API only, but it depends on JavaDebugger API too.

JSP debugger plug-in installs:
  • New set of breakpoint types - JSPLineBreakpointType, ...
    • This set of breakpoint types will have special cathegory in Add Breakpoint Dialog called "JSP". Each breakpoint type will install a new JPanel to Add Breakpoint Dialog.
    • ToggleBreakpointAction on JSP files will create / remove a instance of JSPLineBreakpointType.
    • JSPLineBreakpointType delegates all functionality to JPDAClassBreakpoint and JPDALineBreakpoint
  • Some watches evaluator for JSP language expression. This evaluator delegates evaluation of Java expressions to standard JavaExpressionEvaluator.
  • Redefine Nodes used for representation of JSP callstacks and breakpoints
    • Add / remove some properties
    • Add / remove some actions
    • change icons
    • change display names
  • Register JSP Actions for:
    • Step Into, Over, Out
    • Implementation of this actions delegates to standard Java Step actions - it redefines Java stepping functionality.
  • JSP debugger plug in adds support for new programming language (JSP) to already running Java Session.

UseCase III. - Install and use J2EE debugger plug-in to NetBeans + Java Debugger.

J2EE debugger plug-in installs some enhancements to the standard Java Debugger. It does not contain a new debugger engine or language support. So it does not depends on Debugger Core API only, but it depends on JavaDebugger API too.

J2EE debugger plug-in installs:
  • New set of breakpoint types
  • Filter for Threads and Callstack Views. This filter should allow to:
    • Add / remove / modify nodes in this views.
  • Redefine Stepping (Smart Stepping) behaviour of default Java Debugger.
  • Some new View to Debugger Window

UseCase IV. - Install and use DBX debugger plug-in to NetBeans.

DBX debugger plug-in installs support for debugging of some new language (CPP) to the NetBeans IDE, and some new debugging engine. But it contains debugger engine for Java debugging too. DBX debugger engine has its own session management (or will have in the next versions). One debugger engine can manage more than one sessions. One engine supports debugging in more than one language.

Exported Interfaces

This table lists all of the module exported APIs with defined stability classifications. It is generated based on answers to questions about the architecture of the module. Read them all...
Group of java interfaces
Interface NameIn/OutStabilitySpecified in What Document?
JPDADebuggerAPIExportedOfficial../org-netbeans-api-debugger-jpda

Group of lookup interfaces
Interface NameIn/OutStabilitySpecified in What Document?

Group of property interfaces
Interface NameIn/OutStabilitySpecified in What Document?
SS_ACTION_STEPOUTExportedFriend

When set to Boolean.TRUE, this option is causing step out during smart-stepping instead of step into. Thus it much faster skips code that is not selected for debugging, but it may also skip code that should be debugged if it's called from a source that has debugging disabled. This is advantageous when the speed is important (e.g. in J2ME). This property can be set through a map of properties that is passed to JPDADebugger.attach (), like J2ME_DEBUGGER property.

Group of systemproperty interfaces
Interface NameIn/OutStabilitySpecified in What Document?
netbeans.debugger.show_hidden_breakpointsExportedPrivate

This system property is causing the breakpoints view to show also hidden breakpoints.

org.netbeans.modules.debugger.jpda.breakpoints.levelExportedPrivate

Logging level for informational messages about breakpoint submission and hits. They use Level.FINE and Level.FINER levels and are printed into the NetBeans message log.

netbeans.debugger.startExportedPrivate

When this system property is set, informational messages about start of JPDA debugger are printed into standard output (console).

netbeans.debugger.jditraceExportedPrivate

This system property sets the debug mode of the debuggee virtual machine via VirtualMachine.setDebugTraceMode() method. See the javadoc of that method for the description and possible values.

org.netbeans.modules.debugger.jpda.jdievents.levelExportedPrivate

Logging level for informational messages about received JDI events. They use Level.FINE level and are printed into the NetBeans message log.

netbeans.debugger.smartsteppingExportedPrivate

When this system property is set, informational messages about the smart stepping process are printed into standard output (console).

netbeans.debugger.noInvokeMethodsExportedPrivate

When this system property is set, methods invocation in debuggee is disabled.

org.netbeans.modules.debugger.jpda.invokeMethod.levelExportedPrivate

Logging level for messages about method invocation. They use Level.FINE level and are printed into the NetBeans message log.

org.netbeans.modules.debugger.jpda.getValue.levelExportedPrivate

Logging level for messages about variables evaluation. They use Level.FINE level and are printed into the NetBeans message log.

netbeans.debugger.viewrefreshExportedPrivate

When this system property is set, informational messages about the tasks that refresh debugger views are printed into standard output (console). The value of that property should contain 'w' for watches view, 'l' for local variables view, 'c' for call stack view, 's' for classes view and 't' for threads view.

Implementation Details

Where are the sources for the module?

The sources for the module are in the NetBeans Mercurial repositories.

What do other modules need to do to declare a dependency on this one, in addition to or instead of a plain module dependency?
Nothing.

Read more about the implementation in the answers to architecture questions.

org.netbeans.api.debugger.jpda/2 2.44

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