The JPDA Debugger API module defines common API for Java debuggers.
List of APIs:
- Oct 26 '16 Differentiate application-level exceptions
InvalidExpressionException can be thrown as a result
of an application-level exception. We need to differentiate this case
from exceptions thrown from NetBeans code. A boolean argument in the
constructor and a method hasApplicationTarget() are
added to InvalidExpressionException for this purpose.
- Oct 21 '15 Enhanced smart-stepping.
SmartSteppingCallback.stopAt() method added to be able
to override the default smart-stepping logic and provide specific
steps that should be performed at given locations.
- Jul 10 '15 Add methods for retrieval of implemented and extended types.
Methods that provide implemented and extended types were added to
JPDAClassType class. These are:
- getSubClasses()
- getAllInterfaces()
- getDirectInterfaces()
- isInstanceOf()
Associated with this is also an ability to retrieve the reflected type
from the class variable. Therefore, we add following method
to ClassVariable:
- Sep 8 '14 Add information about native methods into EditorContext.Operation.
A new method createMethodOperation(), which takes
boolean isNative is added to EditorContext
class. The EditorContext.Operation has isNative()
method to retrieve that information. The implementation retrieves the
native flag from parser information, therefore there can occur native
methods at runtime, which are not marked as native by this flag.
- Oct 24 '13 Add a way to create mirror objects in the target VM and execute static methods.
createMirrorVar() methods are introduced in JPDADebugger class. They
create a mirror object in the target virtual machine.
Similar to invokeMethod() method on ObjectVariable, invokeMethod()
is introduced on JPDAClassType for invocation of static methods.
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
Group of lookup interfaces
| Interface Name | In/Out | Stability | Specified in What Document? |
|
Group of property interfaces
| Interface Name | In/Out | Stability | Specified in What Document? |
| SS_ACTION_STEPOUT | Exported | Friend |
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 Name | In/Out | Stability | Specified in What Document? |
| netbeans.debugger.show_hidden_breakpoints | Exported | Private |
This system property is causing the breakpoints view to show also hidden
breakpoints.
|
| org.netbeans.modules.debugger.jpda.breakpoints.level | Exported | Private |
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.start | Exported | Private |
When this system property is set, informational messages about start of
JPDA debugger are printed into standard output (console).
|
| netbeans.debugger.jditrace | Exported | Private |
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.level | Exported | Private |
Logging level for informational messages about received JDI events.
They use Level.FINE level and are printed into the NetBeans message log.
|
| netbeans.debugger.smartstepping | Exported | Private |
When this system property is set, informational messages about the smart
stepping process are printed into standard output (console).
|
| netbeans.debugger.noInvokeMethods | Exported | Private |
When this system property is set, methods invocation in debuggee is disabled.
|
| org.netbeans.modules.debugger.jpda.invokeMethod.level | Exported | Private |
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.level | Exported | Private |
Logging level for messages about variables evaluation.
They use Level.FINE level and are printed into the NetBeans message log.
|
| netbeans.debugger.viewrefresh | Exported | Private |
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.