System, method and program product for executing a debugger

• US 8,752,023 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Golan, Nir, Zlotnick, Aviad
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US13/571,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20120304155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 717124-130, 717136-140
• US Class Current: 717/129
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/362 Software debugging

Abstract

A method for controlling a debugger, the method includes: determining whether to execute a certain breakpoint of the debugger in view of certain breakpoint conditional information and in view of at least one previous visit, during the execution of the debugger, to at least one other breakpoint of the debugger; and selectively executing the certain breakpoint in response to the determination.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a debugger, the method comprising:

using a processor of a system to associate breakpoint identification information to breakpoints of a debugger;

determining whether to execute a certain breakpoint of the debugger in view of certain breakpoint conditional information and in view of at least one previous visit, during the execution of the debugger, to at least one other breakpoint of the debugger using the processor of the system; and

selectively executing the certain breakpoint in response to the determination.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining is preceded by receiving a certain breakpoint conditional attribute that conditions an execution of the certain breakpoint by at least one previous visit, during the execution of the debugger, to the at least one other breakpoint.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining is responsive to a certain breakpoint conditional attribute that is a debugger primitive.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining is preceded by defining a certain breakpoint conditional attribute that conditions an execution of the certain breakpoint by at least one previous visit, during the execution of the debugger, to the at least one other breakpoint.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining is further responsive to at least one previous visit to the certain breakpoint.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising generating breakpoint visit indicators that comprise breakpoint identification information and number of visits information.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising limiting a number of visits that can affect the determining to a predefined number.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising limiting a number of breakpoints that once visited affect the determining.

9. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

determine whether to execute a certain breakpoint of a debugger in view of certain breakpoint conditional information and in view of at least one previous visit, during the execution of the debugger, to at least one other breakpoint of the debugger; and

execute the certain breakpoint in response to the determination, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to associate breakpoint identification information to breakpoints of the debugger.

10. The program product according to claim 9, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to determine whether to execute a certain breakpoint of the debugger in view of a certain breakpoint conditional attribute that is a debugger primitive.

11. The program product according to claim 9, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to receive a certain breakpoint conditional attribute that conditions an execution of the certain breakpoint by at least one previous visit, during the execution of the debugger, to the at least one other breakpoint.

12. The program product according to claim 9, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to define a certain breakpoint conditional attribute that conditions an execution of the certain breakpoint by at least one previous visit, during the execution of the debugger, to the at least one other breakpoint.

13. The program product according to claim 9, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to determine whether to execute a certain breakpoint of the debugger in view of at least one previous visit to the certain breakpoint.

14. The program product according to claim 9, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to generate breakpoint visit indicators that comprise breakpoint identification information and number of visits information.

15. The program product according to claim 9, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to limit a number of visits that can affect the determining to a predefined number.

16. The program product according to claim 9, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to limit a number of breakpoints that once visited affect the determining.