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13.4 Debug Mode

There are three additional support functions that allow the user to find out where in the execution of a script Octave entered the debug mode, and to print the code in the script surrounding the point where Octave entered debug mode.

: dbwhere ¶

In debugging mode, report the current file and line number where execution is stopped.

See also: dbstack, dblist, dbstatus, dbcont, dbstep, dbup, dbdown.

: dbtype ¶

: dbtype lineno ¶

: dbtype startl:endl ¶

: dbtype startl:end ¶

: dbtype fcn ¶

: dbtype fcn lineno ¶

: dbtype fcn startl:endl ¶

: dbtype fcn startl:end ¶

Display a script file with line numbers.

When called with no arguments in debugging mode, display the script file currently being debugged.

An optional range specification can be used to list only a portion of the file. The special keyword "end" is a valid line number specification for the last line of the file.

When called with the name of a function, list that script file with line numbers.

See also: dblist, dbwhere, dbstatus, dbstop.

: dblist ¶

: dblist n ¶

In debugging mode, list n lines of the function being debugged centered around the current line to be executed.

If unspecified n defaults to 10 (+/- 5 lines)

See also: dbwhere, dbtype, dbstack.

You may also use isdebugmode to determine whether the debugger is currently active.

: tf = isdebugmode () ¶

Return true if in debugging mode, otherwise false.

See also: dbwhere, dbstack, dbstatus.

Debug mode also allows single line stepping through a function using the command dbstep.

: dbstep ¶

: dbstep n ¶

: dbstep in ¶

: dbstep out ¶

: dbnext … ¶

In debugging mode, execute the next n lines of code.

If n is omitted, execute the next single line of code. If the next line of code is itself defined in terms of an m-file remain in the existing function.

Using dbstep in will cause execution of the next line to step into any m-files defined on the next line.

Using dbstep out will cause execution to continue until the current function returns.

dbnext is an alias for dbstep.

See also: dbcont, dbquit.

When in debug mode the RETURN key will execute the last entered command. This is useful, for example, after hitting a breakpoint and entering dbstep once. After that, one can advance line by line through the code with only a single key stroke. This feature may be disabled using the auto_repeat_debug_command function.

: val = auto_repeat_debug_command () ¶

: old_val = auto_repeat_debug_command (new_val) ¶

: old_val = auto_repeat_debug_command (new_val, "local") ¶

Query or set the internal variable that controls whether debugging commands are automatically repeated when the input line is empty (typing just RET).

When called from inside a function with the "local" option, the variable is changed locally for the function and any subroutines it calls. The original variable value is restored when exiting the function.