Attaching the Debugger to a Running Application

The Attach Debugger command in the Jade User Interrupt submenu enables you to dynamically attach the JADE debugger to a running application, provided that the JADE development environment is also being run by that client.

The Jade User Interrupt menu provides the Attach Debugger command for each application, which enables you to initiate the JADE debugger. The application execution halts in the debugger at the next debugged method logic statement.

By default, only methods that begin execution after the JADE debugger is attached can be debugged, because the JADE Interpreter executes methods using two different execution engines: normal execution and debugger execution. Normal execution is significantly faster and cannot be debugged. As a result, any methods already in execution will not halt on breakpoints or allow debug break and step. The exceptions to this are:

• If the debugger was attached to an application, the debugger is closed and then subsequently re‑attached.

• Running the application in debug‑ready mode; that is, by checking the Run in Debug Ready Mode check box on the JADE Run Application dialog, which runs the application in debug mode but without the debugger being initiated when this is checked. Attaching to that application then allows debugging of any method already on the execution stack. (Note that if the application is idle and no modal dialogs are displayed, attaching the debugger is equivalent to running in debug‑ready mode.)

To attach a running application to the JADE debugger

• Select the Attach Debugger command in the Jade User Interrupt submenu.

If the application is in a loop, attaching the debugger breaks only if the application is debug‑ready or if the logic begins execution of another user‑defined method after the attach action.

If you use the Jade User Interrupt menu Break Application command and the logic being executed is debug‑ready, it causes a debugger break if logic is being executed.