Inspecting and Modifying Values in the Debugger

Use the Inspect command from the Variables menu to display or modify the value of a primitive item or to inspect an item containing an object reference.

To inspect the value of an item

  1. Specify the selected item, by performing one of the following actions.

    • Click on the item in the method source window, and then click in the Inspect toolbar button or press Ctrl+I.

      The Inspector form is then displayed; that is, the Variable Inspector dialog is not displayed first.

    • Select the Inspect command from the Variables menu.

    • Click on the Inspect toolbar button.

    • Press Ctrl+I.

    The Inspect Variable dialog is then displayed. To enter longer expressions, you can resize the Inspect Variable dialog.

    The dialog accepts expressions that can be compiled and executed. There are no restrictions other than the expression able to be compiled and return a value. Expressions longer than 100 characters are accepted, and it is your responsibility for the effects that the expression may have on the database and execution of the method logic.

  2. In the Variable Name text box, specify the item to be inspected.

  3. Click the OK button.

If the item being inspected contains an object reference, an Inspector window is opened for that object. For details, see "Inspecting an Object Reference", later in this chapter.

You can also display the bubble help containing the current value of a local variable in a line of code in the Method Source window, by positioning the cursor over the local variable whose value you want displayed. However, inspection of properties from within the Jade debugger may fail if a user mapping method performs actions not suitable for situations where the execution of the user application is suspended; for example, the creation and display of a form, showing a form modally, display of a message box, deletion of an object in use by the current call stack, and so on.

For details about the circumstances under which bubble help is displayed by default, see "Displaying Code in the Method Source Window", earlier in this chapter.

If the item being inspected contains a primitive type, an invalid object reference, or a null object reference, or you right‑click in the Local Variables window and then select the Inspect command from the popup (context) menu that is displayed, the Variable Inspector dialog, shown in the following image, is displayed.

The name of the item on which the caret is positioned in the Method Source window is displayed and the primitive type, usage, and the current value are displayed in the group box.

You can resize the dialog or scroll the Value text box to view a long string or binary value, if required. The Value text box is resized as the dialog is resized.

The Value text box and Modify button are disabled if the variable cannot be modified; that is, it is an Any primitive type.

To modify the value of the variable associated with the current method that is executing in the debugger

  1. In the Value text box, specify the new value for the selected primitive type variable.

    The type of value that you specify must be the same as that of the selected value; for example, you cannot change the value of a numeric variable to a string value.

  2. Click the Modify button.

The Value text box and the Modify button are enabled only if it is valid to change the variable value.