SAP NEWS-610-DEBUGGER documentation, setup help and example usage

Debugger in Release 6.10

1 Displaying program attributes
2 Displaying data references
3 Special display of deep data objects
4 Setting breakpoints in methods
5 Support for class-based exceptions
6 Debugging mode for Business Server Pages with ABAP scripting
7 Copying breakpoints from HTTP and update sessions
8 Displaying instructions for the database interface
9 Forward and backward navigation in the source text
10 Displaying memory consumption
11 Displaying Unicode fragment view


ABAP_MODIFICATION_1 Displaying
program attributes

If you choose Goto - Further Information - Program Attributes
then the system will display the attributes fixed point arithmetic, system program, and Unicode check.


ABAP_MODIFICATION_2 Displaying data references

If you double-click a data reference in the Field Name column then the subsequent screen will contain technical information about that reference. A double click in the Field Content column will display the content of the data reference. The object referred to will be displayed, if you doubleclick the data reference dref- * in the Field Name column.


ABAP_MODIFICATION_3 Special display of deep data objects

To display the headers of strings, internal tables, data references, and object references, you must prefix them with an asterisk. For example, to display the header of the internal table itab in hexadecimal form, you must enter *itab in the Field Name column. In the case of tables without headers
the field content only contains zeroes.

If you prefix the data object name with an ampersand, the relevant reference to the string, internal table, data reference, or object reference is displayed in hexadecimal form. For example, specifying
str will display the reference to the string str .


ABAP_MODIFICATION_4 Setting breakpoints in methods

By choosing Breakpoint - Breakpoint at - Method you can set a breakpoint for a method.


ABAP_MODIFICATION_5 Support for class based-exceptions

The following functions are available if an exception occurs:
If the INTO ref addition is missing from the
CATCH statement, you can create an exception object in the Debugger under Settings.
If you choose the Display Exception Object icon, the system will display the attributes and interfaces of the exception class with their contents in the subsequent screen.
If you choose Statement That Caused the Exception the system goes to the line in the source code in which the exception was caused. The statement that caused the exception is explicitly indicated in the source code.


ABAP_MODIFICATION_6 Debugging mode for Business Server Pages with ABAP scripting

Business Server Pages (
BSP ) can now be run in debugging mode. It is also possible to display and set breakpoints. Business Server Pages can be displayed in the Object Navigator , if you select an appropriate application by choosing BSP Applications.


ABAP_MODIFICATION_7 Copying breakpoints from HTTP and
update sessions

If you call an HTTP or update session
from a logical unit of work ( LUW ) then a new work processes will be started for thess sessions . Any breakpoints that were set in this calling logical unit of work are carried over to the new sessions and can be displayed by choosing
Breakpoints . For example, if you call the update module func
using CALL FUNCTION func IN UPDATE TASK , then the new work process will be displayed in a new window, provided you selected Update Debugging under Settings in debugging mode. Here you can process all the breakpoints that were set in the calling logical unit of work.


ABAP_MODIFICATION_8 Displaying instructions for the database interface

You can now check the last statements sent to the database. In order to do so, choose Goto - System - System Areas after the Debugger has been started and enter Area = OSQL in the input field.


ABAP_MODIFICATION_9 Forward and backward navigation in the source text

If you choose Debugging - Goto Statement , then the system will go to that line in which the cursor is positioned. This allows simple forward and backward navigation within the displayed source code.


ABAP_MODIFICATION_10 Displaying memory consumption

If you choose Settings - Memory Display On/Off , the system displays the memory consumption for objects, tables, references, or individual fields. In so doing, it differentiates between allocated and referenced memory and also displays the memory consumption actually used for every data object.

To see a hit list of the 25 data objects with the highest memory consumption choose Goto - System - System Areas . The following values can be entered in the Area field:
ITAB-TOP25 for the display of internal tables
OBJ-TOP25 for the display of objects
REF-TOP25 for the display of references
ALL-TOP25 for the display of all data objects


ABAP_MODIFICATION_11 Displaying Unicode fragment view

If you choose Goto - Display Data Object - System Information
the system displays the Unicode fragment view . In this view structures, internal tables, strings, data references, and objects are broken down into alignment gaps, character-type areas, byte-type areas, and all other types - such as P, I, F, strings, references or internal tables.

The system groups adjacent, character-type components - with the exception of strings - only if there are no alignment gaps between these components. In so doing, it observes all alignment requirements. In the same way, adjacent byte-type components are also grouped together.

Documentation extract taken from SAP system, � Copyright SAP AG. All rights reserved