C and C++ SoftBench User's Guide

Using SoftBench Debugger
Examining and Changing Data in Your Program
Chapter 7 181
Examining and Changing Data in Your
Program
You can use SoftBench Debugger to view or change the values of
variables in your program. This feature directly accesses the underlying
debugger, and as such is very dependent on DDE features.
DDE accepts commands only when SoftBench Debugger has control (the
"Debugger Input" prompt is not greyed out) and your program is not
running. If you enter DDE commands when DDE is not accepting them,
DDE buffers the commands until it is ready to accept them. You can stop
your program with a breakpoint (see “Setting and Using Breakpoints” on
page 189) or by selecting Interrupt Program. You can examine variables
between steps if you single-step, or dynamically by setting a watchpoint
on the variables.
DDE evaluates variables in the scope of the Current Location, as
indicated in the "Current Location" line above the Editable Source
Area. Usually the Current Location follows the PC Location, so DDE
evaluates variables in the environment where your program executes.
For example, when you single-step through your source, the Current
Location is in the procedure you are stepping through.
If you want to evaluate a variable in the scope of another function on the
current call stack, use the ▲ and ▼ buttons next to the "Stack Frame"
label in the Current Location line (or choose "Show: Stack…" and choose
a stack frame in the "Stack View" window). This sets the Current
Location to the specified function in the call stack.
To evaluate in the scope of a function outside the current call stack (for
example, to evaluate a static variable local to a function), enter the
function name in the "()" input box and choose "Visit:
Procedure ( )" to set the Current Location to that function.
Finally, you can always specify the variable fully with the appropriate
DDE syntax (see “Specifying Variables” on page 178). This syntax
overrides the Current Location.
The PC arrow points to the line that will be executed next. If the PC
points to an assignment statement, the assignment has not yet been
executed. To see the result of an assignment statement, Step past it (or
Step Over it if it calls a function).