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Table Of Contents
4.6 Design Versus Debug Mode
What is the difference between Design mode and Debug mode?
The Design mode (default mode) lets you open configurations, add and configure processes and tasks. The
Debug mode is used to test and fine tune a given process.
Although you will not be able to add or delete tasks in Debug mode, you will be allowed to change the
properties of existing tasks on the fly as you step through your process.
You can use the Debug mode to run your process from beginning to end, but you may also use it in step by
step mode. This last option can be used to verify what happens at every step and therefore see exactly what
data is received by a task and what data is generated by that same task.
The Debug mode may even be used not to fine tune a previously configured task, but rather to determine how
to configure a task. Let us consider the following example. An initial input task takes data and sends it to an
action task that changes the original data. Then comes a Send Email output task that uses information from
the data file to populate email addresses and thus generate emails. In Design mode, you would not have
access to the modified data, but rather to the original sample data file. In Debug mode, you would see the
data in its processed form when making the data selection for the To box in the properties of the Send Email
output task.
A) The information displayed in this box was generated by the PlanetPress Watch/Server Configuration program using
the Select Data command. This command opens the Data Selector and lets you select data using your mouse pointer. In
Design mode, the Data Selector displays the original sample data. In Debug mode, it displays the data as it is before the
current task is performed.
In Debug mode, the Process Area’s background changes color and a blue arrow appears to indicate which task
will next be performed.
A) Click this button to view the data file as text. In Design mode, the data is always displayed in its original state. In
Debug mode, the data is displayed as it is before the current task (identified by the blue arrow) is performed. B) The
Process Area in Design mode. C) The Process Area in Debug mode.
Also note that in Debug mode, the process’ initial input task is never performed. In other words, no data is
taken from the initial input task’s source location, but a copy of the sample data file is used as input.
For more detailed information on debugging processes, refer to Debugging PlanetPress Watch/Server
Processes (Page 0).
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