Specifications

Debugging and Testing Tools
9.1 OpenVMS Debugger
Vector Debugging (VAX Only)
VAX
On VAX systems, you can debug vectorized programs, that is, programs that
use VAX vector instructions. You can control and monitor execution at the
vector instruction level, examine and deposit vector instructions, manipulate the
contents of vector registers, use a mask to display specific vector elements, and
control synchronization between the scalar and vector processors.♦
Terminal and Workstation Support
The debugger supports all VT-series terminals and MicroVAX workstations.
9.1.4 Convenience Features of the Command Interface
The convenience features of the command interface are highlighted in the
following paragraphs.
Online Help
Online help is always available during a debugging session. Online help contains
information about all debugger commands and selected topics.
Source Code Display
You can display lines of source code for all supported languages during a
debugging session.
Screen Mode
In screen mode, you can display and capture various kinds of information
in scrollable windows that can be moved around the screen and resized.
Automatically updated source, instruction, and register displays are available.
You can selectively direct debugger input, output, and diagnostic messages to
displays. You can also create DO displays that capture the output of specific
command sequences.
Running and Rerunning a Program
With the RUN and RERUN commands, you can run a new program or rerun
the same program from the current debugging session without first exiting
and restarting the debugger. When you rerun a program you can choose to
either activate or deactivate any previously set breakpoints, tracepoints, and
watchpoints.
Keypad Mode
When you start the debugger, several commonly used debugger command
sequences are assigned by default to the keys of the numeric keypad (if you have
a VT52, VT100, or LK201 keyboard). Therefore, you can enter these commands
with fewer keystrokes than if you were to type them at the keyboard. You can
also create your own key definitions.
Source Editing
As you find errors during a debugging session, you can use the EDIT command
to invoke any editor available on your system. You specify the editor you want
with the SET EDITOR command. If you use the DEC Language-Sensitive Editor
/Source Code Analyzer (LSE/SCA), the editing cursor is automatically positioned
within the source file whose code appears in the screen-mode source display.
Command Procedures
You can direct the debugger to execute a command procedure (a file of debugger
commands) to recreate a debugging session, to continue a previous session, or
to avoid typing the same debugger commands many times during a debugging
session. You can pass parameters to command procedures.
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