Changes between Version 19 and Version 20 of JavascriptDebugging

Timestamp:

Mar 3, 2013, 7:04:06 PM (11 years ago)

Author:

Yves

Comment:

--

JavascriptDebugging

@@ -18 +18 @@
 ./pyrogenesis -conf=jsdebugger.enable:true
 }}}
-A yellow warning message is displayed in the game if the debugger is enabled.
+A yellow warning message is displayed on startup of the game if the debugger is enabled.
 
 [[Image(enabled_warning.jpg, 25%)]]
@@ -39 +39 @@
 
 === File panel (2) ===
-The file panel displays a file with line numbers, syntax highlighting and even some basic syntax validations. However, it only displays the file and you can't edit it there directly. You see breakpoints and can toggle breakpoints by klicking left beside the line numbers. The yellow line shows you at which line the execution is currently halted.
+The file panel displays a file with line numbers, syntax highlighting and even some basic syntax validations. However, it only displays the file and you can't edit it there directly. You see breakpoints and can toggle breakpoints by clicking left beside the line numbers. The yellow line shows you at which line the execution is currently halted.
 
 [[Image(debugging_alpine_lakes.gif, 25%)]]
+
+=== Actions (3) ===
+
+The actions are basically the same as with other debuggers.
+You don't change anything at the code or what happens when it's executed.
+These actions are just commands to stop and continue the execution in a certain way.
+
+Be aware that the debugger is only capable of stepping through JS code and has no control over native (c++) code.
+
+==== Step ==== 
+Step (or step over) continues the execution until the next line of code is reached.
+If there is a function call on the current line, it does not stop the execution after it entered the function (it steps over it).
+
+
+==== Step into ==== 
+If there is a function call on the current line, it steps into that function and stops the execution at the first line of that function.
+Otherwise it just stops the execution at the next line of code.
+
+==== Step out ====
+Continues until the current function is completed and then stops the execution in the parent function. 
+
+==== Continue ==== 
+Continue the execution of all threads.
+
+==== Continue thread ==== 
+Continue the execution of the currently selected thread.
+
+==== Break ====
+Stop the execution of each thread as soon as possible (basically as soon as the next JS code is executed).
+
+
+=== Threads (4) ===
+Actually the term "thread" is not quite accurate.
+All ScriptInterface instances are listed there. A ScriptInterface represents a JS runtime and a JS context.
+Multiple ScriptInterface instances can be used in one or more threads.
+Important to know is that stopping one thread will sometimes make it impossible to stop another one without continuing the first again.
+However, if two threads are really running in parallel and independent from each other, the debugger will try to stop the second thread too if you stopped the fist one.
+
+If one thread is in break state, you can double-click on it to switch to that thread. The debugger will try to open the file the thread is currently executing and it will display the associated callstack and variables.
+
+=== Call stack (5) ===
+If you look at this example, keywordTestOR is the innermost function which got called by an anonymous function, which got called by "testFilter" etc...
+Often the debugger will only show anonymous functions because we are working with prototypes a lot and don't use named functions often.
+
+You can double-click on one function name to display the variables of that scope.
+
+=== Variables ===
+There are three main types of values that can be displayed.
+
+1. Locals
+Locals are locals variables in the current scope. 
+2. This
+This is Javascript's "this" object. If you are a Javascript developer you should know what it is, it's quite difficult to explain.
+Note that we are using the "strict" mode which means that sometimes the "this" object will be empty.
+3. Global
+This is the current global object.
+
+Sometimes retrieving these values from the game via JSON can take quite a while (in rare cases up to 15 seconds).
+If you want to quickly step through code you should collapse all root nodes (or at least the ones with a lot of values) because their content is only loaded when they are expanded. This will make stepping a lot faster.
+
+The web GUI remembers expanded nodes and they will stay expanded the next time values are loaded from the service.
+Sub nodes will not be collapsed if you collapse their parent node (they will become invisible but they will be in expanded state if you expand the parent again).
+
+