Enhancing the Debugging Experience

Debugging plays a vital role in any development process, and improving the debugger’s functionality and usability can significantly enhance a developer’s productivity. From 4D 20 R8, 4D has introduced several improvements to its debugger and remote debugger. These updates focus on saving user-defined settings, making managing and reusing expressions easier, and redesigning the overall interface.

Expression automatically saved

Auto-saved expressions in the 4D debugger are a game-changer for streamlining your debugging workflow. When you enter a new expression in the debugger’s expression watcher, it’s automatically saved and linked to the corresponding method or function. This means that the next time you revisit the same code, all previously entered expressions are readily available, evaluated, and displayed for you. This feature saves time and ensures continuity by eliminating the need to manually re-enter expressions, allowing you to focus entirely on solving issues efficiently.

pined expression

We’ve added the ability to “pin” important expressions, ensuring they’re always at hand—no matter which method or function you’re debugging. Whether you’re deep-diving into a complex piece of code or taking a quick look, you can now customize the debugger to work exactly the way you want.

display Local Variables, Line Expressions, and Custom Expressions

The 4D debugger introduces enhanced flexibility with three distinct parameter types in its expression watcher: Local Variables, Line Expressions, and Custom Expressions. Local variables automatically display all active variables tied to the current method or function, offering a clear snapshot of the execution context. Line expressions dynamically update to show variables relevant to the specific line being executed. Meanwhile, custom expressions manually added by developers allow for personalized tracking and debugging of specific values or conditions. Together, these options ensure precise control and clarity during debugging sessions.

Design

Take a look at the sleek new design of the debugger interface, carefully crafted to enhance usability and streamline your debugging experience.

Conclusion

The updated debugger introduces powerful new features and improvements that significantly enhance the debugging process in 4D. From auto-saved expressions to customizable variable displays and a polished new interface, these enhancements are designed to make your workflow more efficient and intuitive.