2.4.2 Starting to Debug a Program

The Start Debugging dialog box lets you input all the information the debugger requires to execute your program. You only need to enter the information that applies to your program. The information requested on each tab is as follows:

Table 2.1 Start Debugging Dialog Box Parameters
Parameter		Description
Application	Application:	Name of the EXE file to be loaded. This is the only mandatory parameter. Default: Extension of EXE.
	Execution-timeoptions:	Any options expected on the command line of the program.
	Start program:	Name of the first program to be debugged (must be a program prepared for debugging). Default: the first program for debugging executed in the EXE or a DLL called by it.
Source	Source file storage folders:	Directories containing the source of the programs to be debugged. Default: the folder containing the EXE or DLL file.
	Copy library storage folders:	Directories containing copy libraries used by the debug target programs. Default: If this parameter is omitted or cannot be found in the specified folders, a search for the parameter will be made in order from (1) the directories specified by environment variable COB_COBCOPY and (2) the folder containing the EXE or DLL file. For copy library files with IN/OF specified, a search for the parameter will be made in order from (1) the directories specified by the environment variable COB_library-name and (2) the folder containing the EXE or DLL file.
	Subschema descriptor file storage folders:	Directories containing subschema used by the debug target programs. Default: If this parameter is omitted or cannot be found in the specified folders, a search for the parameter will be made in order from (1) the directories specified by environment variable COB_AIMLIB and (2) the folder containing the EXE or DLL file.
Descriptor	Screen and form descriptor:	Directories and extension of form descriptors used by the debug target programs. Default: If this parameter is omitted or cannot be found in the specified folders, a search for the parameter will be made in order from (1) the directories specified by environment variable FORMLIB and (2) the folder containing the EXE or DLL file. Extension PMD.
Descriptor	File descriptor:	Directories and extension of file descriptors used by the debug target programs. Default: If this parameter is omitted or cannot be found in the specified folders, a search for the parameter will be made in order from (1) the directories specified by environment variable FILELIB and (2) the folder containing the EXE or DLL file. Extension FFD.
Debugging Information	Debugging information file storage folders	Directories containing debugging information file(.SVD files) Default: the folder containing the EXE or DLL file.
Batch Debugging	Use Batch Debugging	Batch Debugging is performed.
	Command file	File to drive the debugging session. Default extension: LOG
	History file	File to save actions and results from the debugging session. Default extension: LOG

Details of the Start Debugging Dialog Box Options

Relative file names: When you use relative path names, the debugger adds the folder that was current when the debugger started to the path name.

Multiple folder names

For fields that accept multiple directories, separate the folder names by semicolons ";". The debugger searches for files in order of the specified directories.

The search procedure when the folder specification is omitted or when files cannot be found in the specified folders depends on each file.

For source files and debugging information files, the directories containing the executable files or the dynamic link libraries are searched.

For copy library files, subschema descriptor files, screen and form descriptors, and file descriptors, the folders are searched in order from (1) the directories specified by the environment variable and (2) the directories containing the executable files or the dynamic link libraries. Refer to "Setting Environment Variables" in the "NetCOBOL User's Guide" for details about environment variables used for specifying folders of the various files.

Command and history files

When the "Use Batch Debugging" check box is on, Command file and History file parameters are mandatory.

Do not specify the same file in both the Command file and History file parameters.

If the file specified for the History file already exists, it is overwritten.

Refer to "2.5.2.1.11 Automating Debug Operations" for details on batch debugging and command files.

This section explains how to start the debugger using command format.

To start a debugger with the winsvd command, select it from "Debugger type" in the Tools menu of the Project Manager window. Select the correct type of debugger before executing the start command.

To start the debugger from the command line, use the WINSVD command with the following format:

winsvd [start-parameter] application-name [execution-time-option]

You must specify the parameters in the order shown above.

If you only enter "winsvd", you need to provide the application information in the Start Debugging dialog box.

You must specify application-name if you want to enter any other information after "winsvd".

When you start the debugger with information on the command line, it comes up with the Start Debugging dialog box opened and the command line information entered in the appropriate fields.

To start debugging, enter any further information in the Start Debugging dialog box, and click the OK button.

See the list below for the supported start parameters.

Table 2.2 Start Parameters
Specification Format	Field in Start Debugging dialog box
/G start- program-name	Start program
/S source-file-storage-folder-name	Source file storage folders
/C copy-library-storage-folder-name	Copy library storage folders
/A subschema- descriptor-file-storage-folder-name	Subschema descriptor file storage folders
/M screen-and form-descriptors-storage-folder-name	Screen and form descriptor folders
/E screen-and form-descriptors-extension	Screen and form descriptor extension
/H file-descriptors-storage-folder-name	File descriptor folders
/O file-descriptors-extension	File descriptor extension
/D debugging-information- file-storage-folder-name	Debugging information file storage folders
/B command-file-name	Command file
/L history- file-name	History file
/N	Starts debugging without opening the Start Debugging dialog box.

"-" (hyphen) can be used instead of "/ " (slash) as the first character of a start parameter.

The start parameter letter can be upper case or lower case.

To specify multiple start parameters, provide one or more blanks between start parameters.

Example

To enter a command with the following parameters and options:

Application name: E:\EXE\SAMPLE1.EXE
Source file storage folder name: D:\SOURCE
Debugging information file storage folder name: E:\SVD
Execution-time option: PARAM1

The command line would be:

winsvd /S d:\source /D e:\svd e:\exe\sample1.exe param1

2.4.2 Starting to Debug a Program

2.4.2.1 The Start Debugging Dialog Box

2.4.2.2 Specifying Options on the Command Line