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Normal Topic Wish list (Read 6884 times)
stevech
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Wish list
Apr 23rd, 2014 at 2:11am
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1. Default for breakpoints is to stop. Don't continue until user presses a key to do so.  Main purpose of a breakpoint is to pause and let the user ponder.
2. Default for a breakpoint is to display the file name/line number, jump to that in the editor, color-highlight the breakpoint is where stopped.  Printing an expression and continuing is, IMO, far less frequently used.
3. Breakpoint just has to be before the corresponding code is executed. Gotta be. That's what all others have. We're acclimated.
4. IDE should reject or auto-move a breakpoint that is not in a syntactically valid place in the code. Such as on a comment, outside of a function's braces; in the middle of a multi-line statement like a switch() or continued line due to a comma or any other C legal reason for multiple lines.
5. Setting a breakpoint should be EASY. Click on the valid source line. That's all. The defaults as above are used. Today, it's too many clicks and too much typing, checking tic boxes, etc.  Even so, inexplicably, the debugger seems to usually ignore the "continue" tic box being set to do not continue. In my world, breakpoints are set, then run to see what branches the program takes. Just need to know where it goes, among many source files and funcitons, less so value of variables.

End of top of my wish list.
« Last Edit: Apr 23rd, 2014 at 2:19am by stevech »  
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Tim@Visual Micro
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Re: Wish list
Reply #1 - Apr 23rd, 2014 at 12:43pm
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Thanks for the suggestions, always welcome.

You can switch your project to stop at breakpoints with this setting. It only need to be set once per project. The reason for not stopping at a breakpoint by default is that many new people are using autonomous robots, stopping might crash the vehicle or hurt someone.

http://www.visualmicro.com/page/User-Guide.aspx?doc=Debugging-Modes.html

If no "when hit" message is required then it is just one click to add a breakpoint that stops.

As for breaking at the start of a line, this is under review
  
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stevech
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Re: Wish list
Reply #2 - Apr 23rd, 2014 at 5:23pm
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Thanks. I'll try the global properties choice for stop/continue at a breakpoint.

The lack of breaking (pause) before the line of code at that point is executed is a show-stopper. 

Please Add to my wish list:
Have two forms of breakpoints and separate icons for such, at the user interface level; one for breakpoints that continue; one for breakpoints that pause. Different appearance in icons. 

Arguably, a breakpoint that prints info and continues is a trace, not a breakpoint, in conventional terminology.

So the jargon might make sense to call the pausing breakpoint just that - a break point. And the print+continue is a trace point.

« Last Edit: Apr 23rd, 2014 at 5:25pm by stevech »  
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Tim@Visual Micro
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Re: Wish list
Reply #3 - Apr 23rd, 2014 at 5:33pm
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Hi,

Unfortunately we just use the existing Visual Studio/Atmel Studio breakpoint dialogs. Visual Micro has not control over how breakpoints look. All of the settings in the dialogs are the standard setting that all developers use in these tools.

Now that you see in the documentation how to switch on break/pause the only item you have requested that Visual Micro has any control over is the position of the breakpoint start/end of code line. Because we inject statements into the program it is easier to find the end of a line than the start of a line. In general, especially compared to adding serial.print messages, I can't see it being a show stopper  Smiley

Keep in mind that because we inject you can also place breakpoints on blank lines so placing a breakpoint on the line before is usually quite easy.

I agree it's not perfect solution but it depends on what you use for a comparison  Smiley
  
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stevech
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Re: Wish list
Reply #4 - Apr 23rd, 2014 at 6:18pm
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Does Visual Studio's x86 debugging have a breakpoint that does not pause?
  
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Tim@Visual Micro
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Re: Wish list
Reply #5 - Apr 23rd, 2014 at 6:36pm
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Yes that is why the "continue execution" check box is on the dialog. 

Maybe what you need a "Never Trace" project property, then Visual Micro could ignore the "Continue Execution" checkbox?
« Last Edit: Apr 23rd, 2014 at 6:36pm by Tim@Visual Micro »  
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stevech
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Re: Wish list
Reply #6 - Apr 24th, 2014 at 6:43am
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No, I'd like one-click things. 
Set a breakpoint with pause. One click.

Insert a trace with display and always-continue. One click.

I/we do too much debugging with breakpoints/trace to be struggling with the clumsy altering of project properties. Way too many steps.

Streamline!

And breakpoints (pausing) just have to be before the corresponding line of code is executed.
  
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Re: Wish list
Reply #7 - Apr 24th, 2014 at 12:53pm
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Okay thanks we will see what can be done. Thanks for the suggestions they always help to deduce priorities
  
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