I cant get the expressions window to show.

I have added a {myVar=?} to the "when hit, message" of a breakpoint.

I clicked the serial button as per here:
http://www.visualmicro.com/page/User-Guide.aspx?doc=Working-With-Breakpoints.htm...

I clicked the "other windows->watch expressions" as per here:

http://www.visualmicro.com/page/User-Guide.aspx?doc=Serial-Monitor-Options-Butto...

Nothing happens?

Further, then "digital pins" and "analog pins" windows can be shown, however, they are both blank.

The digital and analog windows are now working, but I still cannot get the expressions window to show.

OK i think i've found a bug. If i change a value in the expressions window, the next time the breakpoint that prints the value out is hit, the value has changed to 48 + whatever value i enter. 48 is ascii '0', which makes me think this is a parse error of some kind.

I set the value to 0, it changes to 48 on next printout.
I set the value to 5, it changes to 53 on next printout.
etc..

The actual variable has changed, e.g. my software tests for == 0, and fails as the value is 48.

Hi, what is the data type of the variable you are using?

Thanks

Hi,

This is correct and not a bug. It is correct because we are using a software serial debugger as a replacement for your own serial statements. As such the debugger does not know about data types (yet).

If you sent ascii serial to your own code and attempted to put it into an integer variable you would get the same result.

However, Visual Micro does support the standard arduino serial data type formats in {variables} and expressions.

You will find these documented on Arduino.cc under the Serial overview. (,HEX, DEC, BIN) etc.

If you change your breakpoint to include the DEC format it will work as you expect

{myVar,DEC=?}

You can change the values of any variables regardless of being in a break or not. This means that even in trace mode you can change values without needing to stop/pause at a breakpoint. The values are applied after the breakpoint is hit so that we know they are all in scope.

Thanks

Hi,

First I agree it could be easier but for that we would need the pc to know the data type of each variable. We are working on things that might allow that to happen.

In terms of how Arduino normally works please try the following.

1) Open the arduino ide and create a sketch that prints a numeric variable.
2) Add some code that reads serial into the variable
3) Open the serial monitor and send a 0

What value does the variable contain after reading the 0 into it?

In performing this exercise you will also see the code the debugger avoids you having to add to your sketches. 

No body suggests the debugger to be perfect simply a way of making things a little easier. The concepts of taking an ascii string and converting it to the correct data type is not uncommon but as I have said, possibly avoided in the future.

I've noticed that in Feb release you changed this (fixed it) so that the default type sent is now decimal. That's what i'd expect. Great work.

Can i please ask that you recognize 0x or 0b to denote hex and bin entries please rather than {myInt=?,HEX} (feature request i guess.).