Experimental TRACE module

**ErosOlmi** · 13-04-2008, 00:48

Hi all.
I've updated attached files in first post of this thread.
In order to test, be sure to have latest thinBasic 1.6.0.4 installed.

Extract attached files and:

place thinCore.dll into \thinBasic\ directory
place thinBasic_Trace.dll into \thinBasic\Lib\ directory
place thinBasic_TRACE_Editor.dll into \thinBasic\Lib\ directory

To trace a source code just add somewhere the following line:
[code=thinbasic]USES "Trace"[/code]

I'm very excited to list here new features:

new commands:
F8 (Execute next line)
CTRL+F2 (set or remove a break point to a line)
F5 (Execute all or till next break point)
new user interface allows resizable areas
variable inspection (2 text fields on the right side).
It is not so advanced in terms of user interface (I will improve a lot) but will let you specify on the fly a list of variables to be inspected. Just type variable names separated by any space, comma, CRLF. In next line execution they will be searched and evaluated. The whole thing seems working fine. I will make some additional tests and when stable, I will improve user interface, user interaction and more options like multiple level stack variables with the same name, ...
Current bif limitations: variable inspection works only with numeric and string variables. In case of arrays, only the first element is returned, if a variable is present both as global and local so a function, value returned is the innest staking level (the one under the tracing cursor)
module command TRACE_Print(StringToPrint [, WriteToBottomTrueFalse])
will let you print text into the bottom text box of the tracing window. I will improve this behave also adding new commands to clear, append text in that area
break point will let you trace also more complex scripts like UI or TBGL scripts. Just add a break point in critical lines and than press F5 to run execution. F5 will not stop script execution unless a break point is reached.
and of course interaction with tracing window is possible even if script is executing. This is great for UI and TBGL scripts

Hope you like it.
Please let me know any impression.

Ciao
Eros

**Dave** · 13-04-2008, 05:22

Hi Eros.

Works fine - thank you very much.

**ErosOlmi** · 13-04-2008, 08:05

Good.

I feel I can make nice things with this module because quite a lot of things seems possible.

In any case, tracing a dialog message pump (the loop handling dialog messages) can be difficult because messages comes to high speed and do not wait for the programmer to trace line by line. For this reason the best is to place some break points in the areas that need to be inspected.

Once tested better, I will work to improve user interaction adding a statubar, a toolbar and a better and more user friendly way to interact with variable inspection. One thing I want is to show traced source code script in its original way with all comments and indentations.

Ciao and thanks a lot for testing.
Eros

**Petr Schreiber** · 13-04-2008, 09:02

Thanks,

it is getting better and better with each version!
I like I can run the script at full steam using F5 and then using F8 fall back to step mode.

Good!,
Petr

**ErosOlmi** · 14-04-2008, 16:44

Hi again.

I've updated attached file in first post of this thread.

Traced script is now shown with its original comments and indentations allowing a more precise and better understanding of what it's going on in tracing steps.
Hope you like it.

Ciao
Eros