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Re: Favourite GUI Debuggers

by bluto (Curate)
on Dec 12, 2003 at 16:34 UTC ( [id://314349]=note: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??


in reply to Favourite GUI Debuggers

As far as debuggers go, I used them extensively for a number of years when I was working on multi-threaded C code, but I haven't touched them since I moved to Perl. This is probably due to the quicker turnaround time of making changes in perl (e.g. to insert a debugging print statement, or a Data::Dumper of a structure) and the fact that perl doesn't tend to have really pernicious low-level problems like C (e.g. core dumps, memory leaks, etc). Debuggers are nice when you have exausted other paths and you have time to burn. For me, it's not worth the effort to pick a good GUI for this.

As far as IDE's, I use emacs. If you pick something that is relatively generic that has syntax highlighting and some intellegent editing (e.g. vim), you won't have to learn a new environment when the next new language you are required to use comes down the pike, though Perl is a welcome relief...

bluto

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Re: Re: Favourite GUI Debuggers
by Anonymous Monk on Dec 13, 2003 at 03:54 UTC
    Amen brother. For interpreted languages like perl, there is no need for a debugger (if you need one, you should really go back and learn the basics of the language).
      Even though perl allows you to enter print statements quickly, there are plenty of situations where a debugger will help. One example is

      Say after a long processing (e.g. after reading 1000 lines), you notice that something is wrong (e.g. a variable has invalid data).

      Wouldn't it be nice if I can stop at that point and inspect all the variables? I do not need a GUI debugger, but I find debuggers to be very useful (-d option in perl).

      If debuggers allow conditional break points, you can even break after reading every 10 lines (or when a variable has value X).

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