Configuring and Setting Conditions on Breakpoints (Integrated Debugger)

Conditional breakpoints are breakpoints that suspend code and open the debugger only when certain conditions are met.  For example, you can set a breakpoint to suspend code only if a variable's value falls in a particular range of values.

To set conditions on a breakpoint, click mouse button 2 on the breakpoint symbol bp.gif (843 bytes), and select Modify from the pop-up menu. 

In the dialog that appears, you can select a condition from the drop-down list, or you can type in your own condition. (The drop-down list contains up to ten conditions you have previously set on breakpoints).  If the condition is evaluated to a boolean value of true, then the breakpoint suspends the code and opens the Debugger browser.

Example: Using a Conditional Breakpoint

Configuring the Breakpoint to Do Something
Similarly, you can configure a breakpoint to run a Java statement and then return true or false.  For example, when the IDE encounters the breakpoint, you can have it output a message and then evaluate to false, thereby not suspending the code.

The text entry field in the dialog has code assist support;  if you type in the start of a package or class name, press Ctrl+Spacebar to get a pop-up list of available classes or methods.  Select the desired one by continuing to type or by using the arrow keys, and press Enter.

Example: Configuring a Breakpoint to Print a Message

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The Integrated Debugger

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Setting Breakpoints in Source Code
Clearing and Disabling Breakpoints