Varying removal of internal breakpoints during debugging of code

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9015676-B2
Application number	US-91535710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2010
Priority date	Oct 29, 2010
Publication date	Apr 21, 2015
Grant date	Apr 21, 2015

Abstract

Debugging of code of a computer program is facilitated by having a plurality of internal breakpoints associated with lines of code previously set by a processor, during a debugging session, while implementing one or more step-type operations. During execution of another operation, internal breakpoints are disabled as encountered and deemed unnecessary to completion of the another operation. A count of a number of interrupts of one or more interrupt-types experienced during execution of the another operation is maintained, and responsive to the count exceeding a threshold, the disabling is varied to remove at least N internal breakpoints responsive to encountering an internal breakpoint during execution of the another operation deemed unnecessary to completion of the another operation, where N≧2.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of facilitating debugging of code of a computer program, the method comprising:
having a plurality of internal breakpoints associated with lines of code previously set by a processor, during a debugging session, while implementing one or more step-type operations;
during execution of another operation, responsive to encountering an internal breakpoint of the plurality of internal breakpoints and determining that the internal breakpoint is unnecessary to complete the another operation, disabling the internal breakpoint;
maintaining a count of a number of interrupts of one or more interrupt-types experienced during execution of the another operation; and
responsive to the count exceeding a threshold, varying the disabling to automatically remove at least N internal breakpoints responsive to encountering the internal breakpoint during execution of the another operation and determining that the internal breakpoint is unnecessary to complete the another operation, wherein N≧2.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold is greater than 20 and less than 200.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein N varies with the count.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold is a first threshold and the method further comprises, responsive to the count exceeding a second threshold, adjusting the disabling to remove at least M internal breakpoints responsive to encountering an internal breakpoint during execution of the another operation deemed unnecessary to the completion of the another operation, wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold, and M>N.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein N and M are each a function of the count.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein N varies with the count, and M varies with the count squared.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the having comprises having a plurality of stack-based internal breakpoints associated with lines of code on a call stack referenced by the processor, the plurality of stack-based internal breakpoints having been previously set by the processor, during a debugging session, while implementing one or more step-type operations, and wherein determining that the internal breakpoint is unnecessary comprises determining that the internal breakpoint is not on the call stack in a position that is before a stack frame where a next sub-command was initiated.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more interrupt-types comprise one or more internal breakpoint-types encountered during execution of the another operation, the one or more internal breakpoint-types comprising stack-based internal breakpoints encountered during execution of the another operation.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least N internal breakpoints to be removed comprise the internal breakpoint encountered during execution of the another operation deemed unnecessary to completion of the another operation and at least one other internal breakpoint, the at least one other internal breakpoint comprising at least one other previously encountered internal breakpoint.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the another operation comprises a continuation-type operation or another step-type operation.

11. A computer program product for facilitating debugging of code of a computer program, the computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium readable by a processor and storing instructions for execution by the processor for performing:
having a plurality of internal breakpoints associated with lines of code previously set by a processor, during a debugging session, while implementing one or more step-type operations;
during execution of another operation, responsive to encountering an internal breakpoint of the plurality of internal breakpoints and determining that the internal breakpoint is unnecessary to complete the another operation, disabling the internal breakpoint;
maintaining a count of a number of interrupts of one or more interrupt-types experienced during execution of the another operation; and
responsive to the count exceeding a threshold, varying the disabling to automatically remove at least N internal breakpoints responsive to encountering the internal breakpoint during execution of the another operation and determining that the internal breakpoint is unnecessary to complete the another operation, wherein N≧2.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein N varies with the count.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the threshold is a first threshold and the performing further comprises, responsive to the count exceeding a second threshold, adjusting the disabling to remove at least M internal breakpoints responsive to encountering an internal breakpoint during execution of the another operation deemed unnecessary to the completion of the another operation, wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold, and M>N.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein N and M are each a function of the count.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the having comprises having a plurality of stack-based internal breakpoints associated with lines of code on a call stack referenced by the processor, the plurality of stack-based internal breakpoints having been previously set by the processor, during a debugging session, while implementing one or more step-type operations, and wherein determining that the internal breakpoint is unnecessary comprises determining that the internal breakpoint is not on the call stack in a position that is before a stack frame where a next sub-command was initiated.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the one or more interrupt-types comprise one or more internal breakpoint-types encountered during execution of the another operation, the one or more internal breakpoint-types comprising stack-based internal breakpoints encountered during execution of the another operation.

17. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the at least N internal breakpoints to be removed comprise the internal breakpoint encountered during execution of the another operation deemed unnecessary to completion of the another operation and at least one other internal breakpoint, the at least one other internal breakpoint comprising at least one other previously encountered internal breakpoint.

18. A computer system for facilitating debugging of code of a computer program, the computer system comprising:
a memory; and
a processor in communications with the memory, wherein the computer system is configured to perform:
having a plurality of internal breakpoints associated with lines of code previously set by a processor, during a debugging session, while implementing one or more step-type operations;
during execution of another operation, responsive to encountering an internal breakpoint of the plurality of internal breakpoints and determining that the internal breakpoint is unnecessary to complete the another operation, disabling the internal breakpoint;
maintaining a count of a number of interrupts of one or more interrupt-types experienced during execution of the another operation; and
responsive to the count exceeding a threshold, varying the disabling to automatically remove at least N internal breakpoints responsive to encountering the internal breakpoint during execution of the another operation and determining that the internal breakpoint is unnecessary to complete the another operation, wherein N≧2.

19. The computer system of claim 18 , w

Assignees

• Bates Cary L
• Hermsmeier David L
• IBM

Inventors

• Bates Cary L
• Hermsmeier David L

Classifications

• G06F11/362 Primary

  Debugging of software · CPC title