Debugging Programs › Keep Variables in the Keep Window › Set a Variable-Change Breakpoint

Set a Variable-Change Breakpoint

A quick way to set a variable-change breakpoint is from a Keep window listing of the variable. Type a v to the left of the variable in the Keep window, as shown following, and press Enter.

CA InterTest for CICS Release 9.1.00   - PROTSYM FILE  ABEND DETECTED BREAKPOINT         
COMMAND ===>                                                                    
Program= ASMDEMO  Option #       Stmt #        Displacement=        Margin= 01  
                                        Search=                                 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 v____ R13.TASKNUM                     |  00000.                                
---------++-------------------------------------------------------------------- 
     Loc  Object Code    Addr1 Addr2  Stmt        Source Statement              
 _ 000192 4050 D1B0            001B0  1456          STH   R5,MSGLEN             
 A 000196 FA20 D189 4AE8 00189 02AE8   ==>          AP    TASKNUM,=P'1'         
 _ 00019C F920 D189 4AE9 00189 02AE9  1458          CP    TASKNUM,=P'2'         
 _ 0001A2 4720 2328            00328  1459          BH    ENDMSG                
 _ 0001A6 F920 D189 4AE8 00189 02AE8  1460          CP    TASKNUM,=P'1'         
 _ 0001AC 4780 227E            0027E  1461          BE    SENDSCR4              
 _ 0001B0 47F0 2328            00328  1462          B     ENDMSG                
 _ 0001B4                             1464 RETURN   DS    0H                    
                                      1465 *        EXEC CICS SEND FROM(OUTMSG  
                                      1466          DFHECALL =X'04043000080000  
   0001B4 4110 D068            00068                      ),(FB_2,OUTLEN)       
                                      1482 *        EXEC CICS SEND FROM(SCREEN  
                                      1483          DFHECALL =X'04043000080000  
   0001DA 4110 D068            00068                      2),(FB_2,MSGLEN)      
                                      1499 *        EXEC CICS RETURN            
                                      1500 *              TRANSID(EIBTRNID)

In this example, CA InterTest for CICS sets a variable-change breakpoint for TASKNUM. This means CA InterTest for CICS halts execution whenever the value of TASKNUM changes from its current value, as displayed in the Keep window.

You can also set variable-change breakpoints from various parts of your program listing using the letter v as follows:

• To set a variable-change breakpoint from where a variable is defined, type a v to the left of the statement defining it, and press Enter.
• To set a variable-change breakpoint from where a variable is referenced, type a v to the left of the statement referencing it, place the cursor under any character in the variable, and press Enter.

You can set a variable-change breakpoint any time during execution, or from a listing of your program before execution begins. If you set the breakpoint before execution begins, the initial value of the variable is its value when it first becomes known to CA InterTest for CICS during execution. Any change from the initial value triggers the variable-change breakpoint.