[dev build] $DEBUG mode ✨ Step through your code, watch variables! 🤩

[FellippeHeitor]

Color schemes are now individually configurable per running instance of IDE, just like it was already for window size and position. You will find separate sections for each instance in the new config file.

[Richard]

@FellippeHeitor

Thanks - thinking about it - it is a very useful feature for me as I use multiple instances of QB64 a lot.

Although many will "frown" upon it - for convenience with massive re-editing of a particular program I am currently working on - I will have set up different colored backgrounds (say red instead of black) to remind me which instance "not to edit" of the exact same file (Rather than using say notebook for the "reference copy" or rather than using a number of Alt ^ bookmarks etc).

[SMcNeill]

What’s the hotkey to add $DEBUG into the code?

I was doing something on the  laptop today and had a mysterious popup appear on the screen saying “Do you want to insert $DEBUG here…”  What’s the combo for that, and is there a way to alter it? 

Seems like it’s probably something like a SHIFT+Right Click (or similar), as it’s not a common combo action, but was something that appeared when I was trying to copy/paste a large code segment into the  IDE. 

My normal workflow is usually something like:
Shift+Arrow Keys to select a code block. (Or sometimes CTRL+arrow keys)
Right click to open copy/paste dialog.

And it was some combo in that process that popped up an insert dialog, rather than the normal copy/paste routine.

[FellippeHeitor]

Any function key/key combo that has a function associated to it during $Debug mode will trigger the prompt. That includes - but is not limited to - F4, F7, F8, F9, Ctrl+P.

[Richard]

@SMcNeill

Although not answering your question....

I have often been "caught" by where the cursor is - refer screenshot (the green cross-hairs illustrate the extreme right position where the "insert Debug Metacommand? is triggered (accurate to a pixel position for me).



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[Pete]

What’s the hotkey to add $DEBUG into the code?

After hours of trial an error, I finally figured it out. It's an overly complicated key combination, but it works...

$+D+E+B+U+G

Pete

[FellippeHeitor]

You may also have clicked the line numbers, which is used to set a breakpoint (or to skip a line, if in conjunction with Shift). - That's also what Richard means to say happens in his screen shot above.

[SMcNeill]

You may also have clicked the line numbers, which is used to set a breakpoint (or to skip a line, if in conjunction with Shift). - That's also what Richard means to say happens in his screen shot above.

This is probably what happened. 

Do you think you could add an option to the menu fora toggle to disable $DEBUG interactions, much like the toggle for warnings and syntax checking?  It’d be nice to stop those accidental interactions until one wanted them explicitly.

[FellippeHeitor]

Sure.

[mpgcan]

The following code compiles and runs on both 32 and 64 dev versions (Note no $Debug  meta command).

Code: QB64: [Select]

1. 'Desktop Size
2. 'Returns the Left, Top, Right and Bottom coordinates of the current desktop area.
3. 'https://www.qb64.org/wiki/Windows_Libraries
4.  
5. Declare Dynamic Library "user32"
6.     Function SystemParametersInfoW& (ByVal uiAction~&, Byval uiParam~&, Byval pvParam%&, Byval fWinlni~&)
7. End Declare
8.  
9. Const SPI_GETWORKAREA = &H30
10.  
11. Type RECT
12.     left As Long
13.     top As Long
14.     right As Long
15.     bottom As Long
16. End Type
17. Dim Rec As RECT
18.  
19. If 0 = SystemParametersInfoW(SPI_GETWORKAREA, 0, _Offset(Rec), 0) Then
20.     'function failed. You may call kernel32's GetLastError for more info.
21.     Print "failed."
22. End If
23.  
24. Print Rec.left
25. Print Rec.top
26. Print Rec.right
27. Print Rec.bottom
28. Print
29. scr& = _ScreenImage
30. Print _Width(scr&)
31. Print _Height(scr&)
32. _FreeImage scr&
33. End
34.  

After adding the $Debug meta command both dev versions fail to compile above code. Error message from compilelog.txt

Code: QB64: [Select]

1. In file included from qbx.cpp:1099:
2. ..\\temp\\regsf.txt:5:11: error: redefinition of 'HINSTANCE__* DLL_user32'
3.  HINSTANCE DLL_user32=NULL;
4.            ^~~~~~~~~~
5. compilation terminated due to -Wfatal-errors.
6.  

Simple solution replace Declare Dynamic Library "user32" with Declare CustomType Library
However that's not a real solution it just masks the problem.

QB64 Development Builds:
QB64x32 1.6 75939af
QB64x64 1.6 75939af

PC spec as follows:
 Windows 8.1
 Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-3217U CPU 1.8 GHz
 Installed memory RAM 4GB
 System type: 64-bit Operating System, x64-based processor

[FellippeHeitor]

$Debug needs "user32" in Windows.

[FellippeHeitor]

Although many will "frown" upon it - for convenience with massive re-editing of a particular program I am currently working on - I will have set up different colored backgrounds (say red instead of black) to remind me which instance "not to edit" of the exact same file (Rather than using say notebook for the "reference copy" or rather than using a number of Alt ^ bookmarks etc).

That's precisely how I've been using it.

[SpriggsySpriggs]

@mpgcan I'm working with Fellippe on getting that fixed. I've tested a fix for it. It's super minor. Fellippe is going to test as well. Should make the User32 error disappear completely and allow you to use the function. However, I do recommend going ahead and using Declare CustomType Library instead of Declare Dynamic Library when the function allows for it. Most User32 functions can be put in a CustomType block rather than Dynamic. Let me know if you need any help or come across any further compilation errors when using external functions.

[mpgcan]

Hi Spriggsy and Fellippe thank you both  for the feedback.  Spriggsy I do understand it is preferential to use  Declare CustomType Library instead of  Declare Dynamic Library.
That said your solution if successful will only add to the flexibility of QB64. I cant wait to test the proposed solution.

"Let me know if you need any help or come across any further compilation errors when using external functions." offer most appreciated I am sure  at a latter date will be required thank you.

[FellippeHeitor]

New dev build available, get it from https://www.qb64.org/portal/development-build/
This is what to look for:

- Issue reported above by mpgcan regarding declaring user32.dll procedures in Windows has been addressed.
- Can now set values of _BIT variables.
- Option in Debug menu to disable auto-insertion of $DEBUG meta command as suggested by Steve.

✨ **NEW** ✨
- Watchpoints: you can now set watchpoints, which are like breakpoints but for variable values. You can, for example, create a watchpoint for variable x&, with condition "= 1000" and hit F5 so your program will run until x& = 1000.

Here's how it works:
- Start your $Debug-enabled program in pause mode (either with F7 or F8).
- Hit F4 to show the "Add Watch" dialog.
- Here, you can double click variables to add them to the Watch Panel, or you can select a variable and click the "Add Watchpoint" button.
- A new dialog will pop asking for a condition:
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- The valid operators are =, <=, >=, and <>. You must compare a variable's contents with a literal value (no other variables, no math, no scientific notation).
- If you also add the variable to the watchlist, it will show in the Watch Panel, as usual, and an extra red bullet will be placed right next to its name, so you know there's a watchpoint set.
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- Now you can hit F5 and let your program run until the variable has the target value. If the condition is ever met, execution is paused and you get this dialog:
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- From here you can click "OK" to continue in the IDE so you can look around the line that set the variable's value as you expected, or you can click "Clear Watchpoint" to remove the watchpoint so execution can continue.
- If you don't clear the watchpoint from the dialog, you can go back to the F4 dialog later and delete the watchpoint condition manually.

Let me know how it works in your tests. 🥰