Hi I have prepared the first version of the TP-COBOL-DEBUGGER (I changed also the name !!).

The software is licensed with the OPEN SOURCE LICENSE

You can download it from my company site:

http://www.tp-srl.it (main page)

or

http://www.tp-srl.it/nuovosito/animator-opensource.html


I started to write the debugger 1 March 2010 then the product need to improve still a lot but I hope that you all will help me to continue with this.

I tried it with some programs and it seems to run almost fine (at least as first release).

I prepared it by using the 1.1 oc cobol with windows xp and c++ from microsoft. I don'w know about other unix system.

The debugger do an analysis from the code you want to debug and write a cobol program adding the .ani extension and then compile the new animated program. You can keep the animated source to compile it with your specific library if neeed or at least to change it if you cannot compile it with the automatic features I wrote.
I used almost the cobol standard to be sure you'll be able to use it with differents operating system.

You can find a short documentation about the features you can manage and customize by using it. Don't forget that you can decide also to avoid it runs with some specific statemnets (for examples.. display ....or accept)


Right now I am working to manage the monitor about the variable and conditional breakpoint or global breakpoint

Federico

GPLed OC debugger, debugging COBOL with COBOL. Really cool.


Hint1: As included in your source, Quote: you should put a file COPYING with the whole GPL in your archive. You can get teh text from http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.txt

Hint2: Maybe you want to copy the stuff about GPL from your main page to the download page, too.

FR 1: Are you able to use English in http://www.tp-srl.it/nuovosito/animator-opensource.html (or maybe have a second page in English and just put a link to that on your Italian version)?

Idea 1: As it is Open Source now, we could make an own sourceforge project out of it (being able to use their resources, bug and feature trackers, statistics, version management, ... and if you like also community work by allowing specified programmers to commit to the TP-COBOL-DEBUGGER, like me for example). I can help you on that point, if you want to.

Question 1: Would you accept a patch for being able to compile the sources with cobc -W (all compile warnings) and see no warnings at all?

Question 2: Can I debug PROG B and BA in the following situation PROG A (main program) --> PROG B --> PROG BA? If yes, how?

Question 3: Can one skip (not go fast) to a source line?

human

Thank you so much for your precious help


a) I have download the gp license file and I am going to add it to the package file

1) I will be glad to accept a patch as you told. I started to write the debugger 1 march and my knowledge about OC are really basic.

2) Actually the animator re-write and animate code cobol and compile it. To have multiply programs with debug inside I need to change the support file it write. Actually It use a DATA.LIN file that contains lines codes (read the .htm file do read about the additional file created from debugger). I will change this by building file for the single programs so you will able to run it with several programs.


3) the simple way is goind to the line you want to arrive put a break point and then use the go command.
good idea ..like "go to line"....."

about this if you agree we could add the "Skip" features to have a breapoint and go statement all togheter. I approve.

And now here the question I have for you (all).

I realised that the debugger did recognize the record or the composed field for the view features, and also It got mistake finding 88 level.
I finded them with your DUMP example and I realized it. I have already fixed it.

Do it better to do now ?. change the last build (that is always 1.00 beta release) and turn on a history file on my site or simple i put it inside the package you will download ? I don't know what are the customs here so please your advise are pretty considered.


I am working with the conditional breakpoint I need to check the memory areas during the execution. Does the oc support the Microfocus call to read-write into a memory location ? I can almost solve by using your DUMP program but I would like to know it there are others

thanks in advance
Federico

I use linux and cannot use the debugger (don't have the time to check today). But three hints :

1- Provide a makefile (simple) to build the source.
Tell me how you compile your source (-x, -m...), and i can make one for you.

2- SCREENIO.CPY is not found on my system. Because unix make the difference between screenio.cpy and SCREENIO.CPY. This file is provided by opencobol in lower case, please use lower case in your source.

3- A big thank to you

Regards,
Angus

unfortunately I didn't try It on unix. I have just installed ubuntu and i would like to try it on that system also.

Animator.cbl is the executable file you need to build it with -x
the other animate.cbl and animdata.cbl are the dynamic dll call during the execution. you simple have to compile them with -m (or leave for the default).

thanks I have changed to lowercase the name of the copy.
Sorry I didn't remember that difference. Please forgive me I am using with Windwos at moment.

The tp-debugger has already fixed this:

1) capability to view data also for 01 record data and in general all compound fields (i forgot to add them)
2) a trouble I solved with 88 level and "usage pointer" declaration.

But I haven't yet update the project on the site.

I am adding the multi programs debug support. However I am planning to update the version I will put latest very soon.

Thank you so much for your feedback, I hope you'll be able to compile it successfully.

Federico

About the lowercase I don't have used them with the file configuration files

animator.inf and animate.inf so animator try to open

ANIMATOR.INF and ANIMATE.INF

so before download the next release (just fixed) I can suppose you have to rename them with UPPER-CASE with unix environment


Thanks
Federico

@Angus: you can use -ffold-copy-lower / -ffold-copy-upper command line options, see cobc --help.

@frederico:
0) Because you've changed the name of the software, you maybe want to change the source and file names you've used, too.

1) It isn't useful to submit patches if we work with a different code version. This is one of the reason why I suggested to use sourceforge and develop the debugger together using SVN. Another one is that you don't have to make packages for some fixes, people could grab them from SVN live, as well as there would be a nice history. If you don't want to use sourceforge a history containing old versions on your site would be nice, along with a history file "that changed from version 1.0 to version 1.0.1, ..."

2) I suggest to do NOT make different DATA.LIN for different files. Just use an ORGANIZATION IS INDEXED file with the primary key

3) Skip function as you've described would be nice and easy solvable (please do this). I meant "Set Next Instruction", therefore really jumping around the code. This is handy for example when you realized there was a var with wrong content, set it via debugger to the right one and want to perform the last code lines again.

To your questions:
F1) history stuff - see 1)
F2) checking/writing memory areas: just save the var name, pointer address, type and length of each var in a new INX file and fill it at the beginning of the program (and after ALLOCATE of a BASED var)

I suggest to change the version number of the current version to something like 0.1.0. You then have to possibility to add the patch level (last number) for all fixes and minor changes, the second number for major changes (like file name changing, big new features, ...). If you think there are no current bugs you wait some time and raise the version number up to 1.0.0.

human

BTW: Small bug in ANIMATOR.CBL/OPZIONI: "-" should only be checked when IND=1. In any other case it should be " -" (there are names and options that could have an hypen within them)

About your suggestion... in the afternoon I already added a temp setting in the animator.inf and animate.inf to manage a local path name where put the temporary files of multiplies debug programs also to avoid to have lots of temporary file with the source programs.

I changed the external name by creating one for all program you are testing. Althougth your idea to move the program-id in the key could be also be performed but in that case i should add a delete record from the file during the update/test debug process. Maybe the solution i did was a little bit more simple...(maybe...)

I changed the copy names with lowercase.

I have fix also some troubles with 88 level

Now i am understanding better what you meant about sourge..

I don't know it but surely we have to decide a good way to manage the updates. actually was writing all changes made into a history.log file.
Tell m what does means SVN ?


About the version I will change the version to
0.1.0 it becomes be more simple to manage. I will use this method. i agree with you.

About unix.. i compiled the source with ubuntu where there is the version 1.0

It issued me some error from "reverse-video" does this features not running with 1.0 version ?
may i download a build for ubunto with the same that i am using with windows ? (version 1.1).


About the last you told about the "-"..you right. I am JUST Fixing it now.

I need to get more information about the way you suggested to manage the memory. I was studying your OC_DUMP example just debugging it with tp-cobol-debugger..

Just looking forward to have your feedback.

Federico

I have read right now also what you wrote to Angus.. cobc has several of good options I think.

I don't understand tha way you were talking about (f2). Actually I wrote an index file that contains data name that it acquires during the animator process. Once I save also the pointer of them.. what the call to retrive the value from pointer ? I remember in Microfocus there were some special features.. .. maybe.

I know that there are lots of trouble to solve. above all i'm italian and I need to read carefully what you are telling to be sure to have understood all things.

So please forgive me if sometimes you'll think to have already told something.. that I am asking you again.

Did you test the tp-cobol-debugger on unix also ?.

Federico

SVN means subversion. It is a Software Configuration Management, like CVS, Endevor...

If you don't want to reboot, you can use a cooperative linux like http://portableubuntu.demonccc.com.ar/en/ject


I finally find out why i have trouble : i used cob extension...

But now i have this problem :
preprocessing TESTCOMP.ANI into TESTCOMP.i
TESTCOMP.ANI:2: Error: Invalid indicator 'O' at column 7

The ANI file vanished.
Support for free format (by opposition to fixed) should be good...

Regards,
Angus