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The debugger keys F5 to F8 to StepIn, StepOver, StepOut and Continue only work when the debug view is open. The behaviour has changed from previous Eclipse versions, possibly on purpose. I think this is inconvenient because I often like to have the maximum space of my monitor available to look at code.
The keys actually work - it's just that the source location is not updated unless the debug view is open. You'll notice that the variables keep updating even when the debug view is closed.
Ah - but once you leave the current stack frame, things stop working. This is intentional. We intended that debugging should only work while the debug view is open (it is our hint that the user wants to debug, update source pointers, etc). This means that when you are debugging and switch back to the Java perspective, you are not bothered by the debugger as you modify code, etc.
marking as later for post 2.1 consideration. I will file a seperate bug, as the step actions should not be enabled when the debug view is closed.
The problem is worse than described. Stepping doesn't work even if the debug view *is* open, but not visible.
This is likely because optimizations were made such that the view only updates when visible (thus it will only have a valid selection when visible).
Perhaps it's some setting of mine, but let me describe what I see... I switch to the debug perspective. I go to the toolbar and select a launch config to debug from the dropdown attached to the "bug" icon. I already have a breakpoint set. Before the breakpoint it hit, some console output is done. The next thing that happens is the breakpoint is hit. At this point I can no longer press F5, F6, F8. This used to work pre-M4. So, at this point I have no option but to click on the Debug view and only then can I press F5/6/8. Just a quick mouse click or so, but from usability standpoint it much to be desired. It's no longer: press the "bug" (to debug again), and then start hitting F5/6 to step into/over, which is the normal flow of operations. Russell
Re-opening for investigation.
Darin, Just thought I'd mention that I do have Console preferences "Show when program writes to standard out" and "Show when program writes to standard error" set. And, if I do turn them off (as I just did) it appears not to be an issue. Thanks, Russell
Step keys work for me when the debug view is present but not visible (as long as the view was made visible before launching a program). If the debug view is never relaized, source will not be displayed properly either, as this is the view that drives source display, as a thread suspends and a stack frame is selected.
Marking as duplicate - fixed via bug 31181. As long as the debug view is open in the current perspective (NOTE: does not need to be visible), debugging works. The step actions will be enabled, and views will update. This fix will be in builds greater than 20030211. *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 31181 ***
Please note that in all my encounters with this bug (I'm running M5), the debug view has always been open and the debugging perspective selected. My scenario is: both debug and console view opens. I run my program to completion. Then pressed the "bug" toolbar button to restart. It hits a breakpoint. Output has been done to the console window which is on top of the debug view. At this point if I press the F5/6/8 nothings happens. If I press the Debug tab / view and press the Console tab, the keys work. I can now press F8 (no other breaks are set) run to completion then press the "bug" button again to debug again and the same situation arises. If I click on the debug view instead of console view there's no problem. Apologies, Darin, if this sounds like a rehash of what I've already said in this entry - just want to be sure that this didn't work before your fix and works after your fix. Thanks, Russell.
Yes - this now works - you can press the bug button with the debug view hidden, and then use the step keys.
