NetBeans Tip: Reload Debugging (debug-fix-nb)

Just few days back, I talked about that its rather a good practice to debug, not to run! While following that, I discovered another thing, which was there for quite some time, but I didn’t notice it, as I didn’t debug too often.

  <target name="debug-fix-nb" if="netbeans.home" depends="init,-pre-debug-fix,compile-single">
        <nbjpdareload>
            <fileset includes="${fix.class}*.class" dir="${build.classes.dir}"/>
        </nbjpdareload>
    </target>

Goto Installation Directory, and look for harness/common.xml It contains many Ant targets, including the above!

You must be thinking, what’s debug-fix-nb, its actually an Ant target, ran while we apply Code fixes during Debugging! Shocking, Indeed! I felt the same way too!

Why Reload Debugging?

Actually, when you apply code fixes while debugging, that particular class is reloaded to continue debugging.

Here lies the trick, while I was debugging a Module in Target Platform, I realized an error just after a break-point, so thought of fixing code, just before error could be detected.

• Then, I came across an Icon in Toolbar,

• whose tool-tip suggested its used for

• So, I made changes wherever needed, and clicked on that Icon, it reloaded that class and the debugging continued, from same point!

Its a cool utility, I was unaware of, hope you won't miss using it...

References-

1. Debugging User FAQ's
2. Reload Debugging (debug-fix-nb)
3. Subscribe to more tips and Tricks

Varun Nischal is an open source enthusiast, an avid blogger of technologies related to, or used with NetBeans IDE. He was also an important member of the NetBeans Community Docs Team and the NetBeans Dream Team. Varun is a DZone MVB and is not an employee of DZone and has posted 10 posts at DZone.