Debugging PL/SQL
You can use SQL Developer to run and debug PL/SQL functions and procedures. The PL/SQL Debugger contains the following capabilities:
| Control program execution | The PL/SQL debugger in SQL Developer supplies many commands to control program execution including Step Into, Step Over, Step Out, Run to Cursor, Pause, Resume, and Terminate. |
| View and modify variables |
While the debugger is paused, you can examine
and modify the values of variables from the Data, Watches or Inspector windows. |
| Customizable breakpoints | SQL Developer breakpoints are highly configurable. For PL/SQL debugging, you can use source breakpoints (associated with a particular line of executable code in a particular program unit) and exception breakpoints (associated with any unhandled exception, or a specific Oracle exception). You can define conditional breakpoints for PL/SQL and customize the action of breakpoints, for example, pause the debugger (default), beep, log occurrence to a text file, or enable or disable other breakpoints. |
PL/SQL debugging information is available from several windows in SQL
Developer. The following list provides examples of the kind of information
available during debugging.
| Code Editor | Shows the execution point. Flyover tool tips display the name and value of the variable under the pointer. |
| Breakpoints window | Lists the defined breakpoints. You can use this window to add new breakpoints, or customize the behavior of existing breakpoints. |
| Data window |
Displays all variables that are currently in scope, including package variables, package body variables, variables declared in the current procedure or function, and local variables (such as those declared in a nested block or implicitly declared). |
| Watches window | Displays expressions or variables you've added to the
Watches window by either selecting Add Watch from the context menu of the window and entering the expression, or by dragging a variable from one of the other windows (such as the Data or Smart Data windows) to the watches window. |
| Stack window | Shows the execution stack. Note that you can use the Stack window to change the context in the debugger. |