Effective source-level debugging can help shorten the time spent on finding programming errors. A program may behave abnormally even after being successfully compiled. Although such a program's syntax is correct, the program still contains programming errors, or bugs, that cause unpredictable consequences such as unintended changes to the values of variables, infinite loops, incorrect output, or abnormal program termination.
Debugging is the process of discovering these bugs and eliminating them. Source-level debugging involves examining and modifying the source language elements of a program while it executes.
CodeWatch is a powerful software development tool that can help you locate bugs in programs. There are two flavors of CodeWatch available: one with a command-line interface and one with a graphical user interface. The command-line version offers a traditional line-oriented interface allowing you to interactively enter commands from the keyboard. The graphical user interface offers at least two main windows: one that allows you to enter commands and one that allows you to view your source code. You access CodeWatch commands through pull-down menus and dialog boxes.
CodeWatch keeps track of variables, subroutines, and data types in terms of the symbols used in the source language. You can reference these items without having to consider the underlying machine language or architecture. You can use CodeWatch to access the source text of the program, to identify and reference program entities, and to detect errors in the program's algorithms and logic.