Starting the Classic
Debugger
There are two possible strategies for starting the Debugger in the ABAP Workbench:
· By setting breakpoints then running the program
· By running the program in debugging mode.
A breakpoint is a signal in a specific line of the program source code. This signal indicates to the ABAP runtime processor to stop the program at the relevant line and start the ABAP Debugger. A distinction is made between static and dynamic breakpoints. For further information about the different types of breakpoints and how to use them, refer to Breakpoints.
You can start the Debugger without previously having set breakpoints. This is the best procedure to use when you want to test a program right from the beginning. It is also a useful procedure if you are not overly familiar with the program and therefore are not sure where best to set breakpoints. You can start the Debugger as follows:
From the Object Navigator |
Select a program or transaction and choose Program ® Test ® Debugging. |
From the ABAP Editor |
Choose Program → Execute → Debugging (or the Debugging pushbutton). In the source code display, you need to select the menu Program → Test → Debugging |
From any screen |
Choose System → Utilities → Debug ABAP. |
From any screen |
Enter /h in the command field. |
To check a program or program component that is part of the ABAP Workbench (for example, the Screen Painter), you must use the system Debugger. To start the system Debugger, choose System → Utilities → Debug System from any screen. To stop the system Debugger, choose Debugger → Debugging off.
You can display the attributes Fixed Point Arithmetic, System Program, and Unicode Checks of the program that has just been executed by choosing Goto → Further Information → Program Attributes.
If you choose Debugging → Restart, debugging mode is stopped and the system takes you to the initial screen of the last transaction you called. If, for example, you started an ABAP program in debugging mode from transaction SE38 (ABAP Editor), choosing Debugging → Restart will take you back to the screen titled ABAP Editor: Initial Screen. If you want to restart the program in debugging mode, choose the menu Program → Execute → Debugging or choose the Debugging pushbutton.
As of Release 6.40, you can preset the call for the new Debugger in the ABAP Editor by selecting the menu Utilities → Settings → Debugging → New Debugger. In the debugging mode, you can switch from the single-process Debugger to the two-process Debugger through the menu option Debugging → Change.