Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Development:
Debugging and Troubleshooting

Debugging from alert dialog boxes

If you want alert dialog boxes displayed by a client application to include a Help button that provides access to a Stack Trace dialog box and the Debugger, start the client using the Debug Alert (-debugalert) client startup parameter. For more information on this startup parameter, see the reference entry in OpenEdge Deployment: Startup Command and Parameter Reference .

Figure 2–6 shows an alert dialog box with a Help button.

Figure 2–6: Alert dialog box with Stack Trace Help button

Note: You can enable this feature using the SESSION system handle. For more information, see Chapter 4, " Using System Handles for Debugging."

When you choose the Help button, a Stack Trace dialog box opens, displaying the 4GL stack trace for the currently executing client session. Figure 2–7 shows a sample Stack Trace dialog box.

Figure 2–7: Stack Trace dialog box

The Stack Trace dialog box displays procedures, beginning with the root procedure as the first row and ending with the procedure that generated the alert dialog box as the last row.

To start the Debugger from the Stack Trace dialog box:

In the alert dialog box, choose the Help button to open the Stack Trace dialog box.
Choose the Debug button in the Stack Trace dialog box. The Stack Trace dialog box closes, returning to the initial Alert dialog box.
Note: If you choose OK in the Stack Trace dialog box instead of the Debug, you return to the Alert dialog box without starting the Debugger. If you choose OK in the Alert dialog box at this point, you return to the location from which you ran your code without starting the Debugger.
Choose OK in the Alert dialog box to start the Debugger. (You must dismiss the Alert dialog box to start the Debugger.)
Note: It is possible that the original error caused the 4GL application to stop. In this case the Debugger cannot take control, since the application is no longer executing.