Breakpoints (option 7.8)

A breakpoint is a location at which the processing of your dialog is suspended so that you can use Dialog Test facilities. The Breakpoints option (7.8) allows you to show where such temporary suspensions should occur. At a breakpoint, you can examine and manipulate dialog data such as tables and variables. You can also specify new test conditions, such as traces and other breakpoints.

Breakpoints are located immediately before a dialog service receives control or after it relinquishes control. Breakpoint definitions cause special handling within the ISPLINK, ISPLNK, or ISPEXEC interfaces to dialog services; no user dialog code is modified. When the criteria for a breakpoint are satisfied, your dialog is suspended. You can then do any of the functions shown on the Breakpoint Primary Option Panel. You cannot use as a breakpoint the VPUT or VGET service issued from a panel, nor will breakpoints occur for selections from a menu (selection) panel. Breakpoints occur only for dialog service calls that use the ISPLINK, ISPLNK, or ISPEXEC interfaces.

Along with several menu bar items common across ISPF Version 4.1, the Breakpoints panel has added the Qualify pull-down. You can now display the qualification parameter values from the Breakpoints panel in two ways:

Enter the QUAL primary command
Select the Qualifications choice from the Qualify pull-down.

The Function and Active columns are overlaid with a column of data titled Qualification Parameter Values; this column was logically off the screen to the right of the first Breakpoints panel. To resume the format of the Breakpoints panel, you can either:

Enter the RESUME primary command, or
Select the Breakpoints choice from the Qualify pull-down