How z/OS Debugger automatically adds variables to the Monitor window

When you enter the SET AUTOMONITOR ON command, z/OS® Debugger displays the line ********** AUTOMONITOR ********** at the bottom of the list of any monitored variables in the Monitor window, as shown in the following example:

COBOL    LOCATION: DTAM01 :> 109.1                                             
Command ===>                                                   Scroll ===> PAGE
MONITOR -+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+----5----+----6- LINE: 1 OF 7
******************************** TOP OF MONITOR *******************************
                                  ----+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+

0001  1 NUM1                      0000000005                                   
0002  2 NUM4                     '1111'                                       
0003  3 WK-LONG-FIELD-2          '123456790 223456790 323456790 423456790 523 
0004                              456790 623456790 723456790 823456790 9234567 
0005                              90 023456790 123456790 223456790 323456790 4 
0006                              23456790 523456790 623456790 723456790 82345 
0007                              ********** AUTOMONITOR **********

The area below this line is called the automonitor section. Each time you enter the STEP command or a breakpoint is encountered, z/OS Debugger does the following tasks:

  1. Removes any variable names and values displayed in the automonitor section.
  2. Displays the names and values of the variables of the statement that z/OS Debugger runs next. The values displayed are values before the statement is run.

This behavior displays the value of the variables before z/OS Debugger runs the statement. If you want to see the value of the variables after z/OS Debugger runs the statement, you can enter the SET AUTOMONITOR ON PREVIOUS command. z/OS Debugger displays the line ********** AUTOMONITOR – PREVIOUS load-name ::> cu-name :> statement-id ********** at the bottom of the list of any monitored variables in the Monitor window. Each time you enter the STEP command or a breakpoint is encountered, z/OS Debugger does the following tasks:

  1. Removes any variable names and values displayed in the automonitor section.
  2. Displays the names and the values of the variables of the most recent statement that z/OS Debugger ran. The values displayed are values after that statement was run.

If you want to see the value of the variables before and after z/OS Debugger runs the statement, you can enter the SET AUTOMONITOR ON BOTH command. z/OS Debugger displays the line ********** AUTOMONITOR load-name ::> cu-name :> statement-id ********** at the bottom of the list of any monitored variables in the Monitor window. Below this line, z/OS Debugger displays the names and values of the variables on the statement that z/OS Debugger runs next. Then, z/OS Debugger displays the line ***** Previous Statement load-name ::> cu-name :> statement-id ***** . Below this line, z/OS Debugger displays the names and values of the variables of the statement that z/OS Debugger just ran. Each time you enter the STEP command or a breakpoint is encountered, z/OS Debugger does the following tasks:

  1. Removes any variable names and values displayed in the automonitor section.
  2. Displays the names and values of the variables of the statement that z/OS Debugger runs next. The values displayed are values before the statement is run.
  3. Displays the names and the values of the variables of the statement that z/OS Debugger just ran. The values displayed are values after the statement was run.

Refer to the following topics for more information related to the material discussed in this topic.