Debug Tool commands
Commands and keywords can be abbreviated. The abbreviations shown with some commands are the minimum abbreviations. However, you can use a minimum abbreviation or any string from the minimum to completely spelling out the keyword; all are valid. This is true of all keywords for commands.
If you are debugging in full-screen mode, you can get help with Debug Tool command syntax by either pressing PF1 or entering a question mark (?) on the command line. This lists all Debug Tool commands in the Log window.
To get a list of options for a command, enter a partial command followed by a question mark.
The table below summarizes the Debug Tool commands.
? command | Displays all Debug Tool commands in the Log window. |
ALLOCATE command | Allocates a file to an existing data set, a concatenation of existing data sets, or a temporary data set. |
ANALYZE command (PL/I) | Displays the process of evaluating an expression and the data attributes of any intermediate results. |
Assignment command (assembler and disassembly) | Assigns the value of an expression to a specified storage location or register. |
Assignment command (LangX COBOL) | Assigns the value of an expression to a specified reference. |
Assignment command (PL/I) | Assigns the value of an expression to a specified reference. |
AT command | Defines a breakpoint (gives control of your program to Debug Tool under the specified circumstances). |
BEGIN command | BEGIN and END delimit a sequence of one or more commands to form one longer command. |
block command (C and C++) | Allows you to group any number of Debug Tool commands into one command. |
break command (C and C++) | Allows you to terminate and exit a loop (that is, do, for, and while) or switch command from any point other than the logical end. |
CALL command | The CALL command calls either a procedure, entry name, or program name, or it requests that a utility function be run. |
CC command | Controls whether code coverage data is collected. |
CLEAR command | Removes the actions of previously issued Debug Tool commands (such as breakpoints). |
COMMENT command | Used to insert commentary into the session log. |
COMPUTE command (COBOL) | Assigns the value of an arithmetic expression to a specified reference. |
CURSOR command (full-screen mode) | Moves the cursor between the last saved position on the Debug Tool session panel (excluding the header fields) and the command line. |
Declarations (assembler, disassembly, and LangX COBOL) | Declares session variables that are effective during a Debug Tool session. |
Declarations (C and C++) | Declares session variables and tags that are effective during a Debug Tool session. |
Declarations (COBOL) | Declares session variables that are effective during a Debug Tool session. |
DECLARE command (PL/I) | Declares session variables that are effective during a Debug Tool session. |
DESCRIBE command | Displays the attributes of references, compile units, and the execution environment. |
DISABLE command | Makes the AT breakpoint inoperative, but does not clear it; you can ENABLE it later without typing the entire command again. |
do/while command (C and C++) | Performs a command before evaluating the test expression. |
DO command (PL/I) | Allows one or more commands to be collected into a group which can (optionally) be run repeatedly. |
ENABLE command | Makes AT breakpoints operative after they have been disabled by the DISABLE command. |
EVALUATE command (COBOL) | Provides a shorthand notation for a series of nested IF statements. |
Expression command (C and C++) | Evaluates the given expression which can be used to either assign a value to a variable or to call a function. |
FIND command | Provides full-screen and line mode searching of source and listing files, and full-screen searching of Log and Monitor windows. |
FINDBP command | Provides full-screen searching of the source for line, statement, and offset breakpoints. |
for command (C and C++) | Provides iterative looping. |
FREE command | Frees (deallocates) an allocated file. |
GO command | Causes Debug Tool to start or resume running your program. |
GOTO command | Causes Debug Tool to resume program execution at the specified statement id. |
GOTO LABEL command | Causes Debug Tool to resume running program at the specified statement label. |
%IF command (programming language neutral) | Lets you conditionally perform a command; use this syntax if you are constructing a command that might run in different programming languages. |
IF command (assembler, disassembly, and LangX COBOL) | Lets you conditionally perform a command. |
if command (C and C++) | Lets you conditionally perform a command. |
IF command (COBOL) | Lets you conditionally perform a command. |
IF command (PL/I) | Lets you conditionally perform a command. |
IMMEDIATE command (full-screen mode) | Causes a command within a command list to be performed immediately. For use with commands assigned to a PF key. |
INPUT command (C, C++, and COBOL) | Provides input for an intercepted read and is valid only when there is a read pending for an intercepted file. |
JUMPTO command | Jumps to the specified statement and then stops the program at that statement. |
LIST command | Displays information about your Debug Tool session. |
LOAD command | Specifies that the named module should be loaded for debugging purposes. |
LOADDEBUGDATA command | Specifies that a compile unit (CU) as an assembler CU and loads debug data. |
MEMORY command | Identifies an address in memory to display in the Memory window. |
MONITOR command | Defines or redefines a command whose output is displayed in the Monitor window (full-screen mode), terminal output (line mode), or log file (batch mode). |
MOVE command (COBOL) | Transfers data from one area of storage to another. |
NAMES command | Specify names of load modules or compile units to debug or ignore, and display the current setting of the NAMES command. |
Null command | A semicolon written where a command is expected. |
ON command (PL/I) | Establishes the actions to be executed when the specified PL/I condition is raised. |
PANEL command (full-screen mode) | Displays special panels (for example, to customize your full-screen session). |
PERFORM command (COBOL) | Identifies a series of commands to be run. The series of commands can be run repeatedly, if you use the UNTIL keyword of the command. |
PLAYBACK commands | Commands to start and stop recording application execution states and replay the recorded execution states. |
POPUP command | Displays the Command pop-up window, where you type in commands. |
POSITION command | Positions the cursor to a specific line in the specified window. |
Prefix commands (full-screen mode) | Apply only to source listing lines and are typed into the Source window. |
PROCEDURE command | Allows the definition of a group of commands that can be accessed using the CALL procedure command. |
QUALIFY RESET command | Resets qualification to the block of the suspended program and scrolls the Source window to display the current statement line. |
QUERY command | Displays the current value of Debug Tool settings (such as the current location in the suspended program). |
QUIT command | Ends a Debug Tool session (with a return code, if specified). |
QQUIT command | Ends a Debug Tool session (without additional prompting) |
RETRIEVE command (full-screen mode) | Displays the last command entered on the command line. |
RESTORE command | Enables explicit restoring of settings, breakpoints, and monitor specifications. |
RUN command | Causes Debug Tool to start or resume running your program. |
RUNTO command | Causes Debug Tool to run your program to a specific point (without setting a breakpoint) |
SCROLL command (full-screen mode) | Provides horizontal and vertical scrolling in full-screen mode. |
SELECT command (PL/I) | Chooses one of a set of alternate commands. |
SET command | Controls various Debug Tool settings. |
SET command (COBOL) | Assigns a value to a COBOL reference. |
SHOW prefix command (full-screen mode) | Specifies what relative statement (for C) or relative verb (for COBOL) within the line is to have its frequency count temporarily shown in the suffix area. |
STEP command | Causes Debug Tool to dynamically step through a program, running one or more program statements. |
STORAGE command | Enables you to alter up to eight bytes of storage. |
switch command (C and C++) | Enables you to transfer control to different commands within the switch body, depending on the value of the switch expression. |
SYSTEM command (z/OS) | Lets you issue TSO commands during a Debug Tool session. |
TRIGGER command | Raises the specified AT condition in Debug Tool, or raises the specified programming language condition in your program. |
TSO command (z/OS) | Lets you issue TSO commands during a Debug Tool session (this command is valid only in a TSO environment). |
USE command | Causes the Debug Tool commands in the specified file or data set to be either performed or syntax checked. |
while command (C and C++) | Enables you to repeatedly perform the body of a loop until the specified condition is no longer met or evaluates to false |
WINDOW command (full-screen mode) | Opens, close, resizes, or expands to full screen (zooms) the specified window on the Debug Tool session panel. |
Refer to the following topics for more information related to the material discussed in this topic.
- Related tasks
- Debug Tool User's Guide
- Related references
- Debug Tool built-in functions
- Debug Tool variables