Debugging your Agent
Depending on the complexity of your Agent, you might want to add debug code right of the bat. That makes it easier (and less painful) to find issues you will come across. Look for examples further down the post.
How to debug your Agent:
Syntax: break [file:]line
Example: In the SDK, type “!break Numbers.pkg:291” (this will set a break point in the package “Numbers” at line 291)
Once you set a break point, enter a query that you want to investigate further. Eventually you will hit the break point you set and you can now dig in by using the debugging commands listed below.
While in debug mode, type “help” to see a list of possible commands:
Debugger static commands:
break [file:]line: sets a breakpoint
show breakpoints: lists the breakpoint
show files: lists the different files that are loaded
delete number: delete a breakpoint
delete all: delete all breakpoints
show global vars: lists all the global vars
print or p expr: evaluates the expression
start: the next execution will stop at the first instruction
debugger on|off: turns on or off the debugger
Debugger execution commands:
continue or c: continue the execution
next or n: continue to the next line
step or s: continue to the next command, entering procedure or function
step out or so: continue until outside the routine, procedure or function
backtrace or bt: lists the call stack
up: goes up in the call stack
down or do: goes down in the call stack
frame or f number: goes to a given frame in the call stack
show vars: lists all the local vars at the current frame
quit or q: terminates the execution
Note: !d [debug_level] // Displays/changes the debug level
How to add debug code to your Agent:
// Debug code to place in a .pkg file.
variable G_PROJECT_NAME_DEBUG_MODE
procedure TurnDebugMyProjectOnOff(ON_OFF)
G_PROJECT_NAME_DEBUG_MODE = ON_OFF
if ON_OFF
- Debug mode turned on!
else
- Debug mode turned off!
procedure DisplayIfDebugMode(DISPLAY)
call IncreasePresentationMaxLengthIfDebugMode()
if G_PROJECT_NAME_DEBUG_MODE
- DISPLAY
// Debug code to place in a .ddl file. This is to turn debug mode on/off in your project.
+ _debug_my_project ON_OFF=Anything {MACRO_PROTECTED_MATCHING} // i.e. type “_debug_my_project true” to activate debug mode.
call TurnDebugMyProjectOnOff(ON_OFF)
If you have a lot of different domains in your Agent that interact with each other (i.e. weather, location, etc.), then it might make sense to split up the debug code accordingly. Create some per feature, i.e. procedure DisplayIfWeatherDebugMode(DISPLAY) and procedure DisplayIfLocationDebugMode(DISPLAY), etc.
Now, place your new procedure(s) wherever you want to display debug information throughout your code. For example:
function GetWeatherChangeForInitiative(WEATHER_OBJ, PRECIP, TEMP)
call DisplayIfWeatherDebugMode(GuessWeatherLocationObject())
CHANGE_MUCH_HIGHER_DATE = ()
CHANGE_MUCH_LESS_DATE = ()
WEATHER_OBJ_KEYS = Keys(WEATHER_OBJ)
DAYS_W_NO_CHANGE_AHEAD = 0
//
for value DATE in WEATHER_OBJ_KEYS
if PRECIP
CHANGE_TO_CHECK = GetWeatherObject_ForecastChangePrecipitation(WEATHER_OBJ, DATE)
if TEMP
CHANGE_TO_CHECK = GetWeatherObject_ForecastChangeTemperature(WEATHER_OBJ, DATE)
call DisplayIfWeatherDebugMode(StringConcat("Condition to check: ", CHANGE_TO_CHECK))
//much higher
if CHANGE_TO_CHECK eq "MACRO_WEATHER_PATTERN_CHANGE_MUCH_HIGHER"
insert last in CHANGE_MUCH_HIGHER_DATE DATE
call DisplayIfWeatherDebugMode(StringConcat("Much higher on: ", DATE))
break
//much less
if CHANGE_TO_CHECK eq "MACRO_WEATHER_PATTERN_CHANGE_MUCH_LESS"
insert last in CHANGE_MUCH_LESS_DATE DATE
call DisplayIfWeatherDebugMode(StringConcat("Much less on: ", DATE))
break
//no change
if CHANGE_TO_CHECK eq "MACRO_WEATHER_PATTERN_CHANGE_NO_CHANGE"
DAYS_W_NO_CHANGE_AHEAD++
call DisplayIfWeatherDebugMode(StringConcat("Days without change: ", DAYS_W_NO_CHANGE_AHEAD))
//
// ...
Happy debugging! ;)
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Blog post contributor(s): Mirco
