[fpc-pascal] Re: OT: Amazing new development tools

[Mark Morgan Lloyd]

Martin wrote:
> On 29/02/2012 11:44, Mark Morgan Lloyd wrote:
>> Martin wrote:
>>> Sure one *could* record *all* variables, and the callstack...
>>> But what if
>>> - you add a new variable, what to initialize it with?
>>> - remove the function that called the current code, or even delete 
>>> the line where you just paused?
>>>
>>> Or one could record all input, and replay the app. But that has 
>>> limits too.
>>>
>>> Neither of those are likely to happen....
>>>
>>>
>>> btw on some platforms, gdb can step backwards (again limitations 
>>> apply). But it's not integrated in Lazarus yet...
>>
>> Noting what I described looking at in 
>> http://lists.freepascal.org/lists/fpc-other/2012-February/000670.html, 
>> I found myself wondering whether the IDE could tweak (writable?) 
>> constants at runtime, or possibly closures once they exist.
>>
>> Being able to tune e.g. the exact position of visible components could 
>> be rather useful.
>>
> 
> The evaluate dialog, offers a way to change values.
> Yes it is not at all comfortable ...
> 
> And be warned, it performs no checks. Trying to change managed types 
> (string, dyn array) will almost certainly crash your app.
> 
> I guess, if you have a Form you can change it's values. Only to make 
> those thinks visible on screen, it is not enough to change them. You 
> need to call the setter. And calling functions from the debugger is not 
> yet there...

Thanks, noted. I must admit that I've never really "got my head around" 
evaluation of anything other than simple variables, but I'm sure that's 
because I've not spent enough time really getting to grips with it.

> -----
> If you work on the IDE itself try the package IdeInspector (it adds 
> itself to "view" > "Ide Internals" if installed)

Thanks, I'll make a point of looking at that, but it leads my into 
another question which I'll post in the Lazarus ML since I think it's 
out of place here.

-- 
Mark Morgan Lloyd
markMLl .AT. telemetry.co .DOT. uk

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