Overview of a Debugging Session

You can initiate a debug session with CA InterTest™ after you configure a CA InterTest™ debug session. This action notifies the debugger engine about the programs to be monitored. CA InterTest™ also notifies whether you have set any breakpoints in any of the monitored programs or set request breakpoints. After the debug session starts, CA InterTest™ waits for the application to start.

For a CA InterTest™ batch, a batch job is submitted and the debug session starts immediately. You can also select a suspended job from the batch link queue.

For CA InterTest™ for CICS, the CICS region is ready for you to key in the transaction ID to start your application.

During a debug session, CA InterTest™ graphical user interface directly communicates with the installed CA InterTest™ debugger engine (which may be CA InterTest™ batch or CA InterTest™ for CICS) on a z/OS platform. You can use the options and actions supported by the legacy CA InterTest™ ISPF interface.

After a debug session starts, CA InterTest™ automatically updates the download symbolic file as required:

• For a monitored program, the update occurs when the mainframe debugger loads the load module.

• For CICS projects, the update occurs when CA InterTest™ begins to monitor the program.

• For batch projects, the update occurs when the module is first entered.

CA InterTest™ stops the program execution and highlights the source code line satisfying the break event.

When the debug session stops at a breakpoint, you can review the value of variables in the Auto Data view or the Watch Data view. If the debug process allows you to change the value of a variable, you can do so from either of these views. You can also review the breakpoints that you have set and update them in the Breakpoints view. CA InterTest™ allows you to interrogate the contents of memory offsets or registers or a combination of these. You can modify memory locations to which your application is authorized to change.

CA InterTest™ lets you resume the debug session. You can step through an instruction, one at a time during a debug session. You can also instruct the debugger to execute the application until the next breakpoint or until the application ends. You can identify errors using a debug process and fix errors in it.

To debug a program, you must first detect the source of an error and try to fix it. If you identify a problem before the application finishes, you can simply terminate the application and thereby, the debug session. CA InterTest™ saves all of your breakpoints, debug session settings, and monitored programs.