Getting started

This section provides information about BMC AMI DevX Code Insights and Runtime Visualizer.

BMC AMI DevX Code Insights

Workbench Code Insights is an Eclipse plug-in you can use to create, view, manipulate, export, and print graphical representations of COBOL and PL/I program structure. The logic flow of each procedure or paragraph and the data flow for a selected field can also be viewed. The hierarchical relationships among copybooks and programs in a mainframe project can also be shown.

The Code Insights plug-in includes the Code Insights perspective for working with program structure, logic flow, data flow, and program and copybook hierarchies.

Code Insights is initiated from a Workbench COBOL Editor or Workbench PL/I Editor session and opens a chart of the program's structure. A logic flow chart for a selected procedure can then be invoked from that program structure chart. A data flow chart can be invoked by clicking a field in the editor or entering it in a text box. Another chart filters out complexity by presenting only the selected structure chart node, its callers (parents), and callees (children). Analyzing an online mainframe project in Project Explorer enables you to view that project's hierarchy of program calls and copybook references.

Runtime Visualizer

BMC's Runtime Visualizer is an Eclipse plug-in you can use to view a dynamic visualization of program and I/O calls presented in the sequence in which they occur. The events shown can be replayed, exported to various formats, and imported for replay. By observing these execution events, you can quickly achieve a greater understanding of your complex, mission-critical applications while increasing your confidence in modifying or extending these applications.

The Runtime Visualizer plug-in includes the Runtime Visualizer perspective for working with runtime visualizations. It has an upper view that displays a graphical representation of the actual execution of your application in a debug session, and a lower section with two views, one summarizing execution events in an expandable tree and one listing individual execution events in tabular format. Views showing the call stack in graphical and text format can also be opened to provide additional insight into the sequence of events depicted in the runtime visualization.

Runtime visualization is initiated by first selecting it on the Visualizer tab of Code Debug/Eclipse's Debug Configurations dialog box, and then submitting the debug request. A completed runtime visualization can also be exported as a .csv file that can later be imported back into the Runtime Visualizer and, optionally, animated.

Runtime Visualizer works with all the environments currently supported by Code Debug/Eclipse, including batch, CICS, and IMS online. COBOL, PL/I, Assembler, and C programs are supported, subject to the limitations listed below.

Limitations

  • If any non-COBOL language is involved in the program calling chain, the visualization may be incomplete. For example, program and I/O calls coming from other than COBOL may not be detected or shown.
  • Static and dynamic program calls are supported for COBOL, but non-COBOL program calling chains can only be followed for static module calls, not dynamic ones.
  • Programs called by using DLL linkage will not be detected, regardless of language.
  • Although the source is not required for a program to be included in runtime visualization, Code Debug/Eclipse requires the standard use of DDIO libraries.

This section provides information about the following topics:


 

Tip: For faster searching, add an asterisk to the end of your partial query. Example: cert*