Monitoring and Reviewing the Execution Path

Monitor and Review functionality lets you monitor and review the execution path of a program. It enables you to step backward through your program to view the actual sequence of instructions that led to the current breakpoint and see the data values as they were at the time. The actual path that was taken during forward execution of the program is displayed during review. Any COBOL program that can be debugged in Xpediter can be monitored and reviewed.

Buttons Used in Review Mode

These buttons, which appear on the Debug view toolbar, are used to direct Review mode:

• Review Step Backward (): Directs Xpediter to go 1 step backward.
• Review Step Forward (): Directs Xpediter to go 1 step forward.
• Review Resume Backward (): Directs Xpediter to go backward to the next breakpoint or to the point where monitoring started.
• Review Resume Forward (): Directs Xpediter to go forward to the next breakpoint or to the current line of execution.

Indicators Used in Monitor and Review

This icon appears in Debug view:

•  indicates that the program is being monitored.

These icons appear in source view:

•  appears on a statement and indicates that Review mode is moving backward.
•  appears on a statement and indicates that Review mode is moving forward.

To use monitor and review

1. Do any of the following to enable monitoring:

   • From the Debug view, right-click the program and select Monitor to enable monitoring of that program or select Monitor All COBOL Programs to enable monitoring for all COBOL programs within the debug session that can be debugged.
   • From the Run menu, select Monitor to enable monitoring of a COBOL program open in the Source view or select Monitor All COBOL Programs to enable monitoring for all COBOL programs within the debug session that can be debugged.
   • Right-click in the source view of a COBOL program and select Monitor to enable monitoring of that program or select Monitor All COBOL Programs to enable monitoring for all COBOL programs within the debug session that can be debugged.
   • From the Open DDIO view, right-click the program and select Monitor to enable monitoring of that program.

    indicates that the program is being monitored.

2. Execute the statements you want to review, which records the execution history.

3. When the program pauses during logical execution, click either of the following buttons on the Debug view toolbar to start Review mode:

   • Review Step Backward ()
   • Review Resume Backward ()

   The message bar at the top of the view indicates that Review mode is active and  appears in the Debug view on the last statement that was executed.

4. Use the following buttons to step backward and forward through the program:

   • Click  to step backward 1 statement.
   • Click  to step forward 1 statement.
   • Click  to go backward to the next breakpoint or to the point where monitoring started.
   • Click  to go forward to the next breakpoint or to the current line of execution.

   Review mode can only step backward to the point where monitoring was enabled for the program or to the point the monitor buffer allows. The monitor buffer size can be changed. When the end of the buffer is reached, the review changes direction automatically. The standard stepping buttons are disabled while in Review mode.

5. When finished, click Resume () to exit Review mode and continue debugging from the point of execution before Review mode was started.

Changing monitor buffer size

The monitor buffer setting determines how far a user can step backward through a program. Consider increasing the buffer size when a large set of programs needs to be monitored. Conversely, consider decreasing the buffer size if it is taking up a large amount of storage.

To change the monitor buffer size for Xpediter/TSO

1. From the Window menu, select Preferences. The Preferences dialog box appears.
2. Toggle open the Compuware node and select Xpediter.
3. Select the Override Xpediter/TSO monitor buffer size check box and type a value for the buffer. The default is 1MB. Possible values are 1-999,999 KB and 1-2047 MB. The value is set at the beginning of the debug session and is used across all Xpediter/TSO debug sessions, therefore changing the value during a debug session does not take effect until the next debug session.
4. Click OK.

To change the monitor buffer size for Xpediter/CICS

Refer to the Xpediter/CICS documentation for how to change the MONSIZE global parameter.