 |
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
st: AW: Debugging tool
<>
I do recall hearing this item at a "wishes and grumbles" last year. Many of
the other grumbles are gone (think pdf manuals...), so I think it would be
worthwhile to devote developer time to the issue. I also recall complaints
about -mata- being even harder to debug. Given that I anticipate that -mata-
will acquire even more importance than it already has, it should be part of
this future debugging tool...
HTH
Martin
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] Im Auftrag von WLJ van Putten
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 20. August 2009 16:11
An: [email protected]
Betreff: st: Debugging tool
Debugging of Stata programs can be a very tedious and complicated
process, especially in case of long and/or nested programs.
Where is the bug? In the main program or in a subroutine or a program
somewhere down the line? Is there a bug in program code itself or is it
due to wrong or missing content of certain macros in specific situations
when the program is applied?
There are a number of approaches that one can follow and combine for
debugging. E.g.:
- set trace on before starting the program or add a set trace on line to
the program at a point before where an error occurs.
- add noisily display "text... " lines to an ado file to find out
where the error occurs
- or add "global X<i> ...." lines to the program and later inspect the
content of these global macros
- set pause on and add pause commands to the ado file
- set a log on before setting trace on and use an editor to go through
the lines of code in the resulting log file
- close the result window first when logging the output to speed up the
process
But still it can be very time consuming to just locate the point where
the error occurs.
I would like to have a tool (say with set debug on) that shows (without
set trace on) after a command that ends in an error
(1) the final command line [c1] that produced the error without and
with macro substitution - just like after set trace on, followed by
(2) the command line [c2] that called c1 without and with macro
substitution of that line, followed by
(3) the command line [c3] that called c2 without and with macro
substitution, followed by
.... etcetera till the inital command given.
Such a tool can be used as the first step to locate the error. The
macro substituted lines may already give sufficient clues to solve the
problem. Otherwise one could set a trace on at a suitable point in the
program or one of the called programs for further detection.
To write such a tool is beyond the powers of a simple mortal user of
Stata, and can only be done by StataCorp.
I had proposed this to Stata and received some useful comments from
Kerry Kammire from Stata Technical Support. He has passed on my request
to Stata Development. He told me that the development of such a tool
gets a higher vpriority if it is supported by many users of Stata.
If any of you support my request for such a debugging tool (or a smarter
one!) please let this be known to StataCorp (or) through Statalist.
Wim van Putten
*
* For searches and help try:
* http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
* http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
* http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
*
* For searches and help try:
* http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
* http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
* http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/