AutoHotkey Community

[nduncan]

YES PLEEEEEASE!!

An IDE debugger for AHK could surely be optional for the many who don't want or need it.

I spent two days trying to write an AHK script with just 6 variables and got none of the suggested debug methods to work. In less than hour with an oldish copy of WinBatch. I had an alternative that did the job.

I have no experience outside scripting, but my model would be WinBatch Studio - improved of course. It would be an excellent learning medium for newbies like myself and would almost certainly REDUCE the number of posta with requests for help.
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tryingharder

[PhiLho]

You forgot to set the poll...
Writing an IDE from scratch is a very big task!
Now, it doesn't need to be sophisticated: a simple Scintilla-based editor (I have to work more on that lexer! ), and some buttons/item menus/keyboard shortcuts to compile and run, and set breakpoints and go step by step and look at variable contents...
Obviously, since the later part (debugging) isn't not here, it will be the harder to make. But Chris repeated he thinks about this, he is well aware of the need of a good debugger.
I feel that somebody else should write the IDE (GUI) part. Because people will keep asking to improve it ("I want to change the toolbar", "I want this feature") and it will keep Chris away from his main job: to improve the language!
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vPhiLho := RegExReplace("Philippe Lhoste", "^(\w{3})\w*\s+\b(\w{3})\w*$", "$1$2")

[majkinetor]

[Chris]

[PhiLho]

Yes. Currently, I debug a big Java program, with hundred of classes, and I am happy that NetBeans has a good debugger. I like also Visual Studio (6) debugger.
NetBeans allows to debug a running Java program by "connecting" to it, provided the program is run with some options.
For this, it can use either TCP/sockets (kind of overkill, but good for cross-platform or remote) or shared memory.
Actually, for AutoHotkey, we can use any of the numerous IPC (interprocess communication) available on Windows, from plain messages to shared memory or named pipe (seems to be the three most interesting methods).

I would like to share my vision of what a debugger for AHK should be able to do.

There are two possibilities for such debugger, that can coexist:
- Add a menu item in the standard menu, opening a window showing the code in read-only mode.
Read-only because otherwise, as I wrote, people would see it as a full editor and would ask for more features...
This window would allow base debug operations, as detailled below.
- Provide an API (probably via IPC as we saw) to allow an external IDE / debugger to connect to a live AHK script. Perhaps with a new directive enabling debugging mode, in case such mode would slow down running (or just disable it if SetBatchLines command is set at -1 or -2?).

Debug operations:

- Of course, set (and disable/remove) a breakpoint. And IDE should be able to list all breakpoints with their status and to jump to a chosen one.
Conditional breakpoints are cool, but perhaps an overkill (I rarely use them...).

- Once an active breakpoint is reached, we want to be able to view (access) data:
. global variables
. local variables if in a function
. call stack if in a function too.

- Step Over (execute functions, don't enter in them)
- Step Into (go inside a function when called)
- Step Out (run to the end of the current function, jumping just after its call)

- Run to cursor (easy to do: set a breakpoint there, run and on stop, remove the breakpoint)
- Jump to cursor (kind of direct Goto, skipping normal flow of program. Can be useful in some cases)
- Run (continue execution up to next breakpoint or end of program)
- Stop the script
- Stop debugging, let the program continue

An issue with AHK is with hotkeys and timers. I think they should be disabled, so we have a use for the Jump to cursor as it would allow to simulate them.

As you see, there is a lot to do, and it might even need a major change in the internals of AutoHotkey... But it would be a powerful tool, better than spreading ToolTip, MsgBox, FileAppend or OutputDebug lines through the code. (We still do something like that in Java anyway... traces can help too.)
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vPhiLho := RegExReplace("Philippe Lhoste", "^(\w{3})\w*\s+\b(\w{3})\w*$", "$1$2")

[Chris]

[majkinetor]

[majkinetor]

What troubles me the most about IDE is intelisense. To be done correctly (ie, with user functions variables etc..) it must have integrated AHK parser, and that is a big job. Maybe current AHK parser if contained as a separate modul can be used. Or we can even forget about this, use ISense I wrote and integrate editor and debuger into Smart Creator (this new one that is currently being worked by toralf)

The problem is that bunch of us have its own AHK environment (UltraEdit, EditPlus, SciTe, Metapad...) and people will probably not want to change it, so DD script sounds like more interesting (but both solutions can also be maintaned).

To completely replace 3th party editors, IDE will have to implement:
1. customizable syntax highliting (mandatory)
2. intlisense (not so mandatory, we can use existing scripts but still...)
3. outlining (optionaly)

There are already freeware syntax highligting control out there, but I didn't hear for 2 and 3. Maybe those things can be taken from SciTe source code or even better, entire code can be addapted to be integrated in this environment.

So, we can work on 3 fields separately: GUI, Editor & Debuger.
I am certanly very interested and I will know in next few months how much of time I have for that.
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[freakkk]

[PhiLho]

If such IDE uses Scintilla, this will come automatically, with a kind of intellisense, flexible syntax highlighting, and lot of other goodies.
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vPhiLho := RegExReplace("Philippe Lhoste", "^(\w{3})\w*\s+\b(\w{3})\w*$", "$1$2")

[majkinetor]

Yes, it even has debuging capatibilities.
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[PhiLho]

Uh, no, but it is able to show breakpoints (markers), current line, etc. I suppose that's what you mean.
_________________
vPhiLho := RegExReplace("Philippe Lhoste", "^(\w{3})\w*\s+\b(\w{3})\w*$", "$1$2")

[majkinetor]

I read on official site that it has support for highlighting current debug line and things like you mention. I guess this has to be enabled in the source.
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[snookiex]

Hey, what about using Eclipse, and code a plugin for it.

[urlwolf]