Debugger front-end

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In computer programming, some of the most capable and popular debugger programs implement only a simple command line interface (CLI) — often to maximize portability and minimize resource consumption. However, many programmers find that debugging via a graphical user interface (GUI) is easier and more productive. This is the raison d’être for GUI debugger front-ends, which are programs that allow users to monitor and control subservient CLI-only debuggers via a more intuitive graphical interface. Some debugger front-ends are designed to be compatible with a variety of CLI-only debuggers, while others are targeted at one specific debugger.

[edit] List of front-ends allowing easy debugging

• GDB GUI Front END Debugger Embedded ToolsmithsAgile-DB GUI Front End for GDB--Not Free.
• Many Integrated development environments come with integrated debuggers (or front-ends to standard debuggers).
• DDD, is the standard front-end from the GNU project. It a very complex tool and works with most common debuggers (gdb, jdb, Python debugger, Perl debugger, Tcl, and others) natively or with some external programs (for PHP).

• GDB (the GNU debugger) GUI
  • KDbg : KDE program
  • xxgdb : X-window program

• Debuggers & IDE with included GUI
  • PhpED : Windows PHP IDE, not free (http://www.nusphere.com/)- made by NuSphere Corporation, the authors of dbg PHP Debugger and Profiler
  • Expert Debugger : Windows program (http://www.ankord.com/phpxdbg.html), free (but not Free), payment asked to help development but not mandatory
  • HateML Pro : Freeware Windows PHP IDE, developed by Migajek Software (http://migajek.com/)
  • Maguma Open Studio : Windows Free IDE for PHP (http://sourceforge.net/projects/openstudio/)
  • PHPEclipse : Eclipse Free plugin for PHP programming, includes a debugger (http://www.phpeclipse.de)
  • Komodo : Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows IDE, not free (http://www.activestate.com/Products/Komodo)

[edit] Other links

• jlint Jlint checks Java code and finds bugs, inconsistencies and synchronization problems by doing data flow analysis on the code and building the lock graph.
• ODB, the Omniscient Debugger, instruments and traces a Java program, allowing a programmer to move forward and backward through the program's execution while debugging.