Program debugging support method and apparatus

A program debugging support method for use on a computer having a display device, the method comprising the steps of:

• displaying on said display device a source text of a program in execution, said program being executed step by step;
• displaying on said display device a diagram showing a relationship between modules comprising said program, said relationship being made from said source text before execution of said program;
• showing on said display device a first position of said source text distinctively on said source text displayed on said display device;
• showing on said display device a second position of said diagram distinctively on said diagram displayed on said display device, wherein said first and second positions corresponded to the executing step.

A program debugging support method using a computer having a display device, the method comprising the steps of:

• displaying on said display device a diagram of a relationship of modules constituting a program, the relationship being made from source text before execution of said program;
• executing said program;
• showing on said displayed diagram a first module of said modules in a different manner from other modules, said module being in execution;
• and
• displaying a report relating an executed module corresponding to said first module showed in said displayed diagram.

A program debugging support method for use on a computer having a display device and a memory, the method comprising the steps of:

• executing a program stored in said memory, the program comprising modules;
• storing in said memory a report which shows a history and result of each of the modules executed by said executing step;
• and,
• in case that said program is terminated;
• displaying on said display device a diagram of a relationship of said modules comprising said terminated program, the relationship being formed from source text before executing said program;
• and,
• displaying on said display device at least portion of said report stored in said memory in a manner that a user can recognize a correspondence between a module of said displayed diagram and said displayed report portion.

A program debugging support method using a computer having a display device and a memory, the method comprising the steps of:

• executing a program stored in said memory, the program comprising modules;
• storing in said memory a report which shows a history and a result of a global variable relating to executing steps of said executing program;
• and
• in case that said program is terminated;
• displaying on said display device a diagram of a relationship of said modules constituting said terminated program;
• showing a position in a different manner from other modules of said diagram displayed on said display device;
• wherein said position corresponds to modules in which said global variable is used.

A program debugging support apparatus, comprising:

• means for generating relation information of modules comprising a source program, wherein said relation information is made from source text before execution of the program;
• memory device means for storing a source text of said program, and said relationship information of the modules constituting said program;
• processor means for executing said program stored in said memory device means and detecting an event of said program in execution;
• and,
• display device means, connected to said processor means, for displaying said source text and a diagram of said relationship information of said program in execution, showing a first position of said source text in a different manner from others of said source text displayed on said display device means and showing a second position of said diagram in a different manner from others of said diagram displayed on said display device means, said first and second position corresponding to an event which occurs in said executed program.

A program debugging support method performed in a computer having a display device and a memory, the method comprising the steps of:

• extracting values of arguments and a return value at each of executed modules during execution of a program and recording said values into the memory, said program being composed of said modules and a relationship between said modules having a hierarchical structure, wherein said relationship is made from source text before execution of the program;
• after completion of the program, reading out said values of arguments and a return value from said memory and displaying said values of a module selected by a user on a display device;
• in response to designation of one of said display values by the user, extracting the values of arguments and a return value of a module directly called by a module corresponding to said designation, from values recorded in said memory;
• displaying said extracted values by inserting them between said values of arguments and a return value which are presently displayed;
• and,
• in a case that the values of arguments and a return value of the lower level modules are displayed, deleting said values of arguments and a return value of the lower level modules from display device in response to designation by the user.