Exception prediction before an actual exception during debugging

A computer program product, comprising:

• a computer-readable storage device;
• and
• a computer-readable program code stored in the computer-readable storage device, the computer-readable program code containing instructions that are executed by a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer system to implement a method of predicting an exception during debugging of software code before the debugging encounters the exception, the method comprising the steps of:
• the computer system receiving a number (X) of lines of the software code, wherein X is an integer greater than one;
• the computer system debugging a current line number L of the software code, wherein L is an integer greater than zero;
• the computer system executing upcoming lines of the software code consisting of at least line number (L+1) through line number (L+X) of the software code;
• based on the upcoming lines of the software code being executed, the computer system predicting that the exception will be encountered at line number M of the software code and determining the line number M is within a range of line number (L+1) through line number (L+X), inclusively, wherein M is an integer;
• based on the exception being predicted to be encountered at the line number M and the line number M being within the range of line number (L+1) through line (L+X), inclusively, and during the debugging of the current line number L, the computer system displaying a warning that the exception is to be encountered at line number M;
• and
• responsive to the displayed warning, the computer system receiving an indication that a corrective action was taken to avoid the exception.

A computer system comprising:

• a central processing unit (CPU);
• a memory coupled to the CPU;
• and
• a computer readable storage device coupled to the CPU, the storage device containing instructions that are executed by the CPU via the memory to implement a method of predicting an exception during debugging of software code before the debugging encounters the exception, the method comprising the steps of:
• the computer system receiving a number (X) of lines of the software code, wherein X is an integer greater than one;
• the computer system debugging a current line number L of the software code, wherein L is an integer greater than zero;
• the computer system executing upcoming lines of the software code consisting of at least line number (L+1) through line number (L+X) of the software code;
• based on the upcoming lines of the software code being executed, the computer system predicting that the exception will be encountered at line number M of the software code and determining the line number M is within a range of line number (L+1) through line number (L+X), inclusively, wherein M is an integer;
• based on the exception being predicted to be encountered at the line number M and the line number M being within the range of line number (L+1) through line (L+X), inclusively, and during the debugging of the current line number L, the computer system displaying a warning that the exception is to be encountered at line number M;
• and
• responsive to the displayed warning, the computer system receiving an indication that a corrective action was taken to avoid the exception.