Variable tracking in program debugging

A computer program product, comprising one or more computer readable hardware storage devices storing computer readable program instructions executable by a processor of a computer system to implement a method for structuring program code to implement program debugging of the program code using tracking of variables, said method comprising:

• said processor determining a first variable to be tracked and a first expression associated with the first variable, said program code comprising the first variable and the first expression;
• said processor performing a reverse scanning of the program code to search for a first assignment expression within a first assignment statement that assigns a value of the first assignment expression to the first variable;
• in response to finding the first assignment expression via the reverse scanning, said processor inserting, into the program code, a first watch point for determining a true/false value of the first expression, said inserting the first watch point comprising inserting the first watch point after the first assignment statement;
• and
• prior to said reverse scanning, said processor performing a forward processing of the program code to collect runtime information associated with a control flow for the first assignment statement to avoid an occurrence of an error, due to the control flow, during an automatic setting of the first watch point.

A computer system, comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a computer readable storage device coupled to the processor, said storage device containing program instructions executable by the processor via the memory to implement a method for structuring program code to implement program debugging of the program code using tracking of variables, said method comprising:

• said processor determining a first variable to be tracked and a first expression associated with the first variable, said program code comprising the first variable and the first expression;
• said processor performing a reverse scanning of the program code to search for a first assignment expression within a first assignment statement that assigns a value of the first assignment expression to the first variable;
• in response to finding the first assignment expression via the reverse scanning, said processor inserting, into the program code, a first watch point for determining a true/false value of the first expression, said inserting the first watch point comprising inserting the first watch point after the first assignment statement;
• and
• prior to said reverse scanning, said processor performing a forward processing of the program code to collect runtime information associated with a control flow for the first assignment statement to avoid an occurrence of an error, due to the control flow, during an automatic setting of the first watch point.