Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!pyramid!nsc!csi!jwhitnel
From: jwhitnel@csi.UUCP (Jerry Whitnell)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Picking a Debugger
Message-ID: <1466@csib.csi.UUCP>
Date: 6 Apr 88 18:34:36 GMT
References: <2613@cognos.UUCP>
Reply-To: jwhitnel@csib.UUCP (Jerry Whitnell)
Organization: Communications Solutions Inc., San Jose, Ca
Lines: 33

In article <2613@cognos.UUCP> glennr@cognos.UUCP (Glenn D. Rasmussen) writes:
>I'm looking for a debugger for Macintosh software. The two I've heard the most
>about are TMON and 'The Debugger'. Also, I've heard rumours that MPW will have
>a source level debugger in version 3.0.

TMON is my first choice.  It is a complete symbolic level debugger with
most of the standard debugger features (breakpoints, etc.) as well as
Mac-specific features including windows (not Mac-like however), discipline
(check your ROM calls for errors in the parameters such as NIL pointers,
bad handles, etc.).  The latest version (2.8.1) works on all the latest
hardware.  It's user interface isn't the greatest but it is quite usable.
Support is good with people on Genie and Compuserve (but not Usenet).

The Debugger is on paper a much better debugger.  Lots more features then
TMON including watchpoints (watch for a memory location to change), display
source files while in the debugger, etc.  It is also a full symbolic debugger
with a true Mac-like interface.  The problems with The Debugger is a) it
is very buggy (although improving), b) Steve Jasik, the author, wouldn't
know a user interface if it came up and clicked on him to (mis-)quote someone,
and c) it is not a resident debugger and so will only work with applications
(no support for DAs or INITs).  Support is also good as Steve has a
conference on Delphi and puts regular updates there (along with his other
product MacNosy).  He is also available on Compuserve.

Both MPW and LightspeedC will be coming out with source level debugger's
in their 3.0 releases (MPW this summer sometime for beta, LSC RSN).  I
imagine The Debugger will support MPW soon after that but I don't know about
TMON.  Lightspeed Pascal already has a source level debugger.

>Glenn D. Rasmussen     Voice:    (613) 738-1440     Snails : P. O. Box 9707

Jerry Whitnell				Been through Hell?
Communication Solutions, Inc.		What did you bring back for me?
						- A. Brilliant