31 Remote Debugging

31 Remote Debugging

This chapter describes how to use remote debugging in the IDE. See "Remote Debugging" in the "The Debugger" chapter of the LispWorks User Guide and Reference Manual for technical details about remote debugging.

Remote debugging allows you to debug a LispWorks process that is running on one machine using a LispWorks IDE that is running on another machine. It is intended to make it easier to debug applications running on machines that do not have the LispWorks IDE, mainly mobile device applications on iOS and Android, but also applications running on servers where you cannot run the LispWorks IDE.

With remote debugging you can:

Configure a remote client to open a Remote Debugger in the IDE when the client enters the debugger. The Remote Debugger behaves like an ordinary Debugger, but the data it displays is from the client, and input into its Listener pane is read and evaluated by the client.
Open a Remote Listener in the IDE, where reading and evaluating input is done by the client.
Inspect remote objects, by using the Inspector as usual on the IDE side.
Evaluate forms on the client side from the Editor on the IDE side.

The Remote Debugger, Remote Listener and Inspector tools mostly work as normal tools when they are used to debug remotely, but any differences are documented below. Note that an Inspector window that is inspecting a remote object is not special in any way, and it can inspect objects on the IDE side as well (there is nothing that can be called a "remote inspector"). The Listener and Debugger windows are specifically associated with the remote client, and are therefore called "Remote Listener" and "Remote Debugger".

Remote Debugger windows are opened automatically when the client side enters the debugger. Remote Listener windows are opened on request, either by choosing Works > Tools > Remote Listener , by calling dbg:ide-open-a-listener, or by calling dbg:ide-connect-remote-debugging with :open-a-listener t (or from the client side by dbg:start-remote-listener). The Inspector inspects a remote object when you tell it to inspect in the same way as you would tell it to inspect an ordinary object (typically from the Debugger or Listener), or by calling dbg:remote-inspect on the client side.

31 Remote Debugging

31.1 Remote Listeners

31.2 Menus in the Remote Debugger and Remote Listener tools

31.3 Editor commands for remote debugging

31.4 Configuring Remote Debugging