Running and Debugging

Debug Configurations

In order to run or debug an ObjectScript class or routine or attach to a running process, you must create a debug configuration. Some other languages default to running the currently active file, but to run ObjectScript, you must specify the routine or ClassMethod to use or the running process to attach to.

Select the Run and Debug button in the Activity Bar:

If no debug configurations are available, you are prompted to create one, as illustrated in the following image:

Clicking the link opens a dialog containing a list of debug environments, as illustrated in the following image. Select ObjectScript Debug from the list.

Once you have chosen a debug environment, VS Code creates and opens a launch.json file which contains the following default content:

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "type": "objectscript",
            "request": "launch",
            "name": "XDebug"
        }
    ]
}

These attributes are mandatory for any debug configuration:

• "type" — identifies the type of debugger to use. In this case the value, "objectscript", is supplied by the InterSystems ObjectScript extension.

• "request" — identifies the type of action for this launch configuration. Possible values are "launch" and "attach".

• "name" — an arbitrary name to identify the configuration. This name appears in the Start Debugging drop-down list.

In addition, for an ObjectScript "launch" configuration, you need to supply the attribute “program”, which specifies the routine or ClassMethod to run when launching the debugger, as shown in the following example:

"launch": {
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [

    {
      "type": "objectscript",
      "request": "launch",
      "name": "ObjectScript Debug HelloWorld",
      "program": "##class(Test.MyClass).HelloWorld()",
    },
    {
      "type": "objectscript",
      "request": "launch",
      "name": "ObjectScript Debug GoodbyeWorld",
      "program": "##class(Test.MyOtherClass).GoodbyeWorld()",
    },
  ]
}

For an ObjectScript "attach" configuration, you may supply the following optional attributes:

• “processId” — specifies the ID of process to attach to as a string or number. Defaults to "${command:PickProcess}", which provides a drop-down list of process ID’s to attach to at runtime.

• “system” — specifies whether to allow attaching to system process. Defaults to false.

The following example shows multiple valid ObjectScript “attach” configurations:

"launch": {
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "type": "objectscript",
      "request": "attach",
      "name": "Attach 1",
      "processId": 5678
    },
    {
      "type": "objectscript",
      "request": "attach",
      "name": "Attach 2",
      "system": true
    },
  ]
}

Starting a Debugging Session

You can select a debug configuration from the list VS Code provides in the Run and Debug field, available in the title bar of the debug view:

Selecting the green arrow runs the selected debug configuration.

When you start an ObjectScript "launch" debug session, make sure that the file containing the program that you are debugging is open in your editor and is the active tab. VS Code will start a debug session with the server of the file in the active editor (the tab that the user is focused on). This also applies to ObjectScript “attach” debug sessions.

This extension uses WebSockets to communicate with the InterSystems server during debugging. If you are experiencing issues when trying to start a debugging session, check that the InterSystems server’s web server allows WebSocket connections.

Debugging commands and items on the Run menu function much as they do for other languages supported by VS Code. For information on VS Code debugging, see the documentation resources listed at the start of this section.

Debugging a REST Service

The InterSystems ObjectScript Extension provides a WebviewOpens in a new tab-based graphical user interface that allows you to send a REST request and automatically start debugging the process on the server that handles it. With the InterSystems file that you want to debug open in the active text editor, you can show the GUI using the Debug REST Service... command. The command can be accessed in the Command Palette, the editor context menu, or the editor tab context menu. Follow the directions in the GUI to build your REST request and click the Start Debugging button to send the request and connect the debugger. Be sure you have a breakpoint set somewhere in the code that handles the request.

Troubleshooting Debugger Issues

If you are experiencing issues using the debugger, please follow these steps before opening an issue on GitHub. Note that the trace global may contain confidential information, so you should review the contents and mask/remove anything that you want to keep private.

1. Open the Terminal for the InterSystems IRIS instance you are connecting to, ensuring you are in the namespace which contains the class or routine you are debugging.

2. Run the command Kill ^IRIS.Temp.Atelier("debug"), then Set ^IRIS.Temp.Atelier("debug") = 1. These commands turn on the Atelier API debug logging feature. If you are on Caché or Ensemble, the global to modify in these commands ^CacheTemp.ISC.Atelier("debug").

3. In VS Code, start a debugging session using the configuration that produces the error.

4. When the error appears, copy the contents of the ^IRIS.Temp.Atelier("debug") global. Include this global in your GitHub issue.

5. After you capture the log, run the command Kill ^IRIS.Temp.Atelier("debug"), then Set ^IRIS.Temp.Atelier("debug") = 0. This turns logging off again.

Using the WebSocket Terminal

The InterSystems ObjectScript Extension provides support for a WebSocket-based command-line interface for executing ObjectScript commands on a connected server. The server can be on the same system as VS Code, or a remote system. This feature is only supported when connecting to InterSystems IRIS version 2023.2 or later.

The WebSocket terminal supports the following features:

• VS Code’s shell integrationOpens in a new tab feature so your command history and output will be captured by VS Code and can be accessed by its UI.

• Multi-line editing. An additional editable line will be added when the user presses Enter and there are unclosed { or ( in the command input.

• Syntax coloring for command input. (You can toggle this using the objectscript.webSocketTerminal.syntaxColoring setting)

• Syntax checking for entered command input, with detailed error messages reported along with the standard <SYNTAX> error.

• Many features of the standard terminalOpens in a new tab, including:

  • The Read command

  • Interrupts (Ctrl-C)

  • Namespace switches

  • Custom terminal promptsOpens in a new tab (except code 7)

  • Shells such as SQL (Do $SYSTEM.SQL.Shell()) and Python (Do $SYSTEM.Python.Shell())

The WebSocket terminal does not support command-line debuggingOpens in a new tab since the InterSystems ObjectScript Extension contains an interactive debugger. Users are also discouraged from using routine editing commandsOpens in a new tab since VS Code with the InterSystems ObjectScript Extension Pack provides an excellent ObjectScript editing experience.

Note that the terminal process starts using the JOB command, so if you have a ^%ZSTART routineOpens in a new tab enabled the JOB subroutine will be called at the start of the process, not LOGIN like the standard terminal. Also, the ZWELCOME routineOpens in a new tab will not run before the first command prompt is shown.

The WebSocket terminal can be opened from the command paletteOpens in a new tab using the ObjectScript: Launch WebSocket Terminal command. The WebSocket terminal connection is established using the current server connection. A WebSocket terminal connection can also be opened from the Terminal Profiles menuOpens in a new tab.