[jboss-dev-forums] [Design of JBoss jBPM] - debugger api

[tom.baeyens@jboss.com]

"Alex" wrote : Providing a debugger API is a compelling task. I thought about it for a while and here are my first ideas. Comments are welcome :)
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  | Debugging is about setting breakpoints in the process *definition*, intercepting the *execution* and then stepping through the following steps. jBPM already offers a mechanism to observe the execution of a process. I can think of providing debugging facilities by creating a process instance with runtime actions installed at the node-enter event of every activity. I will call them "interceptors".
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  | There are two execution modes, "continuous" or "step-by-step". In the former, only interceptors marked as "breakpoints" can suspend the process execution. In the latter, all interceptors can suspend execution.
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  | Communication between the BPEL runtime and the debugger occurs through some remoting technology. EJBs are an option, but web services seem more appropriate since BPEL is about web services.
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  | The exposed operations are:
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  | setBreakpoint(processName: QName, activityName: String)
  | ----
  | Mark the interceptor at the entrance of the specified activity, which belongs to the specified process, as a breakpoint.
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  | debug(processName: QName) : ProcessInstanceHandle
  | ---
  | Create an instance of the specified process for debugging purposes. Returns a handle to the newly created instance.
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  | getBranches(instanceHandle: ProcessInstanceHandle) : List
  | ---
  | Retrieves the execution branches of the specified process instance.
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  | stepInto(branchHandle: ProcessBranchHandle)
  | ---
  | Executes the specified branch up to the next activity. If the branch currently points to a scope, execution will proceed up to the activity nested within the scope.
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  | stepOver(branchHandle: ProcessBranchHandle)
  | ---
  | Executes the specified branch up to the next activity. If the branch currently points to a scope, execution will proceed up to the activity that follows the scope.
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