Xray Benefits

Faster Debugging
Xray provides faster debugging of program logic, coding, and data errors. It provides for user halts to be defined at the statement level either in the main program or in any called subroutine. Program execution can also be halted at programmer defined halt points that are activated only when certain conditions are encountered. Data can be displayed symbolically using variable names. Loops can be trapped by setting an instruction limit.

Faster Corrections
Xray pinpoints errors for you on the screen. COBOL, PL/1 and Assembler source can then be displayed to aid the debugging process. Corrections to variables and data are made interactively and execution of the program then continues. Program flow after a halt can be redirected to test infrequently used logic paths.

Faster Turnaround
Multiple errors can be examined and resolved in one execution of the program. No more waiting to resubmit the program for additional compiles, doing more testing, and looking at more dumps.

Program Abend Interception
When a monitored program abends, Xray intercepts the error and displays the associated program source code, the reason for the abend, and other related information. All Xray debugging facilities are available at this point for problem determination. Once the fault has been identified the programmer can decide what course of action to take. For example, the programmer could correct the problem and allow the job to continue, or bypass the code in error entirely.

Improved Program Maintenance
Problems in even the most unfamiliar of existing systems can be pin-pointed and corrected. Everything needed is available on-line. Inherited code which needs to be understood before modification may be investigated first and tested afterwards using, for example, features such as flow analysis, instruction stepping and storage display.

Reduced Dump Analysis
It is no longer necessary to produce core dumps for each program error. Xray displays exactly what you need to know on the screen at the time error occurs. It takes the drudgery out of debugging and testing.