1. DESCRIPTION

This is a debugger for tcl scripts. It allows interactive tracing and modifying of programms written in tcl/tk and therefore speeds up your development cycle.

Here are some highlights:


• step by step execution, breakpoints
• display and manipulation of local and global variables
• on-the-fly source code modifications and fast programm restarts
• graphical user interface, easy use
• easy configuration and installation

tdb is available both as a public-domain and also as a commercial version.

The commercial version adds the following features:

• shows current location in source code (see screenshot below)
• hot link to editor (currently emacs)
• scripting and user extensibility
• plugin support (script, popup)
• full support
• complete documentation

This is a screenshot of the debugger:

2. LOCATION

You can download the public-domain version of tdb from the neosoft archive (currently in incoming, but will certainly move to the following location):
• Neosoft's New Software Directory

  File	Size
  Debugger4.1.1.README	8k
  Debugger4.1.1-info.ps.gz	63k
  Debugger4.1.1-base.tar.gz	206k
  Debugger4.1.1-linux.tar.gz	534k
  Debugger4.1.1-hpux.tar.gz	696k
  Debugger4.1.1-irix.tar.gz	675k
  Debugger4.1.1-english.tar.gz	100k
  Debugger4.1.1-german.tar.gz	117k
  Debugger4.1.1-support.tar.gz	28k

You need both the base and system specific packages to run the programm. The language specific files contain adaptions and help files. The info file contains an overview of tdb (postscript).

The commercial version is available directly from the author - write to softWorks (see full address below) or you may order an upgrade (just install the public domain version ...).

3. INSTALLATION

This is a ready to run application - unpack the tar archive, maybe add the SW/bin directory to your path or let the environment variable SOFTDIR point to your installation directory and start the program

       SOFTDIR=??/SW; export SOFTDIR
       ??/SW/bin/tdb
  

Additional information for installation and setup may be found in the files contained in the ??/SW/ins directory.

Users in german speaking countries may want to set SOFTLANG to german .

Please go to the demo subdirectory and try the examples first (demos are in the support package).

4. DOCUMENTATION

Complete documentation and context sensitive help is included in HTML-format. A postscript version is available too.

5. COPYRIGHT

See the supplied documentation for full details.

The package includes other packages (like tcl, tix) that have their own copyrights.

The public-domain version may be used, copied and modified as long as you keep the copyright notice and don't make any money with it.

The commercial version has it's own rather lengthy copyright - check out the documentation...

Both versions are available for a free 30 day test period. After this period you have to obtain a license code - which is free for the public-domain version...

6. QUESTIONS/BUGS

You can contact me at


Richard Schwaninger
softWorks
Theodor-Koernerstr. 173
A-8010 Graz, Austria
risc@finwds01.tu-graz.ac.at

7. REQUIREMENTS

Currently tdb is available for the following platforms:

Linux

You need an ELF based system with X11

HP-UX

Version 9.x (10.x may work too). X11R5 or later

SGI Irix

tested with Irix 5.3, may work with 6.2

You don't need tcl installed to use the debugger. All necessary packages are included. Running the debugger unfortunately needs modified version of tcl, tk, tclx, tix and blt.

The commercial version is also available in source form. Please contact softWorks for details.

8. CURRENT VERSION

The current version is

Tcl-Debugger Version 4.1.1

public-domain version

Tcl-Debugger Version 4.1.2

commercial version

Changes since tdb3.2

• updated to use the p1-patches of tcl7.5 and tk4.1
• spurios segv violation after error in client is now fixed.
• commercial version is a lot faster now on startup
• plugin interface to add additional features
• new plugin modules script and popup extend basic tdb functionality with scripting and context sensitive popup menus
• cleanup of command line interface
• client I/O can now be redirected into a debugger window thanks to JO's fixes to tcl.

9. MISCELLANEOUS

This is a binary, self contained release.

Plugins for tdb will be announced seperately.

Wait for the Tcl Development Environment to appear. It integrates nicely with the debugger and other tools and libraries available from softWorks.

Last modified: Fri Aug 30 12:05:14 1996