The Debugger runs in stand-alone mode when you start your OpenEdge session from the command line with the Debugger (-debug) startup parameter or from the Application Development Environment (ADE) Desktop. In stand-alone mode, the Debugger takes control immediately as your initial user interface and with no initial application running in the Debugger context.

Note: You can run the Debugger in stand-alone mode from your own application, using the DEBUGGER system handle. For more information, see Debug from an ABL procedure.

To debug an application:

  1. Load the procedure into the Debugger window, using File > Open.
    Note: If you start your OpenEdge session with the Startup Procedure (-p) startup parameter, the ABL Virtual Machine (AVM) loads the procedure into the Debugger window automatically.
  2. Start the procedure, using Debug > Run.

    The following figure shows the relationship between the Debugger in stand-alone mode, the application procedures it runs, and the OpenEdge environment in which it is running.

    Figure 1. Debugging in stand-alone mode


When you exit any of these applications, it returns control to the Debugger. When you exit the Debugger, it completely removes itself and any application it is running in the OpenEdge environment, and returns control to the environment where you started it. If you restart the Debugger, for example, from the ADE Desktop, it completely re-initializes itself without any application in the Debugger context.