Configurable Debugger

In the Options dialog, you can configure breaking/suspending behavior, you can specify Variable Formatters, and skip methods and packages using Step Filters.

Debugging Window

The Debugging window integrates the Sessions, Threads and Call Stack views.

Each session is broken down in its list of threads, and you can expand each suspended thread to its call stack. You can resume/suspend threads with one click on the play/pause buttons.

Configurable Breakpoints

In addition to the standard line and method breakpoints, the NetBeans debugger provides advanced Class, Thread, Exception, and Variable breakpoints. Configure these custom breakpoints to be triggered by conditions and events such as uncaught exceptions, class loading, or variable access.

Expression Evaluation

Evaluate Java-syntax expressions assigned to watches and conditional breakpoints "live" while stepping through your code. Moving the pointer over the variable and the current value is evaluated and displayed in a tool tip.

Expression Stepping

You can easily step over individual expressions within a statement. The debugger will display the return value from each expression. The Step Into action (F7) lets you select the method call to step into if there is more than one possibility at the current line.

Multi-Session Debugging

You can debug several processes at the same time: Browse the list of currently running debugging sessions in the Sessions view of the Debugging window.

Multi-Threaded Debugging

To switch threads, use the Current Thread Chooser, or access the threads navigation directly from the editor margin. You can check the state of the current session's threads in the Threads view in the Debugging window, and inspect the call stack and locale variables of the current thread in the Call Stack and Local Variables views. The Debugger automatically detects deadlock in suspended threads.