Utility helps you trace RPGLE programs

Need to trace an RPGLE program? Forget F10=Setup. Try this utility instead.

Published: 06 Mar 2003

Recently I had to trace RPGLE program and then I realize that there is no real option to do that.

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For the ADDTRC (Add Trace) Command I found in the manual that
"This command cannot be used to trace bound programs" (what a pity...)

Well, on that occasion I used the F10=Step until I got a blister in my finger...

I looked around and I found a full set of APIs for debugging.

I decided to write a simple trace utility and share it with the rest of the community.

The full source set includes the following:

Source file.Member	Type	Description	Note
QCLSRC.TRCINS	CLP	TRACEIT install	After you upload all the sources to your library use this program to compile. The objects are created in QTEMP So you will have to move the objects to your final library.
QDDSSRC.GEDDS99	PF	Template for data structures
QDDSSRC.TRACEIT	PF	The output from the trace
QRPGSRC.TRC002M01	RPGLE - Module	Session Handler
QRPGSRC.TRC004M01	RPGLE - Module	Program-Stop Handler
QRPGSRC.TRC010M01	RPGLE - Module	Parameter carrier
QRPGSRC.TRC012M01	RPGLE - Module	Common sub procedures
QRPGSRC.TRC010M00	RPGLE	Prototypes source	No compile needed
QRPGSRC.TRC012M00	RPGLE	Prototypes source	No compile needed
QRPGSRC.TRC010	SRVPGM	Parameter carrier	The source contain the parameters for the CRTSRVPGM Command
QRPGSRC.TRC002	PGM	Session Handler. This program is specified in the SRCDBGPGM parameter of the Start Debug (STRDBG) command.	The source contain the parameters for the CRTPGM Command
QRPGSRC.TRC004	PGM	Program-Stop Handler. This program records the program statements to file QTEMP/TRACEIT	The source contain the parameters for the CRTPGM Command
QCMDSRC.TRACEIT	CMD	Front End for the trace utility
QCLSRC.TRACEIT	CLP	CPP (command processing program) for the TRACEIT command

Make sure your program is compiled with DBGVIEW(*SOURCE).
also use OPTION(*NODEBUGIO) for performance boost.
Use command TRACEIT (Use the command prompter).
Run your program.
Use ENDDBG (End Debug) this is important so QTEMP/TRACEIT will be complete.
Check the content of file QTEMP/TRACEIT.

This utility was developed on V4R4M0 machine.
This utility is quite recent which means that it might contains some hidden bugs. (Beware...).
At the moment this utility works only with programs where the entry module name euals the program name (CRTPGM ENTMOD(*PGM) or using the CRTBNDRPG Command). I hope to add moe code to fix that in a later version.
This utility was designed for RPG IV programs.

Happy tracing