Watch Window

As you debug, the Watch window displays the values of variables, expressions, and data, and also enables you to edit data in writable containers.

To display the window, click Debug > Windows > Watch > Watch n while debugging.

Use the Watch window to:

• View the value of variables using one of these methods to add a variable to the Watch window:
  • Right-click a variable in the editor and click Add Watch.
  • In the Watch window, click an empty row in the Name column, and type a variable.
• View the value of expressions by clicking an empty row in the Name column, and typing an expression.

  The supported expressions are: normal numeric arithmetic expression with intrinsic functions and the single use of alphanumeric intrinsic functions. For example, if you have the following variables defined:

  01 a pic 999 value 2. 
  01 b pic xxxx comp-x value 3. 
  01 xyz value "abc". 

  You can use expressions of the type:

  a + b * 1
  a + function max(10,20)
  function upper-case(xyz)
  1 + 10
  function hex-of(b)

  The following expressions are not supported - logical operators such as b-and and b-or; ISO2002 user defined methods; inline method invokes, and intrinsic functions which are evaluated at compile time.

• View the data in a CICS container by right-clicking a container in the CICS Channels window , and dragging and dropping it into the Watch window.
• Change the display format for all values from decimal to hexadecimal by right-clicking in the Watch window, and then clicking Hexadecimal Display.
• Change the display format of values on an individual row:
  1. Select a row.
  2. Press F2.
  3. Type a modifier after the name of the variable or the expression as follows:

     h or x

     Type Variable,h or Variable,x to always display the variable or the expression in hexadecimal format.

     d

     Type Variable,d to always display numeric variables in decimal format and strings - as text.

• Edit data in a writable CICS container as hexadecimal data:
  Note: A writable CICS container appears in the CICS Channels window with the Read-Only column set to False.
  1. If currently in decimal display mode, switch to hexadecimal display mode by right-clicking in the Watch window and selecting Hexadecimal Display from the context menu.
  2. While in hexadecimal display mode, edit the data in the Value column as necessary.
     Note: When editing, data that extends beyond the size limit of the container is ignored.

     Data changes made to CICS container data are reflected in the CICS Channels window .