How to Step Through a Debugging Session
When you create a breakpoint, a corresponding frame is created in the Structure window, as shown in Figure 50-12. This frame was created for the request-reply entry point on the service binding component.
A frame is a location. A stack of frames is a bread crumb trail of the locations that lead you to your current location. This is equivalent to a stack trace. It shows you where you are and how you got there. Frames are created independent of breakpoints. When you stop at a breakpoint, all frames that have been created in the Structure window are displayed. A stack frame also contains the data that existed at that point of time. Clicking a different stack frame in the Structure pane also updates the Data tab.
For example, if you have a web service connected to a BPEL process connected to a reference, if you set a breakpoint on the reference, you see a stack that generally looks as follows:
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Reference
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BPEL invoke
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BPEL scope
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Web service
If you click the web service frame, the SOAP payload in the Data tab is displayed. If you then click the BPEL invoke frame, the various BPEL variables and other details are displayed in the Data tab.
You can step over the frame and begin debugging at a different location, such as a different breakpoint (for this example, the LoanProcess BPEL process). As you proceed with debugging, the following frames are created. Frames are where variables are located.
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Scope frame: Contains scope variables.
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Process frame: Contains global variables.
Variables are visible to a process from the top frame through the bottom frame. Frames are displayed in the Structure window.
To step through a debugging session:
- Go to the tool bar in Oracle JDeveloper. The step options are shown in Figure 50-13.
Figure 50-13 Step Options in Oracle JDeveloper
Description of "Figure 50-13 Step Options in Oracle JDeveloper"Table 50-5 describes each option.
Table 50-5 Step Options in Oracle JDeveloper Main Menu
Icon Description 
Ends or detaches from a debugging session.
Steps over a frame.
This places you at the next breakpoint (for example, the receive activity in the BPEL process on which a breakpoint was set in Figure 50-9). If there are no breakpoints, it steps over all the frames and goes back to the first frame.
You can also press F8 to step over a frame.
Steps into the next valid location.
This can be a new frame or the same frame, but in a different location.
You can also press F7 to step into a frame.
Steps out of a frame.
This option is only used to process a BPEL scope or sequence activity. After completion of scope processing, it pauses at the next scope or activity in the process. You can also press Shift-F7.
Resumes a step operation.
You can also press F9 to resume.
- In the Log window, click Data and expand the contents to view the variables defined in the BPEL process, as shown in Figure 50-14. You can edit BPEL process variables during debugging. The payload is empty for the example shown in Figure 50-14.
This is because the breakpoint on the receive activity has not been executed, as shown in Figure 50-15.
Figure 50-15 Empty Payload Before Receive Activity Breakpoint Execution
Description of "Figure 50-15 Empty Payload Before Receive Activity Breakpoint Execution" - Click the Step Into option, as described in Table 50-5.
This executes the receive activity shown in Figure 50-16.
Figure 50-16 Populated Payload After Receive Activity Breakpoint Execution
Description of "Figure 50-16 Populated Payload After Receive Activity Breakpoint Execution" - Expand the payload.
The payload is populated with the data you entered in Step 6 of How to Set Breakpoints and Initiate Debugging. Figure 50-17 provides details.
- Select the Step Over option, as described in Table 50-5. This causes the debugger to pause at the next breakpoint (for this example, a web service reference binding component, as shown in Figure 50-7).
The contents of the request message to the web service call are shown in Figure 50-18.
Figure 50-18 Request Message Payload Contents
Description of "Figure 50-18 Request Message Payload Contents" - Expand the payload to view the message reply. Figure 50-19 provides details.
Figure 50-19 Request Message Payload Contents
Description of "Figure 50-19 Request Message Payload Contents"
