NAME

       zshdb - zsh debugger

SYNOPSIS

       zshdb [options] [--] script-name [script options]

       zshdb [options] -c execution-string

DESCRIPTION

       "zshdb" is a zsh script to which arranges for another zsh script to be debugged.  The
       debugger has a similar command interface as gdb(1).

       If you used zshdb script and need to pass options to the script to be debugged, add "--"
       before the script name. That will tell zshdb not to try to process any further options.

OPTIONS

       -h | --help
           Print a usage message on standard error and exit with a return code of 100.

       -A | --annotation level
           Sets to output additional stack and status information which allows front-ends such as
           emacs to track what's going on without polling.

           This is needed in for regression testing. Using this option is equivalent to issuing:

             set annotation LEVEL

           inside the debugger.

       -B | --basename
           In places where a filename appears in debugger output give just the basename only.
           This is needed in for regression testing. Using this option is equivalent to issuing:

             set basename on

           inside the debugger.

       -n | --nx | --no-init
           Normally the debugger will read debugger commands in "~/.zshdbinit" if that file
           exists before accepting user interaction.  ".zshdbinit" is analogus to Perl's
           ".perldb" or GNU gdb's ".gdbinit": a user might want to create such a debugger profile
           to add various user-specific customizations.

           Using the "-n" option this initialization file will not be read. This is useful in
           regression testing or in tracking down a problem with one's ".zshdbinit" profile.

       -c | --command command-string
           Instead of specifying the name of a script file, one can give an execution string that
           is to be debugged. Use this option to do that.

       -q | --quiet
           Do not print introductory version and copyright information. This is again useful in
           regression testing where we don't want to include a changeable copyright date in the
           regression-test matching.

       -x | --eval-command debugger-cmdfile
           Run the debugger commands debugger-cmdfile before accepting user input.  These
           commands are read however after any ".zshdbinit" commands. Again this is useful
           running regression-testing debug scripts.

       -L | --library debugger-library
           The debugger needs to source or include a number of functions and these reside in a
           library. If this option is not given the default location of library is relative to
           the installed zshdb script: "../lib/zshdb".

       -T | --tempdir temporary-file-directory
           The debugger needs to make use of some temporary filesystem storage to save persistent
           information across a subshell return or in order to evaluate an expression. The
           default directory is "/tmp" but you can use this option to set the directory where
           debugger temporary files will be created.

       -t | --tty tty-name
           Debugger output usually goes to a terminal rather than stdout or stdin which the
           debugged program may use. Determination of the tty or pseudo-tty is normally done
           automatically. However if you want to control where the debugger output goes, use this
           option.

       -V | --version
           Show version number and no-warranty and exit with return code 1.

BUGS

       The way this script arranges debugging to occur is by including (or actually "source"-ing)
       some debug-support code and then sourcing the given script or command string.

       One problem with sourcing a debugged script is that the program name stored in $0 will not
       be the name of the script to be debugged. The debugged script will appear in a call stack
       not as the top item but as the item below "zshdb".

       The "zshdb" script option assume a version of zsh with debugging support, zsh 4.3.6-dev-2
       or later.

       The debugger slows things down a little because the debugger has to intercept every
       statement and check to see if some action is to be taken.

SEE ALSO

       •   <http://bashdb.sourceforge.net/bashdb.html> - Until a full manual is written, this
           manual for a similar bash debugger may give some guidance. The two debuggers have
           similar command interfaces (and code).

       •   <http://bashdb.sourceforge.net> - the homepage for the project for the family of
           debugger, zshdb, bashdb.

AUTHOR

       The current version is maintained (or not) by Rocky Bernstein.

COPYRIGHT

         Copyright (C) 2009 Rocky Bernstein
         This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
         it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
         the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
         (at your option) any later version.

         This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
         but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
         MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
         GNU General Public License for more details.

         You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
         along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
         Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA