Hello Sameer,
- This (EAM) being a functional space and you being a functional man, I feel this query is relevant to be posted here. (Same will be subjected to moderation in ABAP space).
- Also the reply from a Functional person to this query will certainly differ from that of a Technical person (ABAPer). Possible that a reply from an ABAPer can not be easily understood by a Functional man.
I'll try to explain with my experience so far. So according to me.....
The debugging is a method to know where the program is going wrong. For example we are expecting certain value in a particular field in a report, but getting a different value, then we need to arrive at the point in the program which is causing this error. Similarly if a program is giving a short-dump then too we need to arrive at the line in the program which causes the dump. There can be many such examples.
How we do it?
This usually being a requirement in the custom programs/enhancements, The ABAPer inserts a line with syntax BREAK-POINT. into the program where he suspects the error is taking place. (Means program until this point he does not have any doubt). When you run (execute) the program, the program stops at this point and presents the debugging screen to you in 2windows. Left side is the program and the Right side is a window to monitoring the values changes of the fields as the program advances further. Suppose the ABAPer wants to track the value of a filed say wa-ingrp (Planner Group) of the program, then he double-clicks on this field in the left window. This field appears on the right window with its present value. By advancing the program (on the left) one line after another by pressing F5 key, he monitors the changes happening in that field and ultimately arriving at a point which is giving the value you are finding in output. In this process he will be knowing the reason why it is giving that value and corrects the program accordingly.
This is about one method of BREAK-POINT. which is applicable to 210Dev. For other servers where you can not insert BREAK-POINT. line, there is a facility to put a Break-point through mouse click on the Session Break-point. If you do not want to go into the program to give Break-point, then you can do one thing. Start Debugging switch just before clicking on the Execute button of any program. This takes you to the start line of that program. From there you advance by pressing F5,F6,F7,F8 keys. Starting debugging switch means /H in the command bar. Means just before clicking Execute button put /H in the command bar and hit Enter key. Now when you click on the Execute button, you are in the debugging screen.
So we can say that De-bugging is something relevant to a Developer, with which he detects the program errors or studies the program behaviour and takes corrective measures.
There are several threads available in SCN. You can go though them. (Google)
Good luck
KJogeswaraRao