Watch Properties

RunAdd Watch

Adds a watch or to change the properties of an existing watch. The watch appears in the Watch List.

Note: The format specifiers listed in the Watch Properties

dialog box will depend on the format specifiers supported by the current evaluator. Not all of the format specifiers listed below will be available for every evaluator. In most cases the evaluator is specified by the Personality.

Item	Description
Expression	Specifies the expression to watch. Enter or edit the expression you want to watch. Use the drop-down list to choose from previously entered expressions.
Group name	Specifies the group in which the selected watch resides. If you specify a new group, the new group is added and the watch is moved to the new group. Use the drop-down list to choose the name from a list of the existing watch groups.
Repeat count	Specifies the repeat count when the watch expression represents a data element, or specifies the number of elements in an array when the watch expression represents an array. When you watch an array and specify the number of elements as a repeat count, the Watch List displays the value of every element in the array.
Digits	Specifies the number of significant digits in a watch value that is a floating-point expression. Enter the number of digits. This option takes affect only when you select Floating Point as the Display format.
Enabled	Enables or disables the watch. Disabling a watch hides the watch from the current program run. When you disable a watch, its settings remain defined, but the debugger does not evaluate the watch. Disabling watches improves performance of the debugger because it does not monitor the watch as you step through or run your program. When you set a watch, it is enabled by default.
Allow Function Calls	Evaluates the watch even if doing so causes function calls. This option is off by default for all watches. When off, watches that would make function calls are not evaluated but instead generate the error message ”Inaccessible value.”
Character	Shows special display characters for ASCII 0 to 31 (displayed as #$0, #$1F, and so on). This format type affects characters and strings.
String	Shows characters for ASCII 0 to 31 in the Pascal #nn notation (#$0, and so on.) This format type affects characters and strings.
Decimal	Shows integer values in decimal form, including those in data structures. This format type affects integers.
Hexadecimal	Shows integer values in hexadecimal with the 0x (for C++, C#) or $ (for Delphi) prefix, including those in data structures. This format type affects integers.
Floating point	Shows integer values in floating-point notation (real numbers or numbers that can contain fractional parts).
Pointer	Used for Win32 applications only.
Record/Structure	Shows both field names and values such as (X:1;Y:10;Z:5) instead of (1,10,5).
Default	Shows the result in the display format that matches the data type of the expression. This format type affects all.
Memory Dump	Used for Win32 applications only.

Tip: By default, the debugger displays the result of a watch in the format that matches the data type of the expression. For example, integer values are displayed in decimal form. However, if you select the Hexadecimal

for an integer type expression, the display format changes from decimal to hexadecimal.

When setting up a watch on an element in a data structure (such as an array), you can display the values of consecutive data elements. For example, suppose you have an array of five integers named xarray. Type the number 5 in Repeat Count to see all five values of the array. To use a repeat count, however, the watch expression must represent a single data element.

To change the value of a watch expression, use the Evaluate/Modify dialog box.

Tip: To format a floating-point expression, select Floating Point

and enter a number for Digits to indicate the number of significant digits you want displayed in the Watch List.

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