15.3Breakpoints

Breakpoints mechanism allows configuring tasks (breakpoints) for QW-Simulator that will be executed during simulation. The advantage of using the Breakpoints mechanism is that it ensures correct syntax of generated files and prompts the user to provide all the necessary information. Breakpoints can be configured before Start of the simulation is invoked, or after Stop of the simulation.

The defined breakpoints will be executed by the software in its operation on the currently loaded *.ta3 file, provided that the first task in this file (other than template tasks) is Run or RunFreeze or SParameters_MS (these are the starting tasks that do not carry an inherent iteration limit).

Breakpoints will be ignored if:

·       the loaded file is *.pa3 and not *.ta3

·       the loaded file is *.ta3 but the first task (other than templates) is different than Run or RunFreeze or SParameters_MS (for example, if it is RunIter or SParameters)

The  button in Home or Run tab of QW-Simulator Ribbon or Breakpoints… command from Configure menu of QW-Simulator main menu invokes Breakpoints dialogue for configuring and managing breakpoints.

All defined in the project breakpoints are listed in the dialogue, and can be selected with a mouse. The list of breakpoints is divided in a few columns:

·       Name – name of the breakpoint

·       Action – kind of the task to be performed

·       From – number of iterations when the task will be executed or the number of iterations when the task will be executed for the first time (if the task has been invoked in the From/Every/To manner)

·       Every – the task will be executed, starting from the number of iterations specified in the column From, every this number of iterations

·       To – number of iterations when the task will be executed for the last time

·       Enabled – if selected breakpoint is disabled, it remains on the list, but it will not be executed

The breakpoints list is sorted by From column.

Pressing the Add… button invokes Add Breakpoint dialogue for adding new breakpoint.

Pressing the Edit… button invokes Edit Breakpoint dialogue for changing the parameters of the selected breakpoint.

The user can choose the breakpoint from the list and perform several operations on it:

·       Up – the selected breakpoint can be moved one position up, if the upper breakpoint in the list has the same number of iterations in the From column

·       Down – the selected breakpoint can be moved one position down, if the lower breakpoint in the list has the same number of iterations in the From column

·       Enable – enables the selected breakpoint and allows executing it

·       Disable – disables the selected breakpoint

·       Remove – removes the selected breakpoint

·       Sel. All – selects all breakpoints

·       Unsel. All – unselects all breakpoints

·       Grouping – contains commands:

-        Group – makes a group from selected breakpoints; From/Every/To settings propagate in all breakpoints in this group

-        Ungroup – brings back breakpoints from the group

-        Regroup – adds the new breakpoints to group

·       Settings - allows deciding if the information about breakpoints should be shown in the Simulator Log window. It is also an alternative way to check Always Generate Template.

Breakpoints can also be saved on disk (to the *.br3 file) using Put button. Such *.br3 files may subsequently be added to breakpoint lists of other projects using Get button. The list of breakpoints will be saved automatically to the project *.br3 file when the simulation is stopped.

Finally, breakpoints can be converted into a tasker file *.ta3 using Save ta3 button. In this case, Always Generate Template command checked will automatically include the tasks for template calculations (if there are any template ports in the current project).