25.8. Summary

• The AVM2 debugger is an interactive tool that helps you fix problems in your program.

• There is a version of the AVM2 debugger for each product that uses ActionScript 3.0.

• The debugger must be launched with a SWF compiled for debugging and using a debugger version of Flash Player.

• IDEs such as Flash Professional, Flash Builder, and Flex Builder let you launch debugging sessions in one click.

• The program executes normally until the debugger takes over.

• The debugger can take over at an uncaught exception or a breakpoint.

• You can use the debugger to examine, and even change, properties of any variable in scope.

• You can follow any reference in the debugger to reach nested or associated objects.

• You can watch the variables change as you move through the program.

• The call stack allows you to see what called the current code.

• The call stack enables you to switch perspective through all the lines that called methods to get to the current line.

• You can examine local variables at other depths of the call stack.

• You can move through the program with Step Into, Step Over, Step Out/Return, and Continue.

• The debugger is a set of tools, but the real debugger is you. Set up experiments and test cases that can help you get to the bottom of a bug.