Debugger does not work if Sketch name and folder are not equal #1190

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1. Stefterv

   added

   bugSomething isn't workingSomething isn't working

   help wantedExtra attention is neededExtra attention is needed

   good first issueGood for newcomersGood for newcomers

   pdeProcessing Development EnvironmentProcessing Development Environment

   on Jul 24, 2025
2. Stefterv commented on Jul 24, 2025

   

   Stefterv

   on Jul 24, 2025

   MemberAuthor

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   Related to #486
3. kaybcodes commented on Jul 29, 2025

   

   kaybcodes

   on Jul 29, 2025

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   Hi! @Stefterv, I am looking into this issue with @SilasVM, @npNSU, and @awood0727. We were able to successfully replicate this issue using the steps provided. The debugger indeed fails to activate breakpoints when the sketch filename and folder name are not the same. We're currently investigating the underlying cause and exploring potential solutions. We'll follow up here with updates as we make progress.

   ❤️React with ❤️2Reacted by Stef Tervelde and Raphaël de Courville
4. npNSU commented on Jul 31, 2025

   

   npNSU

   on Jul 31, 2025

   Last edited by npNSU

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   Hey @Stefterv, Our team has been diligently working on finding the source and solution of this bug, and we think it could be along the line 912 of file path: app/src/processing/app/Sketch.java

   Line 912: if (!newMainName.equals(newSketchName) && newFolder.exists())

   We believe that this line of code is too restrictive for the user and it should be modified to allow the user to be able to change these variables without errors.

   Another thing we found was within lines 2170-2175 of the processing4/app/src/processing/app/ui/Editor.java file path, where it highlights the toggleBreakpoint() and the isDebuggerEnabled() functions.

   public boolean isDebuggerEnabled() {
       return false;
     }
   
   
     public void toggleBreakpoint(int lineIndex) { }
   

   We think this may be vital for us to note, as it directly points out the workflow within the UI.

   We’d appreciate your feedback on our current investigation!

   ❤️React with ❤️1Reacted by Victor Morgan
5. Stefterv commented on Aug 1, 2025

   

   Stefterv

   on Aug 1, 2025

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   Hi @npNSU Thank you for your research so far! I took a look at the points you showed, these are related to the debugger functionality but not the actual implementation. Please take a look at /java/src/processing/mode/java/debug/ folder for the implementation of the debugger within Java mode. Good luck and thank you!
6. awood0727 commented on Aug 4, 2025

   

   awood0727

   on Aug 4, 2025

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   Hey @Stefterv,
   Thank you for pointing us to the /java/src/processing/mode/java/debug/ folder! We've now focused our investigation specifically on the debugger implementation and found critical issues causing the breakpoint failures:

   Issue 1 in filepath: java/src/processing/mode/java/debug/LineBreakpoint.java

   While examining this file, we noticed that there was a line of code specifically for Java that returns the filename, while for PDE files, it gets the name from the editor.

   if (line.fileName().endsWith(".pde")) {   //Line of code mentioned (209)
     // standard tab
     return dbg.getEditor().getSketch().getName();
   }
   
   if (line.fileName().endsWith(".java")) {
     // pure java tab
     return line.fileName().substring(0, line.fileName().lastIndexOf(".java"));
   }
   return null;  
   

   }

   Issue 2 in filepath: java/src/processing/mode/java/debug/Debugger.java

   While examining this file, we noticed the same pattern. On line 1413, there is a function specifically to check on Java files that have mismatching names; however, there is no check for Java files.

   Possible Solution

   After multiple tests, we came across a potential solution. For issue 1, we edited line 211 so that the program will return the filename for PDE files, similarly to how it does for Java files. Additionally, for issue 2, we created a similar function for PDE files that will translate the filename over to the debugger. This has resulted in the debugger working as expected, even though the file and folder names are not the same. We have attached screenshots of the debugger before and after our implementation as well.

   Please let us know your feedback, and if you believe this is a good solution, I ask that you assign the issue to me, and I can get a pull request started. We greatly appreciate your guidance!

   Before Implementation

   

   After Implementation

   
7. Stefterv

   assigned

   awood0727

   ,

   kaybcodes

   and

   npNSU

   on Aug 5, 2025
8. Stefterv

   closed this as completedon Oct 16, 2025