Get started with On-device Debugging for NetBeans

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September 22, 2006 Get started with On-device Debugging for NetBeans	[Back]

Further expanding our developer tutorial series, the new "On-device debugging for NetBeans" tutorial describes how to get started with on-device debugging using NetBeans IDE 5.0, NetBeans Mobility Pack 5.0 and a Sony Ericsson K800 mobile phone. On-device debugging is particularly beneficial when considering the variety and number of different mobile phones available on the market today.

Aimed at Java ME CLDC developers who want a background to on-device debugging technology and how to apply it, this new tutorial introduces the subject area, gives set up advice and then takes you through a on-device debugging project.

Download Getting Started with On-device Debugging for NetBeans tutorial>>

Tutorial backgrounder
On-device debugging refers to the ability to debug a MIDP application while it is executing on a real device, typically a mobile phone. This tutorial covers the KVM Debug Wire Protocol (KDWP) technology behind on-device debugging and presents its use together with NetBeans 5.0 IDE and Mobility Pack 5.0.

For initial development and prototyping, an emulator, such as the Sun Java Wireless Toolkit (WTK) device profiles or the Sony Ericsson SDK for the Java ME Platform, provides a sufficient and viable environment for development. However, as complexity increasing, particularly when working with 3D or network intensive applications, development on the mobile phone becomes an increasingly attractive proposition to reduce the number of development cycles by identifying and addressing issues immediately.

A mobile phone is typically regarded as a "black box", where error messages are usually user-orientated and provide little clue as to the point of failure. On-device debugging addresses this by exposing the virtual machine (VM) allowing Java SE debugging tools to be connected to it, allowing for breakpoints, stepping and variable watches.

The NetBeans debugger, through the use of the underlying KDWP technology and Mobility Pack, can be readily used towards a mobile phone VM without requiring any vendor specific plug-ins. The same debugging technology is applied to Java SE applications and can be re-applied when debugging a MIDlet on-device.

Overview of the Java Platform Debugger Architecture (JPDA).

Tutorial example: debugging a project
Putting this information into action, the tutorial includes a debugging project to try. Developers are guided through creating a simple "Hello World" application using the following steps:

creating a test project
testing the connection
setting a breakpoint
setting a watch
redirecting output streams

Other tutorials currently available include:

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