debugger

TIL: How to Debug Ruby Applications with the Built-in debug Gem

Today, I learned how to leverage Ruby's integrated debug gem for more effective troubleshooting. Here's a breakdown of what I discovered:

Why Use the debug Gem?

Integrated: It's part of Ruby's standard library since version 2.6, so no need for external gems.
Powerful: Offers features like breakpoints, variable inspection, stepping through code, and more.
Familiar: Similar in concept to other debuggers you might have used (e.g., pdb in Python, gdb for C).

Getting Started

Require the Gem:
```
require 'debug'
```

Set Breakpoints: Use debugger within your code to halt execution at specific points.

def calculate(x, y)
  debugger  # Execution stops here
  result = x * y + 5
  puts result
end

Basic Commands

Here are some essential commands to use when the debugger pauses your code:

continue (or c): Resume execution until the next breakpoint or the end of the script.
step (or s): Execute the next line of code and step into method calls.
next (or n): Execute the next line of code but step over method calls.
break <line_number>: Set a new breakpoint at a specific line.
p <variable>: Print the current value of a variable.
quit: Exit the debugger.

Example Debugging Session

$ ruby my_script.rb 
Debugger stopped.
[1, 12] in my_script.rb
   11:   
   12:   debugger  # Execution stops here
=> 13:   result = x * y + 5
   14:   puts result
   15: end

(rdbg) p x
10
(rdbg) p y
2
(rdbg) next
[1, 14] in my_script.rb
   13:   result = x * y + 5
=> 14:   puts result
   15: end
(rdbg) p result
25
(rdbg) continue
25

Advanced Features

Conditional Breakpoints: Stop only when certain conditions are met.
Catchpoints: Trigger breakpoints on specific exceptions.
Remote Debugging: Debug applications running on different machines.

more information here https://github.com/ruby/debug