Variables, Watches not updated when changed from debug console

[chrisdias]

when I update a variable in the debug console while in break mode, the updated value is not reflected in the Variables or Watch panes of the debug viewlet.

• open a simple node/javascript workspace
• add some code such as

var x = 10;

• set a breakpoint on that line, launch app under debugger
• when broken, change x from the debug console prompt

result -> the value is not updated in the Variables/Local tree or the Watch tree (if you set up a watch).

found while testing #2171

[isidorn]

The values will be updated once you do a step.
I am not a big fan of re-evaluating all watch expressions once you evaluate anything in the console, though we could do that. But this would cause the whole variables and watch pane to flicker once you evaluate something in the console.

I would close this as designed. @weinand opinions?

[weinand]

@isidorn what's the behaviour in Chrome dev tools, node-inspector, or VS?

[isidorn]

Chrome and node-inspector do not update it, they behave same as we do -> closing as deigned

[weinand]

+1

[chrisdias]

As a user, the expectation is that these values change when I change them in the console. Visual Studio does this - it will update the watch, floating data tips, etc. when changing values during break mode. This is the experience we are striving for.

[isidorn]

This is a valid feature request but it will cause the variables pane and watch pane to flicker every time you evaluate something in the console

[chrisdias]

I guess I don't know why there is no flicker on step. I suggest then that we fix the flicker to make the desired experience great!

[isidorn]

You are right, because we preserve the tree element ids the flicker might not be big. Worth experimenting with, so on each evaluate from the repl I would refresh all the variables and all the watch expressions

[isidorn]

Will add this only if more users ask for it

[csholmq]

+1

My remote GDB debugging would really benefit from having Watches update continuously when doing not using breakpoints. This works with GDB in Eclipse where variables are polled over and over again also on hover.

[harold-b]

+1
I was actually surprised it did not update when changing them in the console. Since there is no way to change values by clicking them on the tree, this would be most useful.

[tdorsey]

+1

I'm less concerned about the watch windows than I am the value updating in the debug console, which DOES occur in chrome. We frequently use this to quickly set flags while in development, and this is currently not possible.

[isidorn]

We are now updating the watch expressions on each evaluation in the debug repl.
However updating the variables is a bit more tricky (such that the expansion state of the tree is preserved).

[isidorn]

@delmyers here's the issue I mentioned during the meeting

[isidorn]

Discussions in #8118

Bottom line is that the variables view can be stale after evaluations. Setting this to july to investigate how to tackle this issue.

[gregg-miskelly]

@isidorn you might already know this by now, but since you asked -- VS will reevaluate all watch expressions, and re-ask the backend for locals whenever:

• An evaluation happens in the repl
• A new watch window item is added
• An assignment happens

[isidorn]

VSCode is now properly refreshing the UI however node and node2 debug adapters are providing stale variables which in practice means the variables view does not get refreshed.
Though this is captured in #15520
For debug adapters that do not do caching it should work fine now.