How To Set Up Breakpoints in Debug Mode? - Oracle DBA FAQ - Introduction to Oracle SQL Developer

To debug a stored procedure, you need to set breakpoints at different statements in the code block, so that execution will be stopped at the statement marked with a breakpoint. When execution is stopped, you can then investigate different variables to see their current values. The tutorial below shows you how to set up breakpoints:

• Right-click the procedure name: HELLO.
• Select Open. The source code of the stored procedure shows up in the code area.
• Set your mouse cursor to the "PUT_LINE('Hello world!');" statement.
• Click Debug menu.
• Select Toggle Breakpoint. You should see a red dot shows up in left margin of the statement where the mouse cursor is. This red dot represents a breakpoint.
• Set another breakpoint at the "PUT_LINE('Welcome to PL/SQL!');" statement.
• Click the debug icon above the code area. The debug icon look like a bug. The Debug PL/SQL dialog shows up.
• Click OK. The debug session starts and stopped at the first breakpoint. You should see an array in left margin indicating where the execution is stopped.
• Press F8 (Step Over). The execution continues for one statement.
• Press F9 (Resume). The execution continues to the end of the procedure.

You should see the following in the Debugging Log area:

Connecting to the database Local_XE.
Executing PL/SQL: ALTER SESSION SET PLSQL_DEBUG=TRUE
Executing PL/SQL: CALL DBMS_DEBUG_JDWP.CONNECT_TCP( '127.0.0.1', '3685' )
Debugger accepted connection from database on port 3685.
Processing 59 classes that have already been prepared...
Finished processing prepared classes.
Source breakpoint occurred at line 3 of HELLO.pls.
Source breakpoint occurred at line 4 of HELLO.pls.
Hello world!
Welcome to PL/SQL!
Process exited.
Disconnecting from the database Local_XE.
Debugger disconnected from database.