Breakpoints

Breakpoints are a useful tool to debug automations. They are points in an automation from which you can pause a run to examine the current values of variables and the status of an application. You can step through execution and data paths from a breakpoint, which slows down the automation flow and allows you to see every design block's cause and effect. A red dot is displayed in the designer window when you create a breakpoint on the automation links. You use the following commands to examine your automation:

Command name	Description	Hotkey
Step-into	You can follow the execution path of the program and track each variable.	F11 key
Step-over	You can step over the execution of a design block. If the block contains a function, the function runs, and the result returns without going into the details of the run.	F10 key
Step-out	You can return to the previous execution point where the system called the function.	Shift + F11 key
Continue	You can continue a run until the automation reaches the next breakpoint or the program exits.	F5 key
Stop	You can immediately end the run of the automation and call the program to exit.	Shift + F5 key

You can also right-click the automation surface to access a debugging context menu in Pega Robot Studio provides another way to interact with breakpoints in your automation, as shown in the following figure:

Breakpoints functionality

The following table describes the purpose of the breakpoints that are available in Robot Studio:

Action	Purpose	How to use it
	Toggle Breakpoint adds breakpoints to an automation from the designer window.	Right-click the automation links in front of the design block that you want to inspect, and then select Toggle Breakpoint
	Remove Breakpoint deletes a breakpoint from an automation when you no longer need it.	Right-click the automation link, and then select Remove Breakpoint
	Disable Breakpoint allows an automation to pass over a breakpoint but still keep it in the automation.	Right-click the automation link, and then select Disable Breakpoint
	Enable allows you to review all breakpoints in an automation to enable or disable them.	In the menu, click Debugging tools to open the Debugging Tools window. Enable or disable breakpoints by selecting or clearing the Enable column checkbox.
	Run to here debugs the automation by adding a temporary breakpoint so you can test a portion of the automation. You need a traditional breakpoint in the automation to pause the workflow before you can initiate a Run to here action.	Right-click the automation links, and then click Run to here to allow the automation to temporarily continue debugging to the selected automation link without saving the location. To use the Run to here feature, you need to run the Test or Run debugging process. Note: You must also use the Step over tool to move past any breakpoints that are between the starting breakpoint and the Run to here location. Additionally, no step tools are available if there isn't a breakpoint between the starting breakpoint and the Run to here point. For more information about using this feature, see Run to here.