# Communicating with ruby debugger **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [October 18, 2006, 10:38am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/communicating-with-ruby-debugger/72589 "2006-10-18T10:38:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Shea_M)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 10:38am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/communicating-with-ruby-debugger/72589/1 "2006-10-18T10:38:40Z")
For kicks I would like to write a minimalistic GUI interface to the debugger. I prefer C++ or C# for GUI applications (this is not to debate here). What is the best way to establish communication between my GUI and the default ruby debugger? As a starting point, I would just like the gui to show the file being debugged and the current line of execution. The debug commands will be set in a command window. A point in the right direction would be helpful. ~S ---
**Author:** ![Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Shea_M)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 10:41am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/communicating-with-ruby-debugger/72589/2 "2006-10-18T10:41:01Z")
Does anyone know of an open source ruby ide w/ debugger which is not written in ruby? Thanks, ~S ---
**Author:** ![Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Shea_M)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 10:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/communicating-with-ruby-debugger/72589/3 "2006-10-18T10:44:02Z")
“Jeff W.” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote in message news:removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid… > Shea M. wrote: > > > Does anyone know of an open source ruby ide w/ debugger which is not > > written in ruby? > > Arachno IDE is not written in Ruby … I believe it’s written in Eiffel. Arachno isn’t open source. Come to that, neither is our IDE (Ruby In Steel). Currently Arachno has a fast debugger and our free edition has a slow debugger. Our commercial edition will, however, have a very fast debugger and that certainly isn’t written in Ruby. But no, I’m afraid that won’t be open source either 😉 best wishes Huw C. [http://www.sapphiresteel.com](http://www.sapphiresteel.com) Ruby P.ming In Visual Studio 2005 ---
**Author:** ![Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Shea_M)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 10:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/communicating-with-ruby-debugger/72589/4 "2006-10-18T10:44:03Z")
> Arachno isn’t open source. > > Come to that, neither is our IDE (Ruby In Steel). The eclipse-based Ruby Development Tools are pretty good, if you can get beyond the fact that they’re written in Java… Martin ---
**Author:** ![Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Shea_M)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 10:43am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/communicating-with-ruby-debugger/72589/5 "2006-10-18T10:43:57Z")
Shea M. wrote: > > I prefer C++ or C# for GUI applications (this is not to debate here). > > ~S Arachno IDE is not written in Ruby … I believe it’s written in Eiffel. jd ---
**Author:** ![Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Shea_M)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 10:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/communicating-with-ruby-debugger/72589/6 "2006-10-18T10:44:04Z")
Martin C. wrote: > > Arachno isn’t open source. > > > > Come to that, neither is our IDE (Ruby In Steel). > > The eclipse-based Ruby Development Tools are pretty good, if you can > get beyond the fact that they’re written in Java… > > Martin Maybe I will look at the source for that. My problem is that I like using gvim for editing. I rarely have projects over one file. I usually use -rdebug on the CLI, but I like how a gui debugger gives a better feel for where the current line of execution is. Also the mouse-hover for variable values is handy. I don’t need to do editing. I just want something fast to popup and debug a script. I guess similar in concept to insight, for gcc/gdb. ~S ---
**Author:** ![Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Shea_M)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 10:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/communicating-with-ruby-debugger/72589/7 "2006-10-18T10:44:04Z")
Huw C. wrote: > Come to that, neither is our IDE (Ruby In Steel). > Ruby P.ming In Visual Studio 2005 Did you write your own debugger(s) for the editor or do you know of a way to tie into debug.rb? ~S ---
**Author:** ![Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Shea_M)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 10:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/communicating-with-ruby-debugger/72589/8 "2006-10-18T10:44:04Z")
“Shea M.” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote in message news:8bPXg.4879$removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid… > Did you write your own debugger(s) for the editor or do you know of a way > to tie into debug.rb? In the free edition we have a debugger comprising some Ruby and some C#. Ruby does the evaluation; C# does the Visual Studio stuff (setting and displaying breakpoints; drag-and-drop watch variables; an integrated evaluation console; trace-into/over; autos, locals, run-to, call stack etc.). It’s a pretty decent debugger, I think (then again, I’m biased!), which lets you debug both Ruby and Rails applications. But, even though people have told us they find it fast enough, personally, I am still dissatisfied with the speed (put simply, it’s not as fast as Microsoft’s C# or C++ debugger) which is why we decided to create a completeley new debugger for the commercial release of Ruby In Steel. The debugger in the commercial edition is dramatically faster and much more powerful (we are already using it internally but we still have some work to do before it goes out to our beta testers). I’m afraid that we don’t plan to reveal too much regarding the implementation details of the commercial debugger 😉 best wishes Huw C. [http://www.sapphiresteel.com](http://www.sapphiresteel.com) Ruby P.ming In Visual Studio 2005 ---
**Author:** ![Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Shea\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Shea_M)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 10:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/communicating-with-ruby-debugger/72589/9 "2006-10-18T10:44:06Z")
Huw C. wrote: > which lets you debug both Ruby and Rails applications. But, even though > > best wishes > Huw C. > > [http://www.sapphiresteel.com](http://www.sapphiresteel.com) > Ruby P.ming In Visual Studio 2005 Thanks for the info. When we upgrade to VS2005 I’ll look into RIS. ~S