# Rails-\>breakpointer-\>irb-\>debugger?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-breakpointer-irb-debugger/68652>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [September 14, 2006, 7:56am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-breakpointer-irb-debugger/68652 "2006-09-14T07:56:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bikle](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bikle](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bikle)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 7:56am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-breakpointer-irb-debugger/68652/1 "2006-09-14T07:56:10Z")

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How do you step through your Rails code from irb? Can you drop  
into the debugger, or do you have put in a zillion breakpoints?  
Is there a way to add & delete breakpoints from irb,  
or do you have to set them all before you request a page?

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**Author:** ![bikle](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bikle](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bikle)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-breakpointer-irb-debugger/68652/2 "2006-09-14T12:22:34Z")

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On Thursday 14 September 2006 06:55, Dan B. wrote:

> How do you step through your Rails code from irb? Can you drop  
> into the debugger, or do you have put in a zillion breakpoints?  
> Is there a way to add & delete breakpoints from irb,  
> or do you have to set them all before you request a page?

I think you’ll like ruby-breakpoint[1]. Just put ‘breakpoint’ anywhere  
in your  
code, and at that point you’ll drop to an irb session where you can  
inspect  
variables, and basically do whatever you want.

If that’s not what you want, try googling for tutorials on using the  
Ruby  
debugger.

Regards,  
Alex

1. [http://ruby-breakpoint.rubyforge.org/](http://ruby-breakpoint.rubyforge.org/)

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**Author:** ![bikle](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bikle](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bikle)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 2:41pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-breakpointer-irb-debugger/68652/3 "2006-09-14T14:41:51Z")

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On Thu, 14 Sep 2006 00:56:04 -0500, Dan B. wrote:

> How do you step through your Rails code from irb? Can you drop into the  
> debugger, or do you have put in a zillion breakpoints? Is there a way to  
> add & delete breakpoints from irb, or do you have to set them all before  
> you request a page?

Check out ruby-debug.

> **[DATANOISE.COM](https://www.datanoise.com/)**
>
> DATANOISE.COM - Contact us for any business inquiries

[http://blog.nanorails.com/articles/2006/07/14/a-better-rails-debugger-ruby-debug](http://blog.nanorails.com/articles/2006/07/14/a-better-rails-debugger-ruby-debug)

The docs are a little out of date – you’ll also need to call  
Debugger.start before your debugger call.

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**Author:** ![bikle](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bikle](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bikle)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 8:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-breakpointer-irb-debugger/68652/4 "2006-09-14T20:25:20Z")

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Geoff D. wrote:

> Check out ruby-debug.

Thanks, that sounds like what I’m looking for.

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**Author:** ![bikle](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bikle](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bikle)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-breakpointer-irb-debugger/68652/5 "2006-09-14T22:01:36Z")

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On 9/14/06, Rick DeNatale [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> > > you request a page?  
> > > $ rdebug myscript -b 10  
> > > ruby-debug 0.4.1  
> > > Usage: rdebug [options] \<script.rb\> \<script.rb parameters\>

$rdebug myscript – -b 10

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**Author:** ![bikle](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bikle](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bikle)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-breakpointer-irb-debugger/68652/6 "2006-09-14T22:31:42Z")

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On 9/14/06, Kent S. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> On 9/14/06, Rick DeNatale [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> > $ rdebug myscript -b 10  
> > ruby-debug 0.4.1  
> > Usage: rdebug [options] \<script.rb\> \<script.rb parameters\>
> 
> $rdebug myscript – -b 10

Muchos Arrigato, mon ami!

–  
Rick DeNatale

My blog on Ruby  
[http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/](http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/)

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**Author:** ![bikle](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bikle](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bikle)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-breakpointer-irb-debugger/68652/7 "2006-09-14T21:33:32Z")

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On 9/14/06, Geoff D. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> On Thu, 14 Sep 2006 00:56:04 -0500, Dan B. wrote:
> 
> > How do you step through your Rails code from irb? Can you drop into the  
> > debugger, or do you have put in a zillion breakpoints? Is there a way to  
> > add & delete breakpoints from irb, or do you have to set them all before  
> > you request a page?
> 
> Check out ruby-debug.

I finally got around to trying this, I’d installed the gem some time  
ago.

I tried it on a ruby script which takes parameters, but it doesn’t  
seem to work, the usage seems to indicate that you can give parameters  
after the script name but rdebug seems to parse and choke on them  
itself.

$ rdebug myscript -b 10  
ruby-debug 0.4.1  
Usage: rdebug [options] \<script.rb\> \<script.rb parameters\>

Options:  
-s, --server Listen for remote connections  
-w, --wait Wait for a client connection,  
implies -s option  
-n, --nostop Do not stop when a client  
connects, implies -s option  
-c, --client Connect to remote debugger  
-h, --host HOST Host name used for remote debugging  
-p, --port PORT Port used for remote debugging  
–script FILE Name of the script file to run  
–cport PORT Port used for contol commands,  
implies -s option

Common options:  
–help Show this message  
-v, --version Show version

invalid option: -b

–  
Rick DeNatale

My blog on Ruby  
[http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/](http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/)