# Ruby breakpoint has weird idea of what local\_variables are? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [May 31, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-breakpoint-has-weird-idea-of-what-local-variables-are/189429 "2010-05-31T21:05:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RichardOnRails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@RichardOnRails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/RichardOnRails)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-breakpoint-has-weird-idea-of-what-local-variables-are/189429/1 "2010-05-31T21:05:46Z")
Hi, I’ve got a 7-liner: require ‘rubygems’ require ‘breakpoint’ a = ‘aaa’ b = ‘bbb’ breakpoint c = ‘ccc’ In a Command window, I’ve got: K:\_Projects\Ruby\_Ruby\_Tests\TestBreakpoint\>ruby TestBreakpoint.rb Executing break point at TestBreakpoint.rb:9 irb(main):001:0\> local\_variables =\> [“id”, “block”, “\_”] irb(main):002:0\> quit This test is based on Recipe 17.10 of the Ruby Cookbook, O’Reilly, 2006 Why doesn’t the array allegedly presenting local variables: 1. Include a, b & c? 2. Present the things it does; what do they signify? I’m running Ruby 1.8.6 over WinXP-Pro/SP3 Thanks in Advance Richard ---
**Author:** ![RichardOnRails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@RichardOnRails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/RichardOnRails)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-breakpoint-has-weird-idea-of-what-local-variables-are/189429/2 "2010-05-31T21:16:53Z")
2010/5/31 RichardOnRails [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid): > Why doesn’t the array allegedly presenting local variables: > > 1. Include a, b & c? > 2. Present the things it does; what do they signify? > > I’m running Ruby 1.8.6 over WinXP-Pro/SP3 No idea. However, the “regular” debugger does not have that issue: Robert@babelfish ~ $ ruby19 -r debug x.rb Debug.rb Emacs support available. x.rb:1:a = ‘aaa’ (rdb:1) l [-4, 5] in x.rb =\> 1 a = ‘aaa’ 2 b = ‘bbb’ 3 # breakpoint 4 c = ‘ccc’ (rdb:1) b 4 Set breakpoint 1 at x.rb:4 (rdb:1) v l a =\> nil b =\> nil c =\> nil (rdb:1) c Breakpoint 1, toplevel at x.rb:4 x.rb:4:c = ‘ccc’ (rdb:1) v l a =\> “aaa” b =\> “bbb” c =\> nil (rdb:1) n Robert@babelfish ~ $ Note: “v l” lists local variables. Kind regards robert ---
**Author:** ![RichardOnRails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@RichardOnRails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/RichardOnRails)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 3:55am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-breakpoint-has-weird-idea-of-what-local-variables-are/189429/3 "2010-06-05T03:55:38Z")
On May 31, 3:16 pm, Robert K. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > a = ‘aaa’ > > 3 # breakpoint > (rdb:1) v l > Kind regards > > robert > > – > remember.guy do |as, often| as.you\_can - without endhttp://blog.rubybestpractices.com/ Hi Robert, Thanks for your reply. It led me to realize that I had mixed up two debuggers. I’m using the command “rdebug x.rb” and it appears to invoke ruby-debug. That works great! I wanted to elect some options for ruby-debug but could not find the file recommended by some online documentation: rdebugrc. I hten found another recommendation for Windows:rdebug.ini. That doesn’t exist either. I found an rdebug file with no extension in the directory where Ruby is installed. It’s a ~200-line Ruby program that looks like a driver for the Debugger, so that doesn’t look like a place for me to try to customize the options. This is not a big deal. But if anything comes to mind, I’d be grateful to learn about it. Best wishes, Richard ---
**Author:** ![RichardOnRails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@RichardOnRails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/RichardOnRails)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 4:10am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-breakpoint-has-weird-idea-of-what-local-variables-are/189429/4 "2010-06-05T04:10:17Z")
On Jun 4, 9:53 pm, RichardOnRails [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > require ‘breakpoint’ > > > =\> [“id”, “block”, “\_”] > > > =\> 1 a = ‘aaa’ > > Breakpoint 1, toplevel at x.rb:4 > > Note: “v l” lists local variables. > > Thanks for your reply. It led me to realize that I had mixed up two > > for the Debugger, so that doesn’t look like a place for me to try to > > customize the options. > > This is not a big deal. But if anything comes to mind, I’d be > grateful to learn about it. > > Best wishes, > Richard Hi Robert, Please forgot about my last question. I found comprehensive documentation at [ruby-debug](http://bashdb.sourceforge.net/ruby-debug), do I’ll be fine. Thanks again, Richard