Question: What is yieldSteps?

[jacj-simcorp]

The parameter yieldSteps is available in Launch configurations.
What is the purpose of this parameter?
What are reasonable bounds?
Are there any performance implications of setting this high or low?

Thanks for your time :)

[hackwaly]

The debuggee program's execution is threaded by the debugger. The yieldSteps is how many instructions the program can run in a batch. Because debugger and debuggee are run in same thread. So in a batch run: debugger are blocked and can't process any UI actions, such as set breakpoint, pause, etc.

The bigger yieldSteps result better performance. The smaller yieldSteps let you can have good opportunity to pause program at your desired position.

[jacj-simcorp]

The debuggee program's execution is threaded by the debugger. The yieldSteps is how many instructions the program can run in a batch. Because debugger and debuggee are run in same thread. So in a batch run: debugger are blocked and can't process any UI actions, such as set breakpoint, pause, etc.

The bigger yieldSteps result better performance. The smaller yieldSteps let you can have good opportunity to pause program at your desired position.

Thanks.
When you say "pause program at your desired position", is this in relation to clicking "pause" or also for breakpoints? Or are breakpoints always hit, independently of the yieldSteps setting? I assume so?

[jacj-simcorp]

With an extremely large setting, you are effectively then unable to "pause", I assume?

Does yieldSteps apply when stepping? Is this effectively the minimum number of steps taken when you click step over/step in?

[hackwaly]

No, it does not affect to stepping. It only for setBreakpoint/pause a running program.