Unable to debug VBSript?

[Paulus]

Hi All,

I tried using the new debugging feature in EA 10 on a plain vbscript (just system.output ¨xxx¨ in main) but the debugger won´t run.

The debug view displays the following trace:

[00036158]      Stack recording threshold set to 3 frames
[00036219]      Default Directory is C:\Documents and Settings\paulus\Bureaublad
[00036220]      Agent dll found: C:\Program Files\Sparx Systems\EA\VEA\SSScriptAgent.dll
[00036220]      Default Directory is C:\Documents and Settings\paulus\Bureaublad
[00036221]      Agent: Started
[00036248]      Failed to initialize Javascript engine

Anybody come across this?

I should note that -running- the vbscript works just fine and also debugging in -Javascript- works fine. It´s just debugging vbscript (and Jsript btw) that don´t seem to work.

regards,

Paulus

[qwerty]

I get the same error. Even with the most primitive hello-world example. However, I'm quite sure I've had this seen working before. I'm on he latest build, so probably they introduced a bug here.

q.

[RoyC]

I don't know very much about Script debugging, but perhaps one or both of the following points have some relevance?

VBScript and JScript require the Microsoft Process Debug Manager to be installed on the local machine; this can be downloaded from Microsoft - do you have this?

The last line of your trace reads: Failed to initialize Javascript engine. If you are debugging VBScript or JScript, the engine wouldn't be Javascript, would it? Looks like it is not looking for the right engine.

EDIT: I believe, though, that this has been logged as a bug and is under investigation.

[Paulus]

I did file this as a bug and it is indeed currently under investigation but i was hoping someone already had solved this in the communitiy. Since i have this problem on two platforms (XP en 7) it seems like something that others must have run into before.

Once the issue has been solved i'll post the solution here for future reference.

@qwerty yes i have also seen this working, in a youtube demo from Sparx. I'm also on the latest build so i'll try to install a previous version and see how that works.

@Roy regarding the last line in the trace => i noticed that too but i also found a config file 'debug-config.ini' containing entries that suggests to me that SSScriptAgent.DLL  is used for debugging all three scripting languages (so i dismissed this last line as an 'error in the error report').

[qwerty]

@qwerty yes i have also seen this working, in a youtube demo from Sparx. I'm also on the latest build so i'll try to install a previous version and see how that works.

I was invited for a webcast (dated 30.1.2013) where Sparx showed this feature and right after that I tried it. So it did work beginning of February. That time I was on a pre-1006 release (I guess 1004) and I upgraded a bit later than the time where 1006 appeared (31.1.2013).

q.

[jni]

I am having this problem with javascript/JScript. Basic code works, but as soon as I tried to do something with an ActiveXObject (in this case calling the EAScripts library functions for reading XML) it tells me it cant create the object and the debugger complains about failing to initialize javascript.

I've tried updating to build 1006 this morning and no improvement.

Running Windows 7, so the advice from support (to re-install Windows Scripting) doesn't help as Script 5.8 isn't available as a standalone download.

I installed the Visual Studio plugin to see if that helps, although I dont have VS itself installed. Grasping at straws.  :-/

\N

[qwerty]

If you read my previous post you should know that in this case downgrading would be the better idea  

q.

[jni]

I've tried downgrading to 9.3. I get a slightly different message but the outcome is the same.

EAScriptLib.JScript-XML ActiveXObject is not defined

\N

[qwerty]

9.3? That did not offer debugging. You will need 1003 or the like...

q.

[Aaron B]

Also note that JScript and Javascript are two entirely different scripting engines.  AFAIK - ActiveXObject is only accessible from JScript, not Javascript.

Please confirm that your script is JScript, not Javascript.

[Paulus]

With respect to the original message in this post: the problem of not being able to debug vbscript has finally been solved with the help of the additional log info added to revision 1007.

Turned out that a required microsoft component was missing.

Here's the reply from Sparx:

Try downloading and installing the Microsoft Script Debugger from the following page:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=22185

After installing this i was able to debug vbscript, in revision 1007 and also in revision 1006.

[qwerty]

Does not work for me. After having installed it, EA behaves different. But the result is simply: SSProfiler75.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close.  We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Thank you, Microsoft.

q.

[Paulus]

Sorry to hear it didn't work in your case.

Thank you, Microsoft.

I know the feeling... apart from EA i toyed a bit with a third-party debugger that claims to be able to hook into running scripts (8-)) but (for now) gave up on that. Debugging with the PDM is a murky business and it shouldn't be.

Still be sure to check the debugger view for the additional logging added in 1007, maybe that provides some pointers,

best regards,

Paulus

[qwerty]

in revision 1007

Where did you get that from? I got an announcement that one of my reported bugs would be fixed in 1007. But the official site still is at 1006.

q.

[KP]

Where did you get that from? I got an announcement that one of my reported bugs would be fixed in 1007. But the official site still is at 1006.

1007 went out on Monday but it appears the front page of the website wasn't updated. I have let the web team know.

If you want to make sure you never miss a release, go to the Latest News board of the forum and click the "Notifications" button and you can request an e-mail notifying you whenever a news item gets posted to that forum.