Debug mode in the Workflow Designer allows you to test a workflow for errors at design time, without putting the workflow revision into production. In debug mode, you can:
View the status of each activity and connector.
Open an activity while it is executing, and view the values of its input and output parameters on the Execution Results tab.
NOTE:If the activity executes multiple times, such as in a loop, the Execution Results tab displays the results of each execution, in reverse chronological order. If the activity executes again while you are viewing the results, you can refresh the view to add the results of the most recent execution.
Test and respond to user input forms.
NOTE:To respond to a user input form in debug mode, double-click the appropriate Collect Input from User activity. When the activity is waiting for input in debug mode, the input form on the Input Form tab of the activity is fully functional.
View the current value of custom work item attributes.
View the dynamic values assigned by Input Builder in conditional connector and event filter expressions. For example, the following conditional connector expression allows the workflow to traverse the connector only if the number of object locators retrieved by the Find Computers activity is equal to the number of rows found in a table by the Get Table Size activity:
Activity Output Parameter Find Computers.Number of Object Locators is equal to {Get Table Size.Number of Rows}
In debug mode, if you double-click the connector, you can see the value for {Get Table Size.Number of Rows}.
Add, remove, enable, disable breakpoints.
Step through activities and connectors one at a time.
If another revision of the workflow is in production, you can debug the current revision without conflict.
NOTE:When you execute a workflow in debug mode, Workflow Automation creates a temporary work item. Process Operators do not see the temporary work item in the Operations Console.
Breakpoints allow you to pause the workflow. You can associate breakpoints with activities and connectors in either design mode or debug mode. The workflow pauses at the breakpoint, prior to executing or traversing the associated activity or connector. For example, if you want to review the results of an activity, you can add a breakpoint to the connector immediately after the activity. After the activity executes, the workflow pauses at the breakpoint, and does not traverse the connector. After you review the results of the activity, you can continue debugging the workflow. If you need to make changes to the activity, you can exit debug mode and modify the activity.
Breakpoints remain associated with the revision until you put it into production.