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Application debugging using the Tracer tool

Updated on November 15, 2021

You can test and debug your applications by using the Tracer tool. You can test and debug activities, data transforms, decision rules, service rules, parse rules, and processes. You can select which rulesets, rules, and events to trace; set breakpoints and watch variables; trace reference properties; select which requestor session to trace; and add custom events to Tracer output. You can also troubleshoot offline-enabled applications in a browser by testing scripts that are running when the application is running.

You can also trace services and listeners anywhere in the cluster by using RuleWatch trace.

When you set up trace conditions and start tracing, you can view the Tracer output in the Tracer window or save the Tracer output to your local system.

Note: When using this tool for Customer Service chat interactions, be aware that a single browser session can be served by multiple requestors.

To troubleshoot offline-enabled applications, enable the use of the Tracer tool in a browser. For more information, see Troubleshooting offline-enabled applications with the Tracer tool in a browser on Pega Community.

Note: The Tracer tool is not available during a test coverage session.

For relevant training materials, see the Debugging application errors module on Pega Academy.

  • Tracer best practices

    Use Tracer best practices to make tracing easier and more efficient.

  • Configuring trace conditions

    Before you run the Tracer tool, optionally configure trace conditions, based on the activity, data transform, rule, and so on, that you are testing and debugging. If you do not configure trace conditions, the default conditions are used.

  • Tracing and capturing events

    After you have configured the trace conditions, you can begin tracing and capturing events. As you perform the work that you want to trace, the Tracer displays the traced events according to the selected trace conditions. Each event is a row in the Tracer window.

  • Tracing services

    You can use the Tracer to monitor any active requestor session. However, a service usually runs in a new requestor session with a requestor ID that is not created until the service begins processing. At that point, the processing that the service performs in that requestor session occurs so quickly (in less than one second), that it can be hard to catch the event to trace it.

  • Viewing Tracer results in the Tracer window

    To maintain the quality of your application, you can use the Tracer window to interact with Tracer results. Each row in the window represents an event. The Tracer records selected events from the rule executions, database operations, and other event types that you selected when you configured the Tracer.

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