Answers.Body: <p>No, the software does not provide these kinds of debugging capabilities (although it does animate each block as it runs if you start the program from the programming software instead of starting it from the brick).</p>
  
  <p>There are other ways to debug though. Here are some ideas:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Use a display block to show values on the screen</li>
  <li>Use tones/sounds to indicate when a certain point in the program has been reached</li>
  <li>Use the brick lights to indicate the state of the program</li>
  <li>Use a wait block with the brick buttons (or a touch sensor) to "pause" your program at a certain point, then press the button to resume</li>
  </ul>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-07-12T00:53:28.707Z
Answers.Text: The block animation was subtle on my screen but I watched for it after your post.  Thanks.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Willk
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-07-07T20:34:36.683Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2018-07-07T20:34:36.683Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: David Lechner
Body: <p>The code does not do what I think it should.  It is frustrating to tweak it, download it, run it from the block, and find that once again, it does not do what I think it should.</p>
  
  <p>Is there some way to step through a program on the laptop, displaying variables, outputs etc as it runs?   Maybe lighting up each block as it is traversed in the program?  It is hard to see where my code is bad if I can only test it as a package.  </p>
  
Tags: <ev3><programming>
Title: Stepping through Mindstorm program for debugging
UserDisplayName: Willk
ThreadText: # Stepping through Mindstorm program for debugging
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2018-07-07)
  
  The code does not do what I think it should. It is frustrating to tweak it, download it, run it from the block, and find that once again, it does not do what I think it should.
  
  Is there some way to step through a program on the laptop, displaying variables, outputs etc as it runs? Maybe lighting up each block as it is traversed in the program? It is hard to see where my code is bad if I can only test it as a package.
  
  **Tags:** ev3, programming
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2018-07-07. Score: 4 | Accepted answer
  
  No, the software does not provide these kinds of debugging capabilities (although it does animate each block as it runs if you start the program from the programming software instead of starting it from the brick).
  
  There are other ways to debug though. Here are some ideas:
  
  * Use a display block to show values on the screen
  * Use tones/sounds to indicate when a certain point in the program has been reached
  * Use the brick lights to indicate the state of the program
  * Use a wait block with the brick buttons (or a touch sensor) to "pause" your program at a certain point, then press the button to resume
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: The block animation was subtle on my screen but I watched for it after your post.  Thanks.  
  
  ---
  
  