You can apply a pattern you have designed in a runtime instance
of the developer workbench to test for errors. Errors are reported back to
the Console view of the developer workbench.
This topic discusses some basic steps to follow when you are debugging
a pattern by using the both the developer and runtime workbenches. It assumes
that you have both a developer and a runtime instance of the workbench running.
Note: You
cannot change the pattern code in the developer workbench while the run time
workbench is running.
Before you test a pattern, you can add debug messages to the hot
spots to trace the process sequence for expansion and update methods. Trace
messages are displayed in the developer workbench Console view.
The pattern cheat sheet, Authoring Patterns, provides detailed examples of
how add debug messages. You open the cheat sheets from the Help menu.
If
you included breakpoints in your pattern code; they are listed and controlled
in the Breakpoint view in the developer workbench. You can resume pattern
processing after a reaching a breakpoint by clicking .
For details on applying
patterns, refer to the topics on applying patterns. As every pattern is unique,
there is no single method to test patterns. The following instructions are
options to modify the pattern. Parameters with dependencies invoke multiple
methods for each command when a change occurs to a supplier parameter.
To test your pattern, do one or more of the following steps: - Add an argument to each template parameter by using the Apply
pattern wizard or drag and drop gestures. The expansion method
that handles added values are invoked.
- Delete each argument by using the Undo or Delete from Model
menu items. The expansion method that handles removed values
is invoked.
- Replace an argument with another. This action
invokes an method for handling removed values and then a method for handling
added values.
- Reapply the pattern to reevaluate all arguments bound to the
pattern instance. Reapplying a pattern updates any arguments
that were bound and then modified outside of the pattern.
- Unapply the pattern to invoke a remove of all arguments. This action removes the pattern.
- Unbind a single argument to invoke a remove method. The
expansion method for handling removed values is invoked.
After you have satisfactorily tested all patterns in a library, package
the pattern library as a RAS pattern asset. To do this, you export it by using
the Pattern Authoring view. As a RAS pattern asset, patterns
are easily distributed for use by other developers. When imported, the RAS
pattern asset is installed as a pattern plug-in and is listed in the Pattern
Explorer view and the Pattern Repository or the RAS Asset
Explorer view.