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2 minute read - FAQ IntelliJ Java For Testers

How to convert a breakpoint into a conditional breakpoint in IntelliJ

Aug 8, 2016

TLDR; right click on a breakpoint and add code that returns a boolean to make it a conditional breakpoint

Breakpoints are great. You find the section of code that you want to investigate. Click on the side of the screen to create a breakpoint. Run the code in debug and it stops where you want it.

But what if you only wanted to stop on that breakpoint sometimes.

What do you do?

Add a watch, then when the code stops at the breakpoint, look at the watch and if it is not what you want, carry on?

Well that’s one way.

The other way is a conditional breakpoint.

A breakpoint that only triggers when a certain condition is set.

Let’s have a look.

I have this test.

And it fails!

java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 16

    at com.javafortesters.chap009arraysiteration.exercises.
TriangleSquareExercisesDebugTest.createSquare2dArray
(TriangleSquareExercisesDebugTest.java:37)

well, it fails on something when it is 16.

Is it i==16 or is it row==16?

I know. I’ll convert the breakpoint to a conditional breakpoint and find out.

To create a conditional breakpoint I simply right click on the breakpoint symbol and type in a condition.
**
** The condition is any adhoc Java code that will compile in the context of the breakpoint, and return a Boolean.

So I could make the ‘Condition’ i==15 then the breakpoint should only trigger when i equals 15.

Now when the breakpoint fires, I only have to step over once to get to the point where my code throws its error.

Rather than having to step through the loop 15 times.

Worth trying?