DDEBUG

DDEBUG is a cross-language debugging framework designed to simplify diagnosing software issues across platforms and runtimes. It emphasizes extensibility, non-invasive integration, and a consistent debugging protocol, enabling developers to work with multiple languages through a single toolset.

The architecture centers on a debugger engine that can run locally or as a daemon, a collection of language adapters that translate DDEBUG commands into language-specific actions, and a client interface that presents debugging information. It supports a client-server model and uses a neutral protocol to enable communication between the core engine, adapters, and front-end tools. This modular design makes it possible to add support for new languages via adapters without altering the core workflow.

Core features include time-travel or reverse debugging, dynamic and conditional breakpoints, watch expressions, and comprehensive state inspection. Users can examine the call stack, view variable values, and perform memory and state dumps. DDEBUG also supports remote debugging across machines, data visualization for complex structures, and an extensible plug-in system for custom language and platform support.

Language support and ecosystem: DDEBUG provides adapters for a range of popular languages through a plug-in interface, spanning interpreted and compiled environments. The project is open-source, with ongoing community contributions, documentation, and tutorials. It integrates with common integrated development environments and build systems via adapters and extensions, facilitating adoption in heterogeneous development workflows.

Usage patterns typically involve attaching to a running process or launching a target with instrumentation, setting and managing breakpoints, running or stepping through code, and using time-travel features to replay and investigate execution paths. The framework aims to enhance reproducibility and reduce the manual instrumentation required for effective debugging.

Limitations and considerations: effectiveness depends on runtime support and available adapters; some languages or environments may have limited or experimental integration. Performance overhead and licensing terms should be considered when deploying DDEBUG in production environments.