If you want to test and debug your application in a thin client configuration, you can run the ACUCOBOL-GT Thin Client with the -d argument. This starts the server in debug mode. For example, the following command line:
acuthin server[:port] -c <path>\configfile –dlxe trace <progname>
would create a file named trace on the server in the directory specified by the alias. You can specify a full path, but it must be for the server, not for the client. For example:
acuthin server[:port] -c <path>\configfile –dlxe <path>\trace <progname>
If the problem is slow screen display when the debugger window appears on the client screen, use the ts command to trace screen control creation.
You may also use the Ctrl-Break command to enter the debugger program (this works even if the program is not running an ACCEPT statement, as long as the program periodically makes requests to the user interface or is doing file I/O). If the thin client program is busy (such as looping around calls to external software or performing lengthy computations), insert some ACCEPT var FROM INPUT STATUS statements if you want to be able to use <Ctrl-Break> to enter the debugger in that part of your program. See Regarding Debugging in ACUCOBOL-GT User Interface Programming for more information on using Ctrl-Break to enter the debugger.
You should not attempt to execute a shell command (!) while your program is in debug mode. If you do, you will receive the error message Unable to start shell in thin-client mode.