11. Using the perl Debugger

Even if your perl code compiles and runs, it doesn't mean it is error free. Very often you will write programs that when given specific input, will behave very differently from their intended behaviour. Perl supplies the user with a debugger that can help in trapping such bugs in the program.

The debugger is invoked simply by appending a "-d" switch before the script name. E.g: perl -d hello.pl. After typing "Return" at the shell command line, you will have an interactive debugging session at your disposal. At this session, you can control the execution of your program as well as enter any Perl command you like.

The following chapter will cover the basics of using the perl debugger, and will give you pointers on where to find more information.