PL/SQL Debugger

Nexo SQL Studio includes a PL/SQL debugger that integrates with VS Code’s standard Debug panel. Set breakpoints in your source files and attach to Oracle JDWP debugging through an active connection.

Requirements

• Oracle 12c or later (JDWP must be enabled for your user)
• DBMS_DEBUG_JDWP privilege granted to your database user

-- Grant by a DBA
GRANT DEBUG CONNECT SESSION TO your_user;
GRANT DEBUG ANY PROCEDURE TO your_user;

Setting Breakpoints

Click the gutter to the left of a line number in any .sql, .pkb, or .prc file to toggle a breakpoint. Conditional breakpoints are also supported (right-click a breakpoint).

Starting a Debug Session

1. Open the Run and Debug panel (Ctrl+Shift+D).
2. Choose the PL/SQL Debug configuration or run Start PL/SQL debugger.
3. Press F5 or use Preflight + Start Debugger to validate setup and start listening.
4. Invoke the procedure from a worksheet or application — execution pauses at your first breakpoint.

Debug Controls

Action	Shortcut
Continue	F5
Step Over	F10
Step Into	F11
Step Out	Shift+F11
Stop	Shift+F5

Variables & Watch

The Variables panel shows all local variables and their current values. Add any expression to the Watch panel to track it across steps.

Call Stack

The Call Stack panel shows the full Oracle call stack — including nested procedure calls — so you can navigate up the stack and inspect context at each level.

Output

Use the Debug Console and the extension output channels to inspect debugger messages, setup problems, and runtime status.