Summary of changes

15.0.8

15.0.7

15.0.6

15.0.5

z16, Compilers and CICS

• Support is added for the new IBM z16 hardware.
• Support is added for CICS Transaction Server for z/OS 6.1.
• Support is added for the following compiler versions in both 31-bit mode and 64-bit mode:
  • Enterprise COBOL for z/OS® 6.4
  • Enterprise PL/I for z/OS 6.1

User-defined functions

• User-defined functions are supported for programs compiled with Enterprise COBOL for z/OS 6.4.

64-bit support

• Debug Tool compatibility mode now supports delay debug.
• The following EQAOPTS commands are now supported:
  • DLAYDBG
  • DLAYDBGDSN
  • DLAYDBGTRC
  For the remaining limitations, see Limitations of 64-bit support in Debug Tool compatibility mode.

Interoperability

• Interoperability is now supported between 31-bit and 64-bit COBOL programs. Use delay debug mode to improve efficiency.
• You can now debug 31-bit COBOL programs called from 64-bit Java programs. Delay debug mode is required when you debug this type of application.

  For more information about delay debug, see Using delay debug mode to delay starting of a debug session.

Automatic Binary Optimizer for z/OS

• Support is added for Automatic Binary Optimizer for z/OS 2.2.
• In Debug Tool compatibility mode, you can now debug programs compiled with Enterprise COBOL for z/OS Version 5 or later that have been optimized by Automatic Binary Optimizer for z/OS 2.2. The optimized programs can be debugged in the same manner as those that are not optimized.

Code Coverage

• You can now filter code coverage results for z/OS batch applications using existing JCL and z/OS UNIX applications by specifying a filter list file in the launch configuration. For more information, see Filtering code coverage results during collection.
• The module exclude list is deprecated and replaced by the filter list file.

Debug profile

• As a system administrator of Debug Profile Service, you can now use z/OS Debugger Profile Management to identify and delete CICS (DTCN) profiles that might interfere with z/OS system resources. For more information, see Managing profiles with z/OS Debugger Profile Management.

Host configuration

• When not run as a started task, Debug Manager now queries your security product for explicit permission to start. For more information, see Starting Debug Manager as a user job.

15.0.4

IBM Z® Open Debug

• You can now connect to a debug session and start debugging when you list debug sessions that are parked on a z/OS machine.
• With the Wazi for VS Code IDE, you can now use a single action to activate a debug profile, launch and debug an application.

Code Coverage

• You can now merge and export code coverage results on z/OS from command line into a single file of various formats with the ccexport.sh command. For more information, see Merging and exporting code coverage results from z/OS.
• Code Coverage Service can now be started as part of Remote Debug Service. For more information, see Generating code coverage in headless mode using Remote Debug Service.
• When started via the headless code coverage collector, Code Coverage Service now supports secured connections, and requires authentication.
• In the Code Coverage Results view, you can now add a secured Code Coverage Service result location (https). You can add and clear untrusted certificates in the CCS keystore file. For more information, see Working with result locations.
• The code coverage output location specified in the o,output parameter is ignored in the startup key unless you specify -a,allowoutputlocation=TRUE in the command line when you start the code coverage collector and use headless code coverage. For more information, see Specifying code coverage options in the startup key and Starting and stopping the headless code coverage daemon.
• The Code Coverage API documentation is updated from version 10.1.2 to 11.0.0.

IBM Open Enterprise SDK for Go

• In Debug Tool compatibility mode, you can now debug Go programs compiled with IBM Open Enterprise SDK for Go 1.17. For more information, see Debugging programs compiled with IBM Open Enterprise SDK for Go.

Decimal point

• In Debug Tool compatibility mode, if the DECIMAL-POINT IS COMMA clause is specified in a COBOL program compiled with Enterprise COBOL for z/OS Version 6 Release 3 (UI78163) or later, the debugger displays decimals as commas in the Variables and Monitors views in Eclipse IDEs, and expressions accept commas, in addition to periods, as decimal points.

Host configuration

• You can now configure the eqahcc.enc file to start Code Coverage Service as part of Remote Debug Service. For more information, see Customizing with the sample job EQARMTSU.
• With Debug Manager, you can leverage Dynamic Virtual IP Addressing (DVIPA) available in IBM Explorer for z/OS to concurrently run identical setups on different systems in your sysplex, and have TCP/IP, optionally with the help of WLM, distribute the client connections among these systems. Ensure that each Debug Manager has a unique external port per system and the port is explicitly defined in TCP/IP definitions. For more information, see Distributed Dynamic VIPA.
• MVS data set userid.EQATIOUT is no longer needed when you install and configure the IMS transaction isolation extension for Eclipse IDE users.

15.0.3

z/OS 2.5

• Support is added for z/OS 2.5.

IBM Open Enterprise SDK for Go

• In Debug Tool compatibility mode, you can now debug Go programs compiled with IBM Open Enterprise SDK for Go 1.16. For more information, see Debugging programs compiled with IBM Open Enterprise SDK for Go.

64-bit support

• Debug Tool compatibility mode now supports playback for 64-bit COBOL programs. For the remaining limitations, see Limitations of 64-bit support in Debug Tool compatibility mode.

Source Level Code Coverage for COBOL

• When you start a code coverage session with the Eclipse IDE or headless code coverage, you can now choose to use the source listing. Source level code coverage offers direct mapping between code coverage entries and the program source, to exclude the need to post process the code coverage data. Source level code coverage improves integration with tools like ZUnit and SonarQube as part of an automated pipeline. For more information, see How does z/OS Debugger locate COBOL source during code coverage.

Code Coverage Service API

• Code Coverage Service (CCS) RESTful API is now available to enable custom extensions. For more information, see Code Coverage Service API Documentation.

z/OS Debugger Profiles view

• Remote IMS Application with Isolation launch configurations have been replaced by the IMS Isolation debug profiles. All existing IMS launch configurations are automatically migrated to the z/OS Debugger Profiles view. You can create and activate IMS Isolation profiles in the view to debug and run code coverage for IMS transactions in private regions.
  To use this function, ensure that the system programmer installed and configured the IMS transaction isolation extension for the ADFz Common Components server. If you want to configure the region name for the private region, ask the system programmer to update z/OS Debugger to 15.0.3 or later, with the PTF for APAR PH41774 applied.

  Note: IMS Isolation profiles are only available in IBM® Developer for z/OS Enterprise Edition.
• You can now view the Remote System Explorer z/OS connection status in the view. A new option Refresh z/OS Connections is provided in the view toolbar to establish all z/OS connections and synchronize the profiles.
• You can now duplicate the content from an existing debug profile to create a new one efficiently.
• Generic profiles might trigger z/OS Debugger unexpectedly and consume unnecessary resources. When you activate a generic profile, warnings are now displayed. You can choose to hide the warnings.
• In the Debug Profile Editor, you can now save a debug profile without activating it, and leave it for future use.

For more information, see Managing debug profiles with the z/OS Debugger Profiles view.

Debug Profile Service

• You now only need to expose one port to use Debug Profile Service. A new configuration switch is added to eqaprof.env to select whether to use secure HTTP protocol. For more information, see Customizing with the sample job EQAPRFSU.

z/OS Debugger commands

• The following commands are now supported in Debug Tool compatibility mode for remote debugging:
  • STEP
  • GO
  • RUNTO
  • JUMPTO
  • COMMENT

Dark theme

• Dark theme is now supported for remote debugger in the Eclipse IDE.

Message EQA9924U

• Message ICH408I is now issued in the console with EQA9924U to provide you with more information to address the issue.

15.0.2

IBM Z Open Debug

• You can now debug High Level Assembler (HLASM) z/OS programs with IBM Z Open Debug.
• For Wazi for Dev Spaces, the log files are now in /projects/.debug/logs.

Code Coverage

• In the Code Coverage Results view, you can now export code coverage results in Cobertura format. For more information, see Exporting code coverage results in Cobertura format.
• You can now specify parameters in the startup key to generate code coverage results in Cobertura and SonarQube formats. In addition, short parameters values -e,exportertype=SQ|PDF|COB are added for you to use both in the startup key and in the headless code coverage daemon. For more information, see Specifying code coverage options in the startup key and Starting and stopping the headless code coverage daemon.
• When you view code coverage results in an editor, you can now see a code coverage summary of the included files for PL/I source files with %INCLUDE statements. For more information, see Viewing code coverage results in an editor.

z/OS Batch Applications launches

• In the Remote Systems or z/OS Projects view, or when you are editing the JCL source in the editor, after you choose Debug As or Code Coverage As from the menu, the following options are available:
  • z/OS Batch Application: Launch a debug or code coverage session without a debug profile.
  • z/OS Batch Application with a debug profile: Launch a debug or code coverage session with a debug profile.
  • z/OS Batch Application ...: Create a launch configuration to launch a debug or code coverage session.
  For more information, see Launching a debug session for z/OS batch applications using existing JCL.

IBM z/OS Debugger JCL Wizard

• The Program/Procedure Selection List panel is updated to include procedures, in addition to programs. Selecting a procedure will provide a panel to enter the procedure step override for the DD statements generated. The After (A) and Before (B) line commands are no longer required.
• You can now select SVC screening to enable SVC screening for batch non-Language Environment® programs.
• You can now select Intercept on to show COBOL DISPLAY statements on the IBM z/OS Debugger log or Debug Console in the Eclipse IDE.
• Error messages are improved.
• The END command (PF3) in the Program/Procedure Selection List panel is modified to cancel the request. Previously, selecting PF3 would not exit the panel.
• When the process is completed, the cursor is now placed on the command line.
• The z/OS Debugger LDD Generation for Non-LE Programs panel is now populated with the initial program name and subprograms selected in the Request AT ENTRY Sub-Program Breakpoints panel. Program names provided in this panel can be modified.
• After you select Code Coverage from the parameters selection panel, the EQAXOPT lines are generated to specify CCPROGSELECTDSN, CCOUTPUTDSN and CCOUTPUTDSNALLOC, if the CODE_COVERAGE_SETUP value is configured to YES in the EQAJCL REXX procedure.
• Previously the wizard would verify the program source members identified in the z/OS Debugger LDD Generation for Non-LE Programs panel with each library identified by the z/OS Debugger Debug Libraries panel to verify that the members are present. This function is removed because z/OS Debugger now flags any such members in the IBM z/OS Debugger log or Debug Console in the Eclipse IDE when the LDD command is entered.

For more information, see IBM z/OS Debugger JCL Wizard.

AT LABEL * command

• For Enterprise COBOL for z/OS Version 5 and later, AT LABEL * now highlights the labels similar to statement breakpoints.
• You can now use PF6 or AT LINE to remove or add a single global label hook if AT LABEL * was issued. To disable this functionality, use DISABLE AT LABEL *.
• If you issue AT LABEL * again or use ENABLE AT LABEL *, the global label hooks are reset. The hooks that you removed are added back.

For more information, see AT LABEL command.

15.0.1

15.0.0

64-bit support

• Debug Tool compatibility mode now supports the following compiler features:
  • The 64-bit COBOL feature of z/OS for COBOL V6.3 and later
  • The 64-bit C/C++ feature of z/OS
  For the limitations, see Limitations of 64-bit support in Debug Tool compatibility mode.

  The PTFs for z/OS Language Environment APARs PH26071 and PH28997 are required for this support.

IBM Z Open Debug

• IBM Z Open Debug is now also available with the Wazi for Dev Spaces IDE, in addition to the Wazi for VS Code IDE. Both IDEs are offered in IBM Wazi Developer for Red Hat CodeReady Workspaces and IBM Developer for z/OS Enterprise Edition. For a comparison of features provided in different products and IDEs, see Overview of IBM z/OS Debugger.
• You can now specify TEST(,,,RDS:*) for the TEST runtime option to start a debug session using Remote Debug Service for Wazi for VS Code or Wazi for Dev Spaces.

Code Coverage

• Headless code coverage for z/OS is now included with IBM Debug for z/OS. Use the headless code coverage collector to generate code coverage results of tests that are run as part of your DEVOPS pipeline. For more information, see Generating code coverage in headless mode using a daemon.
• Single letter parameters are now supported in the headless code coverage collector command line and in EQA_STARTUP_KEY when you use JCL. For more information, see Starting and stopping the headless code coverage daemon and Specifying code coverage options in the startup key.
• Support is added for PL/I programs compiled with LISTVIEW(SOURCE) to generate code coverage results for main program and all %INCLUDE files. For more information, see Supported compilers and options for code coverage in Debug Tool compatibility mode.
• The Code Coverage Results view of the Eclipse IDE now supports CCS result locations. You can add a CCS result location which collects and retrieves code coverage data by using RESTful API, and interact with the results under the CCS result location in the same way as locally stored results. CCS result locations require Headless Code Coverage 15.0.0 or later. For more information, see Viewing code coverage results in the Code Coverage Results view.
• You can now also use Remote Debug Service to collect code coverage results similar to the headless code coverage collector for IBM Wazi Developer for Red Hat CodeReady Workspaces or IBM Developer for z/OS Enterprise Edition. For more information, see Generating code coverage in headless mode using Remote Debug Service.

Debug Profile Editor

• In the Debug Profile Editor of the Eclipse IDE, you can now use the quick outline to navigate to a field. For more information, see Quick outline for the Debug Profile Editor.

z/OS XL C/C++

• Support is added for DEBUG(NOFILE). For more information, see Choosing DEBUG compiler suboptions for C programs and Choosing DEBUG compiler suboptions for C++ programs.

Debug Tool Plug-ins

• The following Debug Tool plug-ins of the Eclipse IDE are deprecated and will be removed in the next release:
  • DTCN Profile Manager plug-in
  • DTSP Profile Manager plug-in
  • Instrument JCL for Debug Tool Debugging plug-in
  • Debug Tool Code Coverage plug-in
  • Load Module Analyzer plug-in
  You can use the z/OS Debugger Profiles view to create and manage debug profiles, z/OS batch applications launches to dynamically instrument and submit JCL, and the Code Coverage Results view to work with compiled code coverage results. For more information, see Managing debug profiles with the z/OS Debugger Profiles view, Launching a debug session for z/OS batch applications using existing JCL, and Viewing code coverage results in the Code Coverage Results view.

Load Module Analyzer

• The Load Module Analyzer is deprecated and will be removed in a future version.

Host configuration

• Remote Debug Service can now be configured to collect headless code coverage. For more information, see Adding support for Remote Debug Service.
• The record size for the DTCN VSAM file is increased to 3000 bytes. To use the DTCN VSAM repository with z/OS Debugger 15.0, create a new file using the SEQASAMP(EQAWCRVS) sample JCL. You can also convert your existing VSAM file to the new record size and format using the EQADPCNV utility. For more information, see Migrating a debug profiles VSAM file from an earlier release.
• The IMS Transaction Isolation Facility is enhanced to utilize type 2 IMS commands for retrieving information on transactions, in cases where the type 1 commands that are normally used are disallowed. For more information, see Scenario F: Enabling the Transaction Isolation Facility.