10. $debugExec

A call to $debugExec invokes MAINDEBUG. If cmdStr is specified, the commands in cmdStr are executed before commands are read from TTY. The commands in cmdStr are written as they would be typed to the line-oriented MAINDEBUG executive (except that editing commands specific to line-oriented mode cannot be executed unless the debugger is in line-oriented mode).

$debugExec may be useful for debugging custom MAINSAIL bootstraps in which MAINEX does not initially gain control (but see Section 2.2.3 for another way of debugging custom bootstraps). If you add a call to $debugExec at the start of the INITIAL PROCEDURE of the first MAINSAIL MODULE in your program, you can set breakpoints when the debugger gains control, and then continue execution to those breakpoints with the debugger's C command.