# Debugging a JSP file on a server

The debugger enables you to detect and diagnose errors in your application. It allows you to control the execution of your program by setting breakpoints, suspending threads, stepping through the code, and examining the contents of the variables. You can debug a JavaServer Pages (JSP) without losing the state of your application.

To debug a JSP file on a server:

1. In the Project Explorer view, open your JSP file. In a Web project, JSP files are located in the Web Content folder. Double-click the JSP file to open it on the JSP editor.

To set one or more breakpoints, you can select a line of code in the editor and double-click the marker bar directly to the left of the line where you want to add the breakpoint.

2. From the JSP file's context menu in the Project Explorer view, click Debug As > Debug on Server. The workbench switches to the Debug perspective and the server is launched in debug mode.
3. In the Debug view, step through the code and make the necessary changes to the JSP file. For detailed information on debugging, refer to the Debugging Java™ applications documentation.
4. Save the JSP file.
5. Click the Refresh icon in the Web Browser to update the changes. The state of your application is not lost and the server recognizes your changes.

Note:

- If you are running the JSP file on a remote WebSphere® server, the JSP cache directory must be cleared in order to force the class file to be in the correct JSP source debug mode. If the cache is not cleared, some compiled unchanged JSP files may still be compiled in the previous JSP source debug mode.

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