Print source code flow as program is executed

Question

is there a way to print each line of source when the program executes without having to insert System.out.println after each line?

Answer 1

Use a debugger. Debuggers provide a number of useful tools to step through your program. Check your IDE, it probably has one.

Answer 2

First a question: Why would you need that? You might use a debugger if it's just for debugging. If it is for logging purposes, logging each line would be overkill.

Second a suggestion: you might use AOP to log each method call (assignments etc. could not be intercepted), but that might require a lot of work (incorporate AOP into your build process etc.) and might not be worth the hassle.

Answer 3

Eclipse Test & Performance Tools Platform Project has a way to show you a sequence diagram of the program execution:

http://www.eclipse.org/tptp/home/documents/tutorials/profilingtool/profilingexample_32.html

For printing as text, AOP is nice but complicated, debug statements are easiest but most invasive.