Watch Expressions
Watch Expressions are a debugging feature in integrated development environments (IDEs) and debuggers that allow developers to monitor the value of variables, expressions, or memory addresses in real-time during program execution. They enable setting up persistent tracking of specific data points, which update automatically as the code runs, helping to identify bugs and understand program flow without repeatedly checking values manually. This tool is essential for interactive debugging in languages like JavaScript, Python, Java, and C++.
Developers should use Watch Expressions when debugging complex code where variables change frequently or in loops, as they provide continuous insight into state changes without interrupting execution. They are particularly useful for tracking specific conditions, such as monitoring a counter in a loop or watching for null values in object properties, making them ideal for troubleshooting runtime errors and performance issues in applications like web apps, games, or system software.