Eclipse breakpoint window error

[Mary McCartney]

I had a breakpoint on a file, and then I deleted the file. Now the breakpoint window in the Debug perspective won't come up. Does anyone know where the breakpoints are stored? Perhaps some XML configuration file somewhere? I'd like to be able to clear out the breakpoint, and hopefully it would clear up the problem.

Any guidance would be most appreciated.

Here's the error message:

"Unable to create view: Unknown character category {h} near index 6 \com\blahblah\yada\test\myfile"

Below that is the complete stack trace:

java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException: Unknown character category {h} near index 6
\com\blahblah\yada\test\myfile
^
at java.util.regex.Pattern.error(Pattern.java:1541)
at java.util.regex.Pattern.familyError(Pattern.java:2222)
at java.util.regex.Pattern.retrieveCategoryNode(Pattern.java:2213)
at java.util.regex.Pattern.family(Pattern.java:2185)
at java.util.regex.Pattern.sequence(Pattern.java:1611)
at java.util.regex.Pattern.expr(Pattern.java:1558)
at java.util.regex.Pattern.compile(Pattern.java:1291)
at java.util.regex.Pattern.<init>(Pattern.java:1047)
at java.util.regex.Pattern.compile(Pattern.java:785)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.core.breakpoints.JavaMethodBreakpoint.setMarker(JavaMethodBreakpoint.java:562)
at org.eclipse.debug.internal.core.BreakpointManager.createBreakpoint(BreakpointManager.java:410)
at org.eclipse.debug.internal.core.BreakpointManager.loadBreakpoints(BreakpointManager.java:157)
at org.eclipse.debug.internal.core.BreakpointManager.initializeBreakpoints(BreakpointManager.java:313)
at org.eclipse.debug.internal.core.BreakpointManager.getBreakpoints0(BreakpointManager.java:284)
at org.eclipse.debug.internal.core.BreakpointManager.getBreakpoints(BreakpointManager.java:271)
at org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.views.breakpoints.BreakpointsContentProvider.reorganize(BreakpointsContentProvider.java:187)
at org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.views.breakpoints.BreakpointsContentProvider.inputChanged(BreakpointsContentProvider.java:97)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ContentViewer.setInput(ContentViewer.java:244)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.setInput(StructuredViewer.java:1417)
at org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.views.breakpoints.BreakpointsView.createViewer(BreakpointsView.java:137)
at org.eclipse.debug.ui.AbstractDebugView$ViewerPage.createControl(AbstractDebugView.java:254)
at org.eclipse.debug.ui.AbstractDebugView.createDefaultPage(AbstractDebugView.java:342)
at org.eclipse.ui.part.PageBookView.createPartControl(PageBookView.java:388)
at org.eclipse.debug.ui.AbstractDebugView.createPartControl(AbstractDebugView.java:303)
at org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.views.breakpoints.BreakpointsView.createPartControl(BreakpointsView.java:123)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.ViewReference.createPartHelper(ViewReference.java:305)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.ViewReference.createPart(ViewReference.java:180)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPartReference.getPart(WorkbenchPartReference.java:552)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.PartPane.setVisible(PartPane.java:283)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.ViewPane.setVisible(ViewPane.java:512)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.presentations.PresentablePart.setVisible(PresentablePart.java:126)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.presentations.util.PresentablePartFolder.select(PresentablePartFolder.java:268)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.presentations.util.LeftToRightTabOrder.select(LeftToRightTabOrder.java:65)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.presentations.util.TabbedStackPresentation.selectPart(TabbedStackPresentation.java:391)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.PartStack.refreshPresentationSelection(PartStack.java:1102)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.PartStack.createControl(PartStack.java:591)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.PartStack.createControl(PartStack.java:528)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.PartSashContainer.createControl(PartSashContainer.java:485)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.PerspectiveHelper.activate(PerspectiveHelper.java:230)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Perspective.onActivate(Perspective.java:813)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.onActivate(WorkbenchPage.java:2165)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchWindow$5.run(WorkbenchWindow.java:2356)
at org.eclipse.swt.custom.BusyIndicator.showWhile(BusyIndicator.java:69)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchWindow.setActivePage(WorkbenchWindow.java:2338)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchWindow.restoreState(WorkbenchWindow.java:1861)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.doRestoreState(Workbench.java:2566)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.access$14(Workbench.java:2515)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench$19.run(Workbench.java:1514)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench$16.run(Workbench.java:1263)
at org.eclipse.jface.operation.ModalContext.runInCurrentThread(ModalContext.java:346)
at org.eclipse.jface.operation.ModalContext.run(ModalContext.java:291)
at org.eclipse.jface.dialogs.ProgressMonitorDialog.run(ProgressMonitorDialog.java:447)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.runStartupWithProgress(Workbench.java:1258)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.restoreState(Workbench.java:1512)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.access$12(Workbench.java:1491)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench$17.run(Workbench.java:1374)
at org.eclipse.core.internal.runtime.InternalPlatform.run(InternalPlatform.java:1044)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.Platform.run(Platform.java:783)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.restoreState(Workbench.java:1318)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchConfigurer.restoreState(WorkbenchConfigurer.java:183)
at org.eclipse.ui.application.WorkbenchAdvisor.openWindows(WorkbenchAdvisor.java:700)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.init(Workbench.java:1034)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.runUI(Workbench.java:1636)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.createAndRunWorkbench(Workbench.java:367)
at org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI.createAndRunWorkbench(PlatformUI.java:143)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.ide.IDEApplication.run(IDEApplication.java:103)
at org.eclipse.core.internal.runtime.PlatformActivator$1.run(PlatformActivator.java:226)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:376)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:163)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:324)
at org.eclipse.core.launcher.Main.invokeFramework(Main.java:334)
at org.eclipse.core.launcher.Main.basicRun(Main.java:278)
at org.eclipse.core.launcher.Main.run(Main.java:973)
at org.eclipse.core.launcher.Main.main(Main.java:948)

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Mary,
Welcome to JavaRanch!

I know the breakpoints are stored somewhere in the .metadata directory, but I don't know where more specifically.

First thing to try: right click the project that used to contain the file and restore it from the local history. If the breakpoint is still there, you can delete it normally.

If worst comes to worst, you may have to delete the .metadata directory and reset your preferences/workspace.

[Mary McCartney]

Jeanne,

Thanks for your response.

Refreshing and bringing up the old file did not work. The exception is not showing up now, however the source files show breakpoints on the left scroll bar, but they don't show up in the breakpoint window. I think I have some kind of circular reference, because a couple of times when I open eclipse it shows a list that contains the same breakpoint listed many times. Deleting all breakpoints from the UI does no good.

In an ideal world, I'd love to be able to find the file where the breakpoints are stored and just delete all of them without having to recreate my workspace.

Can you give me a little more information about how much damage it will do to delete the .metadata directory in the workspace? What specifically is in there? It's not clear to me how much of the configuration is in the eclipse directory and how much is in the workspace directory.

Thanks!
Mary

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Mary,
I don't suppose it lets you delete the breakpoints from the file where you can see them?

The .metadata directory contains all the workspace level settings - workspace preferences, perspective layouts, etc. The workspace has separate folders with your source code and project level settings (like classpaths.)

If you go about this route, you can export your workspace preferences first and reimport them later. The biggest thing you have to do is reimport your projects so the new .metadata directory knows about them.

[Mary McCartney]

Hi Jeanne,

I got to a point where eclipse was just hanging, so I decided to just create a new workspace and import the projects. It's not elegant, but it works. I just have to tweak some of the project settings and dependencies for each project as I go.

Thanks again,
Mary