Execution Control

Execution tools control program flow — resuming, pausing, and stepping through code line by line.

When to Use

Use execution tools after the process is stopped (at a breakpoint, after a step, or after a pause). Stepping tools let you move through code one line at a time, step into method calls, or step out of the current method.

Typical flow: (process stopped) → debug_step (over/into/out) → (inspect) → debug_continue

Tools

debug_continue

Resume execution.

Requires: Paused session

When to use: After inspecting state at a breakpoint or step, resume normal execution until the next breakpoint is hit or the process exits.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Required	Description
thread_id	integer	No	Resume specific thread only

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "state": "running"
}

Real-world use case: After inspecting variables at a breakpoint, an AI agent calls debug_continue and then breakpoint_wait to advance to the next breakpoint in the workflow.

---

debug_pause

Pause execution.

Requires: Active session (running)

When to use: The process is running and you need to stop it immediately — for example, to inspect what's happening in a loop or a long-running operation.

Parameters: None

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "state": "stopped",
  "threads": [
    { "id": 1, "location": "System.Threading.Thread.Sleep" },
    { "id": 5, "location": "MyApp.Services.UserService.GetUser" }
  ]
}

---

debug_step

Step through code. Supports three modes: step over (next line), step into (enter method call), and step out (finish current method).

Requires: Paused session

When to use:

• Step over: Execute the current line and move to the next one. Method calls on the current line execute fully without stopping inside them.
• Step into: If the current line contains a method call, enter that method and stop at its first line.
• Step out: Run until the current method returns, then stop in the caller.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Required	Description
action	string	Yes	over, into, or out
thread_id	integer	No	Thread to step (default: current)

Example (step over):

{
  "action": "over"
}

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "location": {
    "file": "/app/Services/UserService.cs",
    "line": 43,
    "function": "GetUser"
  }
}

Example (step into):

{
  "action": "into"
}

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "location": {
    "file": "/app/Data/UserRepository.cs",
    "line": 15,
    "function": "FindById"
  }
}

Example (step out):

{
  "action": "out"
}

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "location": {
    "file": "/app/Controllers/UserController.cs",
    "line": 28,
    "function": "Get"
  }
}

Real-world use case: An AI agent is stopped at a method that calls ProcessOrder(). It uses step into to enter the method, then steps over a few lines while inspecting variables, finds the bug, and uses step out to return to the caller.