Scene Debugging

Before describing how you can debug Lua code triggered by a scene, let’s first review how you can add this code to a scene.

Adding Lua code to a scene

To add some Lua code to a scene, go to your Vera device web interface at http://device-ip-address/cmh/ and use the following steps:

• Select Automation, then New Scene.
• Change New scene name to ZBSTest.
• Select LUUP.
• Copy the Lua code into the Code box.
• Select Save lua button under the box.
• Confirm Close on Lua code updated. message.
• Select Confirm changes and then SAVE message to save changes.

If you need to edit code for an existing scene, then instead of using New Scene you can mouse over the title of an existing scene and click on a “wrench” icon that will appear. You can then select LUUP and follow the same process as described above.

Debugging Lua code in a scene

The IDE provides two methods to debug Lua code for events triggered from the Vera device: scenes, plugins, watch, request, and others.

In this example we will be using the simpler method that doesn’t require specifying the IP address of the computer that runs the IDE:

• Copy the following code into a new Automation scene on the Vera under the Luup tab. You can call the scene whatever you want, but we will use ZBSTest. If you already have created a scene called ZBSTest, then replace the Luup code from before with the code here:

local sunset = luup.sunset()
require('mobdebug').start() --<-- no IP address
luup.log(luup.version, sunset)
print(luup.version, os.clock(), 1)
require('mobdebug').done()

• Start debugging in the IDE by selecting Project | Start Debugging. You can run any simple code as the only reason for the step is to “register” the address of the IDE with the Vera device, so the next time the debugging is triggered from the device, it is connected to the IDE.

• Run the scene.

You should now see the debugging suspended at the luup.log line. You can then step through the code (and will see the values printed to the output window), inspect variables, and use other debugging functions.

This method only works until the Luup engine is restarted (and in some cases it can be restarted by the Vera device without warning). If you can’t get the debugging started in the IDE, try running the second step one more time.