The Debugger preferences pane collects a number of options having to do with Script Debugger’s behavior when running and debugging scripts.

Debugging Options:

Pause script when external debugging begins. If checked, then when external debugging starts (that is, a script saved in debug mode starts to run in some other context), Script Debugger will pause before the first executable line of the script.

Restore active application when stepping/continuing. If checked, then when you resume execution after a pause, Script Debugger switches to the application that was active before the pause.

(This preference is ignored if the script is being controlled from Script Debugger’s Dock menu.)

Show expression tooltips. If checked, then when you hover the mouse over text in a script window, the AppleScript expression under the mouse will be evaluated and its value shown in a tooltip. In some cases, it will help to select the desired expression first and then hover the mouse over it. For your safety, Script Debugger prevents evaluation of an expression if evaluating it takes a long time or might have major side effects like deleting or altering an object (such an expression will generate no tooltip).

• Tooltip delay. Sets the delay between the time when the mouse hovers over an AppleScript expression and the time when the expression is evaluated.

• Show only while debugging. If checked, then these tooltips appear only when the script is paused in debug mode.

• Include tell context. If checked, then if there is a tell context, it is included at the start of the tooltip (as in the above illustration — if this option were not checked, everything up to the colon would be absent).

Bring Script Debugger to foreground when scripts pause. If checked, then when pausing in debug mode, Script Debugger will come to the front.

Bring Script Debugger to foreground when scripts end. If checked, then any time a script finishes executing, Script Debugger comes to the front.

(This preference is not limited to debugging. It is ignored if the script is being controlled from Script Debugger’s Dock menu.)

Show result when scripts pause or end. The question here is what should happen with regard to the display of the result when a result is produced.

(This preference is not limited to debugging.)

Script Error Actions:

Bring Script Debugger to foreground. If checked, then Script Debugger comes to the front when it puts up a runtime error dialog. Otherwise, Script Debugger bounces the notification icon in the Dock.

Beep. If checked, then Script Debugger beeps when it puts up a runtime error dialog.