The Java Platform Debugger Architecture (JPDA) provides the infrastructure you need to build end-user debugger applications for the Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE). It includes the following three-layered APIs:

• Java Debug Interface (JDI), a high-level Java programming language interface, including support for remote debugging;
• Java Debug Wire Protocol (JDWP), which defines the format of information and requests transferred between the process being debugged and the debugger front end;
• The JVM(TM) Tools Interface, JVM TI. This is a low-level native interface that defines the services a Java virtual machine provides for tools such as debuggers and profilers. JVM TI was introduced in J2SE 5.0 and replaced JVMDI and JVMPI. JVMDI was removed in Java SE 6 and JVMPI will be removed in Java SE 7.

What's New:

In Java SE 6, new functionality has been added to JPDA for walking the heap, getting events for monitor contended enter/entered, forcing a method to return prematurely, getting the constant pool from a class, and more.

For more information, please see:

Enhancements to JPDA Software in Java SE 6

See Also:

JPDA FAQ
Sample Code
JPDA Forums
JDI Bugs
JVM TI Bugs

Comments:

You may send comments to the JPDA team by going to the Java SE feedback site and selecting Java Platform Debugger Architecture from the Subject pulldown menu.