arthas/site/docs/en/doc/watch.md

# watch

[`watch` online tutorial](https://arthas.aliyun.com/doc/arthas-tutorials.html?language=en&id=command-watch)

Monitor methods in data aspect including `return values`, `exceptions` and `parameters`.

With the help of [OGNL](https://commons.apache.org/proper/commons-ognl/index.html), you can easily check the details of variables when methods being invoked.

## Parameters & Options

There are four different scenarios for `watch` command, which makes it rather complicated.

|                   Name | Specification                                                                                          |
| ---------------------: | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|        _class-pattern_ | pattern for the class name                                                                             |
|       _method-pattern_ | pattern for the method name                                                                            |
|           _expression_ | expression to watch, default value `{params, target, returnObj}`                                       |
| _condition-expression_ | condition expression to filter                                                                         |
|                    [b] | before method being invoked                                                                            |
|                    [e] | when method encountering exceptions                                                                    |
|                    [s] | when method exits normally                                                                             |
|                    [f] | when method exits (either succeed or fail with exceptions)                                             |
|                    [E] | turn on regex matching while the default is wildcard matching                                          |
|                   [x:] | the depth to print the specified property with default value: 1, the max value is 4                    |
|            `[m <arg>]` | Specify the max number of matched Classes, the default value is 50. Long format is `[maxMatch <arg>]`. |

F.Y.I

1. any valid OGNL expression as `"{params,returnObj}"` supported
2. there are four _watching_ points: `-b`, `-e`, `-s` and `-f` (the first three are off in default while `-f` on);
3. at the _watching_ point, Arthas will use the _expression_ to evaluate the variables and print them out;
4. `in parameters` and `out parameters` are different since they can be modified within the invoked methods; `params` stands for `in parameters` in `-b`while `out parameters` in other _watching_ points;
5. there are no `return values` and `exceptions` when using `-b`.
6. In the result of the watch command, the `location` information will be printed. There are three possible values for `location`: `AtEnter`, `AtExit`, and `AtExceptionExit`. Corresponding to the method entry, the method returns normally, and the method throws an exception.

Advanced:

- [Critical fields in _expression_](advice-class.md)
- [Special usages](https://github.com/alibaba/arthas/issues/71)
- [OGNL official guide](https://commons.apache.org/proper/commons-ognl/language-guide.html)

## Usage

### Start Demo

Start `math-game` in [Quick Start](quick-start.md).

### Check the `out parameters`, `this` and `return value`

::: tip
The expression to watch, default value `{params, target, returnObj}`
:::

```bash
$ watch demo.MathGame primeFactors -x 2
Press Q or Ctrl+C to abort.
Affect(class count: 1 , method count: 1) cost in 32 ms, listenerId: 5
method=demo.MathGame.primeFactors location=AtExceptionExit
ts=2021-08-31 15:22:57; [cost=0.220625ms] result=@ArrayList[
    @Object[][
        @Integer[-179173],
    ],
    @MathGame[
        random=@Random[java.util.Random@31cefde0],
        illegalArgumentCount=@Integer[44],
    ],
    null,
]
method=demo.MathGame.primeFactors location=AtExit
ts=2021-08-31 15:22:58; [cost=1.020982ms] result=@ArrayList[
    @Object[][
        @Integer[1],
    ],
    @MathGame[
        random=@Random[java.util.Random@31cefde0],
        illegalArgumentCount=@Integer[44],
    ],
    @ArrayList[
        @Integer[2],
        @Integer[2],
        @Integer[26947],
    ],
]
```

- In the above result, the method is executed twice, the first result is `location=AtExceptionExit`, indicating that the method throws an exception, so `returnObj` is null
- In the second result is `location=AtExit`, indicating that the method returns normally, so you can see that the result of `returnObj` is an ArrayList

### Specify the max number of matched Classes

```bash
$ watch demo.MathGame primeFactors -m 1
Press Q or Ctrl+C to abort.
Affect(class count: 1 , method count: 1) cost in 302 ms, listenerId: 3
method=demo.MathGame.primeFactors location=AtExceptionExit
ts=2022-12-25 19:58:41; [cost=0.222419ms] result=@ArrayList[
    @Object[][isEmpty=false;size=1],
    @MathGame[demo.MathGame@3bf400],
    null,
]
method=demo.MathGame.primeFactors location=AtExceptionExit
ts=2022-12-25 19:58:51; [cost=0.046928ms] result=@ArrayList[
    @Object[][isEmpty=false;size=1],
    @MathGame[demo.MathGame@3bf400],
    null,
]
```

### Check `in parameters`

```bash
$ watch demo.MathGame primeFactors "{params,returnObj}" -x 2 -b
Press Ctrl+C to abort.
Affect(class-cnt:1 , method-cnt:1) cost in 50 ms.
ts=2018-12-03 19:23:23; [cost=0.0353ms] result=@ArrayList[
    @Object[][
        @Integer[-1077465243],
    ],
    null,
]
```

Compared to the previous _check_:

- `return value` is `null` since it's `-b`.

### Check _before_ and _after_ at the same time

```bash
$ watch demo.MathGame primeFactors "{params,target,returnObj}" -x 2 -b -s -n 2
Press Ctrl+C to abort.
Affect(class-cnt:1 , method-cnt:1) cost in 46 ms.
ts=2018-12-03 19:29:54; [cost=0.01696ms] result=@ArrayList[
    @Object[][
        @Integer[1],
    ],
    @MathGame[
        random=@Random[java.util.Random@522b408a],
        illegalArgumentCount=@Integer[13038],
    ],
    null,
]
ts=2018-12-03 19:29:54; [cost=4.277392ms] result=@ArrayList[
    @Object[][
        @Integer[1],
    ],
    @MathGame[
        random=@Random[java.util.Random@522b408a],
        illegalArgumentCount=@Integer[13038],
    ],
    @ArrayList[
        @Integer[2],
        @Integer[2],
        @Integer[2],
        @Integer[5],
        @Integer[5],
        @Integer[73],
        @Integer[241],
        @Integer[439],
    ],
]
```

F.Y.I

- `-n 2`: threshold of execution times is 2.
- the first block of output is the _before watching_ point;
- *the order of the output determined by the *watching\* order itself (nothing to do with the order of the options `-b -s`).

### Use `-x` to check more details

```bash
$ watch demo.MathGame primeFactors "{params,target}" -x 3
Press Ctrl+C to abort.
Affect(class-cnt:1 , method-cnt:1) cost in 58 ms.
ts=2018-12-03 19:34:19; [cost=0.587833ms] result=@ArrayList[
    @Object[][
        @Integer[1],
    ],
    @MathGame[
        random=@Random[
            serialVersionUID=@Long[3905348978240129619],
            seed=@AtomicLong[3133719055989],
            multiplier=@Long[25214903917],
            addend=@Long[11],
            mask=@Long[281474976710655],
            DOUBLE_UNIT=@Double[1.1102230246251565E-16],
            BadBound=@String[bound must be positive],
            BadRange=@String[bound must be greater than origin],
            BadSize=@String[size must be non-negative],
            seedUniquifier=@AtomicLong[-3282039941672302964],
            nextNextGaussian=@Double[0.0],
            haveNextNextGaussian=@Boolean[false],
            serialPersistentFields=@ObjectStreamField[][isEmpty=false;size=3],
            unsafe=@Unsafe[sun.misc.Unsafe@2eaa1027],
            seedOffset=@Long[24],
        ],
        illegalArgumentCount=@Integer[13159],
    ],
]
```

- `-x`: Expand level of object (1 by default)
- The max value of `-x` is 4, to prevent the expansion result taking up too much memory. Users can specify the field in the `ognl` expression.

### Use condition expressions to locate specific call

```bash
$ watch demo.MathGame primeFactors "{params[0],target}" "params[0]<0"
Press Ctrl+C to abort.
Affect(class-cnt:1 , method-cnt:1) cost in 68 ms.
ts=2018-12-03 19:36:04; [cost=0.530255ms] result=@ArrayList[
    @Integer[-18178089],
    @MathGame[demo.MathGame@41cf53f9],
]
```

### Check `exceptions`

```bash
$ watch demo.MathGame primeFactors "{params[0],throwExp}" -e -x 2
Press Ctrl+C to abort.
Affect(class-cnt:1 , method-cnt:1) cost in 62 ms.
ts=2018-12-03 19:38:00; [cost=1.414993ms] result=@ArrayList[
    @Integer[-1120397038],
    java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: number is: -1120397038, need >= 2
	at demo.MathGame.primeFactors(MathGame.java:46)
	at demo.MathGame.run(MathGame.java:24)
	at demo.MathGame.main(MathGame.java:16)
,
]
```

- `-e`: Trigger when an exception is thrown
- `throwExp`: the exception object

### Filter by time cost

```bash
$ watch demo.MathGame primeFactors '{params, returnObj}' '#cost>200' -x 2
Press Ctrl+C to abort.
Affect(class-cnt:1 , method-cnt:1) cost in 66 ms.
ts=2018-12-03 19:40:28; [cost=2112.168897ms] result=@ArrayList[
    @Object[][
        @Integer[1],
    ],
    @ArrayList[
        @Integer[5],
        @Integer[428379493],
    ],
]
```

- `#cost>200` (`ms`) filter out all invokings that take less than `200ms`.

### Check the field of the target object

- `target` is the `this` object in java.

```bash
$ watch demo.MathGame primeFactors 'target'
Press Ctrl+C to abort.
Affect(class-cnt:1 , method-cnt:1) cost in 52 ms.
ts=2018-12-03 19:41:52; [cost=0.477882ms] result=@MathGame[
    random=@Random[java.util.Random@522b408a],
    illegalArgumentCount=@Integer[13355],
]
```

- `target.field_name`: the field of the current object.

```bash
$ watch demo.MathGame primeFactors 'target.illegalArgumentCount'
Press Ctrl+C to abort.
Affect(class-cnt:1 , method-cnt:1) cost in 67 ms.
ts=2018-12-03 20:04:34; [cost=131.303498ms] result=@Integer[8]
ts=2018-12-03 20:04:35; [cost=0.961441ms] result=@Integer[8]
```

### Get a static field and calling a static method

```bash
watch demo.MathGame * '{params,@demo.MathGame@random.nextInt(100)}' -v -n 1 -x 2
[arthas@6527]$ watch demo.MathGame * '{params,@demo.MathGame@random.nextInt(100)}' -n 1 -x 2
Press Q or Ctrl+C to abort.
Affect(class count: 1 , method count: 5) cost in 34 ms, listenerId: 3
ts=2021-01-05 21:35:20; [cost=0.173966ms] result=@ArrayList[
    @Object[][
        @Integer[-138282],
    ],
    @Integer[89],
]
```

- Note that here you use `Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader()` to load, and it is better to use the exact `classloader` [ognl](ognl.md).

### Exclude the specified class

::: tip
The watch/trace/monitor/stack/tt commands all support the `--exclude-class-pattern` parameter
:::

Use the `--exclude-class-pattern` parameter to exclude the specified class, for example:

```bash
watch javax.servlet.Filter * --exclude-class-pattern com.demo.TestFilter
```

### Does not match subclass

By default, the watch/trace/monitor/stack/tt commands will match subclass. If you don't want to match, you can turn it off.

```bash
options disable-sub-class true
```

### Use the -v parameter to print more information

> The watch/trace/monitor/stack/tt commands all support the `-v` parameter.

When the command is executed, there is no output result. There are two possibilities:

1. The matched function is not executed
2. The result of the conditional expression is false

But the user cannot tell which situation is.

Using the `-v` option, the specific value and execution result of `Condition express` will be printed for easy confirmation.

such as:

```
$ watch -v -x 2 demo.MathGame print 'params' 'params[0] > 100000'
Press Q or Ctrl+C to abort.
Affect(class count: 1 , method count: 1) cost in 29 ms, listenerId: 11
Condition express: params[0] > 100000 , result: false
Condition express: params[0] > 100000 , result: false
Condition express: params[0] > 100000 , result: true
ts=2020-12-02 22:38:56; [cost=0.060843ms] result=@Object[][
    @Integer[1],
    @ArrayList[
        @Integer[200033],
    ],
]
Condition express: params[0] > 100000 , result: true
ts=2020-12-02 22:38:57; [cost=0.052877ms] result=@Object[][
    @Integer[1],
    @ArrayList[
        @Integer[29],
        @Integer[4243],
    ],
]
```