debugging - Step through JDK source code in IntelliJ IDEA

Question

How can I step through JDK source code in IntelliJ IDEA 7 and see the debug info? I can currently hit breakpoints and step through the code, but the debug info is not available. This means I can't see the value of local variables.

I only want to step through the source code of one class, if that matters.
For what it's worth, it's the javax.swing.text.html.HTMLDocument class and I do have a copy of the corresponding .java file.

Answer 1

If you look in [File menu ->] Settings -> Debugger -> Stepping you will see a list "Do not step into these classes", probably with "java.*" listed there. Is that the case? You can turn that off there.

Apparently the debug information is not available. According to this thread:

Sadly the JDK classes have debug information for parameters and local variable stripped off.

Years ago I filed a request that Idea should deduce the necessary information from the source code (basically converting variable names to indexes into the methods local var):
Debugger: Show variable information when no debug info

Please vote/comment.

As a workaround you can re-compile the JDK from sources, but you need to exclude some classes which do not have all needed source code attached.

Interestingly, you can download the beta version of Java 6u18, which has debug information in it (in the DEBUG bundle).