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Stepping (debugging)
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<p>Program animation or stepping refers to the <a href="/facts/Debugging/QtdpPJT0">debugging</a> method of executing <a href="/facts/Source_code/o9J6Jv23">code</a> one instruction or line at a time. The programmer may examine the <a href="/facts/State_(computer_science)/4Yu8xXHS">state of the program, machine, and related data</a> before and after execution of a particular line of code. This allows the programmer to evaluate the <a href="/facts/Side_effect_(computer_science)/AU3GlLzG">effects</a> of each statement or instruction in isolation, and thereby gain insight into the behavior (or misbehavior) of the executing program. Nearly all modern <a href="/facts/Integrated_development_environment/jbEINSQf">IDEs</a> and <a href="/facts/Debugger/mCe6UsWj">debuggers</a> support this mode of execution. </p>