That pathName should be pathname, but it doesn't work, that is just a typo. child.endsWith("projectuiapi.properties")
doesn't work either. I have conditional breakpoints in all possible paths with different variables. My watches work
fine, but the conditional breakpoints do not.

OK. So, if I use variables which are directly on the breakpoint line then it works, but for instance in the code:
    public File(File parent, String child) {
	if (child == null) {
	    throw new NullPointerException();
	}
	if (parent != null) {
	    if (parent.path.equals("")) {
		this.path = fs.resolve(fs.getDefaultParent(),
				       fs.normalize(child));
	    } else {
		this.path = fs.resolve(parent.path,
				       fs.normalize(child));
	    }
	} else {
	    this.path = fs.normalize(child);
	}
	this.prefixLength = fs.prefixLength(this.path);//breakpoint here
    }

Where I have set the breakpoint where I added a comment. The conditional breakpoint can not reference child and work
correctly. I have to use this.path instead. For some reason too watches are not working on the context relative
information either. The watches were what actually alerted me to get around the issue. The debug information must be
available in the JDK as I am seeing the line numbers and all in the call stack in the debugger window, but still the
debugger thinks these variables are not in the context for some reason. This in the case where child is obviously set as
it has a value which is put into this.path which I am able to see.

Hi Wade.

I have tried to reproduce this issue but didn't succeed. However, correct me if I am mistaken and i didn't understand or
notice something you wrote in your posts. I put breakpoint on the same line in the code you mentioned and add an
conditional breakpoint to stop if child.endsWith("txt"), child should be child.txt in my example and it works very well. 

Do you experience this troubles in other cases or it's just in this particular case? If yes, post some "step-by-step
manual" how to reproduce, please. 

Regards, 
Filip 

Similar to you I used that exact type logic except mine ended in the final file name. I experienced the same problem in
all of the java.io.File constructors. If I set a conditional breakpoint on a specific line then the other context
related variables did not work correctly in the condition. Too, watches didn't work for other things in the context.
This is on Windows XP with JDK 1.5_16 (using that to develop NB sources). The only things I could successfully access
were on the exact line where the breakpoint was set. Step by step for me:

1) Make sure you are on Windows XP using the same JDK ( 1.5_16 ). May be related to different OS?
2) Use the navigate action to go to type java.io.File
3) In the constructors create conditional breakpoints near the end where all things should be realized and set etc.
4) In those break points try to use the parameters of the method call, and make sure you are using endsWith and the
value projectuiapi.properties for the condition.
5) Open up the NB sources project projectuiapi.
6) Right click on the projectuiapi project and choose debug.
7) When the debugger starts make sure the JDK sources are checked in the sources window.
8) Create a new Java SE project in the NB instance you are debugging.
9) When the project is created, right click on it, and choose properties. (break points may have been hit before this if
they are not working correctly or once on startup if the persistence is accessed...can't remember on the persistence and
startup bit...of course if the path doesn't end in projectuiapi.properties then the breakpoint should not stop if it is
working correctly)

That is really all I did. When that didn't work correctly I changed to use only the variables being accessed on the
exact same line where the breakpoint was set, and that worked. I did that trying to get it to work so I could use it and
of course to find out what the issue was.

Do NetBeans in which you debug, run on JDK 1.5 also?

It works for me fine as well in NetBeans dev #081210 when running on JDK 6.
On JDK 5, Debugger Console says:
Breakpoint hit at line 290 in class java.io.File by thread main.
***
"child" is not a known variable in the current context.
***

This is expected, since JDK classes are *NOT* compiled with variable debug information. Therefore "child" variable
really can not be found.

On JDK 6 we use http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/jdk/api/jpda/jdi/com/sun/jdi/StackFrame.html#getArgumentValues() and
bind the argument names to the correct values. Therefore it works on JDK 6.

Run NetBeans on JDK 6 as a workaround. It can NOT be fixed on JDK 5.

Ah, that would do it then. OK.

Verified ... and Closing all issues resolved into NetBeans 6.7 and earlier.