If you debug a php file each time you open the Variables tab the Name column is put on the right site.
You can move it to the left. But the next time you open the Variables tab the Name column is on the right site again.
Nothing seems to help, even not the Reset Windows option.

I'm testing it in the current 7.2 dev build and I have a "Name" columnt on the left side. If I put it on the right side and restart debugging, it is there...so I can't reproduce it :/ Can you test it in the current dev build [1]? Thanks!

[1] http://bits.netbeans.org/download/trunk/nightly/latest/

If I click on the link the download button is disabled in case of Mac OS X. So I cannot test it on the nightly build.

Just a remark;
After you moved the column 'Name' to the right can you test what happens if you move it back to the left?
Does it remain on the left or is it back on the right again if you start a new debug session?

It remains there, where I put it.

I took the OS independent version and took the Netbeans folder from it and put it into my Netbeans.app.
The application starts although with some errors. If I start a  debug session the 'Name' column is on the right. Next I move the column to the left. After that I go to the Breakpoints tab and then back to the Variables tab. The Name column is on the right again. 

Do you need extra information?

Extra info:
If I move the column on the development build I get the next error:

java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: -1
	at org.netbeans.modules.viewmodel.OutlineTable$1.columnMoved(OutlineTable.java:263)
	at javax.swing.table.DefaultTableColumnModel.fireColumnMoved(DefaultTableColumnModel.java:564)
	at javax.swing.table.DefaultTableColumnModel.moveColumn(DefaultTableColumnModel.java:191)
	at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicTableHeaderUI$MouseInputHandler.mouseDragged(BasicTableHeaderUI.java:226)
	at java.awt.AWTEventMulticaster.mouseDragged(AWTEventMulticaster.java:302)
	at java.awt.Component.processMouseMotionEvent(Component.java:6421)
	at javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseMotionEvent(JComponent.java:3285)
	at java.awt.Component.processEvent(Component.java:6142)
	at java.awt.Container.processEvent(Container.java:2085)
	at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Component.java:4735)
	at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2143)
	at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4565)
	at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Container.java:4621)
	at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Container.java:4299)
	at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Container.java:4212)
	at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2129)
	at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Window.java:2478)
	at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4565)
	at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:679)
	at java.awt.EventQueue.access$000(EventQueue.java:85)
	at java.awt.EventQueue$1.run(EventQueue.java:638)
	at java.awt.EventQueue$1.run(EventQueue.java:636)
	at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
	at java.security.AccessControlContext$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(AccessControlContext.java:87)
	at java.security.AccessControlContext$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(AccessControlContext.java:98)
	at java.awt.EventQueue$2.run(EventQueue.java:652)
	at java.awt.EventQueue$2.run(EventQueue.java:650)
	at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
	at java.security.AccessControlContext$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(AccessControlContext.java:87)
	at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:649)
	at org.netbeans.core.TimableEventQueue.dispatchEvent(TimableEventQueue.java:158)
[catch] at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:296)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:211)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:201)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:196)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:188)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(EventDispatchThread.java:122)

I'm not able to reproduce it right now, if there is no Mac OS X daily build. I'll try it later and if it still occurs, I'll probably reassign it to another component, because PHP Debugger module doesn't handle persistance of these things itself, I think.

Yep, and as you attached an exception log...it seems to be in viewmodel module, probably. So reassigning.

not in my scope. reassigning to Standa from window system - please reassign if viewmodule is not of your concern, thanks.

Created attachment 118016 [details]
Screenshot of behavior

Every time I start a php debug session, this is the layout of the columns.  I can drag them to where I need, but I if I end the session and start a new one, it returns to this layout.

OS X 10.7.4; Netbeans 7.1.2 (PHP)

I have the same issue and pinned it down to a file: 

~/.netbeans/<netbeans version>/config/Services/org-netbeans-modules-debugger-Settings.properties

Without importing old netbeans data the variable columns are fine and remember their position if you resort them.

But if I import my old netbeans prefs and have the file in place with this content:

debugger.views.DefaultLocalsColumn.columnWidth:595
debugger.views.DefaultLocalsColumn.currentOrderNumber:2
debugger.views.DefaultLocalsColumn.sorted:false
debugger.views.DefaultLocalsColumn.sortedDescending:false
debugger.views.DefaultLocalsColumn.visible:false
debugger.views.LocalsToString.currentOrderNumber:3
debugger.views.LocalsToString.sorted:true
debugger.views.LocalsToString.sortedDescending:false
debugger.views.LocalsToString.visible:true
debugger.views.LocalsType.columnWidth:887
debugger.views.LocalsType.currentOrderNumber:1
debugger.views.LocalsType.sorted:false
debugger.views.LocalsType.sortedDescending:false
debugger.views.LocalsType.visible:false
debugger.views.LocalsValue.columnWidth:595
debugger.views.LocalsValue.currentOrderNumber:0
debugger.views.LocalsValue.sorted:false
debugger.views.LocalsValue.sortedDescending:false
debugger.views.LocalsValue.visible:true

 columns are out of order and resorting them fails.

Hi Schlaefer,
This seems to be the problem. After removing the lines from the mentioned file the problem seems to be gone.

Thank you.

So probably it's a problem of old NBs and of the whole debugger support, not just a PHP one, am I right?

Thanks for the settings, it helped to identify where is the problem.
It's fixed by changeset:   224378:fb75076d3266
http://hg.netbeans.org/main/rev/fb75076d3266

Integrated into 'main-golden', will be available in build *201206140001* on http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/nightly/ (upload may still be in progress)
Changeset: http://hg.netbeans.org/main-golden/rev/fb75076d3266
User: mentlicher@netbeans.org
Log: #210411: Repair the hidden property, if the tree column was set to be hidden in the settings.