<type>documentation</type>
<domain>debug</domain>
<id>external-i-o-consoles</id>
<title>External I/O Consoles</title>
<date>$Date$</date>
<version>$Revision$</version>
<product>per+</product>

In cases where a debug process launched from Wing requires specific characteristics
provided by a full-featured terminal emulator or Windows console, or to better handle very
large amounts of debug process output, you can redirect debug I/O to a new external window
using the `Debugger > I/O > Use External Console
<script:show_preferences_gui#prefname="debug.external-console">`__ preference.

The most effective way to keep the external console visible after the debug process exits
is to place a breakpoint on the last line of your code. Alternatively, enable the
`Debugger > I/O > External Console Waits on Exit
<script:show_preferences_gui#prefname="debug.persist-console">`__ preference. However,
this can result in many external consoles being displayed at once if you do not press
``Enter`` inside the consoles after each debug run.

On Linux and OS X it is possible to select which console applications will be tried for
the external console by altering the `Debugger > I/O > External Consoles
<script:show_preferences_gui#prefname="debug.x-terminal">`__ preference.

On Windows, Wing always uses the standard DOS Console that comes with your version of
Windows.

