SOAR: The WATCH command

The watch command enables the user to obtain information about what is going on with regard to Soar elements. Various elements can be given as arguments, followed by whether the watch on them should be on or off.

• -context - whether context slot decisions should be traced

• -phases - whether phase names are traced

• -firings - whether production firings and productions are printed

• -firings-preferences - whether the preferences given by the traced productions are given when those productions are fired or retracted

• -wmes - whether changes to working memory are traced

• -chunk-names - whether the names of newly created chunks are traced

• -justification-names - whether the names of newly created justifications are traced

• -chunks - whether newly built chunks are traced

• -justifications - whether newly built justifications are traced

There are also watch detail levels, which are -1, 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 and 3. The default is 0, which only switches on the context slot trace. As you would expect, -1 has all switches off, and 3 has all on. Other values range between the two.

If the watch command is given no arguments, then the current watch settings are displayed.

Example uses:
watch 3
watch -firings on