The R Project SVN R

\name{traceback}
\title{Print Call Stack of Last Error}
\usage{
traceback()
}
\alias{traceback}
\alias{.Traceback}
\description{
  \code{traceback()} prints the call stack of the last uncaught error,
  i.e., the sequence of calls that lead to the error.  This is useful when an
  error occurs with an unidentifiable error message.
}
\value{
  \code{traceback()} returns nothing, but prints the deparsed call stack
  deepest call first.  The calls may print on more that one line, and
  the first line is labelled by the frame number.
}
\details{
  The stack is stored as a list in \code{.Traceback},
  which \code{traceback} prints in a user-friendly format.

  Errors which are caught \emph{via} \code{\link{try}} or
  \code{\link{tryCatch}} do not generate a traceback, so what is printed
  is the call sequence for the last uncaught error, and not necessarily
  the last error.
}
\references{
  Becker, R. A., Chambers, J. M. and Wilks, A. R. (1988)
  \emph{The New S Language}.
  Wadsworth \& Brooks/Cole.
}
\examples{
foo <- function(x) { print(1); bar(2) }
bar <- function(x) { x + a.variable.which.does.not.exist }
\dontrun{
foo(2) # gives a strange error
traceback()}
## 2: bar(2)
## 1: foo(2)
bar
## Ah, this is the culprit ...
}
\keyword{programming}