@Katherine Reid My goal is to update two globals on two different machines at the same time. That needs to be done from time to time only. Would or could "other async mirrors purposes" include that? If so is there any technical reading or specific classes, or the namespace setup, related to async mirroring that you would recommend to use for such a job? For example, this 101 guide, https://community.intersystems.com/post/cach%C3%A9-mirroring-101-brief-g... , specifically states "Deploying a Caché mirror does, however, require significant planning, and involves a number of different procedures. And like any other critical infrastructure component, the operating mirror needs ongoing monitoring and maintenance." Given that I simply need to keep two globals in sync the Export/Import process seems much faster that what is described by this mirroring quote. 

This is indeed the place for current local variables, thanks! However it has a minor and a major problems in my Cache 2017 instance. The minor problem is that I need to right click in the area to display those variables which disappear again with the next debugging step. So it is sort of semi-automatic. The major problem that this action freezes Studio pretty quickly. Maybe this freezing is fixed in subsequent releases, I don't know.

Watching variables by typing them as well as hovering works in Cache Studio too. I am interested in automatically appearing (and disappearing) watch variables. Basically the debugger flow in this respect would be:

s a=1 ; When debugger is on this line show value of a automatically; don't show c yet; showing value of b is optional
s b=2 ; When debugger is on this line show value of b automatically; showing  value of a is optional
s c=3 ; When debugger is on this line show value of c automatically; showing  value of b is optional; stop showing a

Now, I don't know the exact Visual Studio rules when they start and stop showing a variable but the current line variables are always shown. No hovering or typing needed.

Hi Robert,

That I know how to do and I do it. What I would like to have this way or other is that the file name appears in the Watch window by itself when I am on the line with this variable, the way Microsoft Visual Studio works, say, with debugging C++.

Anna
P.S German was an unexpected bonus for my one year long studies of it. I could translate about half of German words on your screenshot so not even A1 yet smiley .

Everybody, thanks for your help and advice but the old-timer's advice to go the d ^%GOF route in Cache Terminal proved to be it. It was actually amazing to see how much superior this route turned out to be comparing with the much more modern Export/Import Management Portal route. Specifically:

  1. Preparation to exclude certain globals, few dozens of them: Terminal - about 10 minutes because you can use ranges (see below and here, https://docs.intersystems.com/priordocexcerpts/prgglobalchui-41.pdf), portal - much longer because you have to uncheck each global individually
  2. Export speed: Terminal - 10 minutes, portal 3 hours (no kidding)
  3. Export/Import log per global: Terminal - log provided, complete with the number of blocks per global, portal - no log
  4. Import speed: Terminal - less than 10 minutes, portal - stuck in the middle with no error shown

Sample %GOF usage in terminal, hit Enter if no special requests, exporting:
d ^%GOF
Device: tmp.gof
           file format: ("UNW*") =>
          Maximum media size (bytes): (No maximum)
Enter a short description of the contents of this tape or file
Description:
All Globals? No => No
Global ^S-SZ         [All globals in this range, case-sensitive - AG]
Global ^'STPL*     [Exclude all globals that start with STPL - AG]

Real life output from my real life usage:
...............
^ZPG                                           182 data blocks written
^ZTEMP                                           1 data block written
491,337 blocks written in 10 minutes,  51 seconds
--------------------
Importing was done via d ^%GIF, via terminal as well. At some point the %GIF utility asked me:

Globals with a preceding asterisk ('*') already exist in this directory
What would you like to do with these globals that exist?
 
1. Skip inputting globals that exist in this directory
2. Merge input globals with the existing globals
3. Specify skip/merge for individual globals
 
Your choice: 1=>

Thanks again,
Anna

Apparently GBLOCKCOPY is simply not available on my Cache 2017 version since search for it in system files returns nothing. I am trying to transfer a large number of globals, not all, from one computer to another, not just between namespaces within the same database. The system does not have actively modified globals. I got an old-timer advice to use %GOF which does accept ranges both for exclusion and inclusion so will work on that for a while.