The generation of debug instruction is switched on by default, and is only switched off using nodbgcomp/0 or else using set_flag(debug_compile, off). This can be reversed using dbgcomp/0 or else using set_flag(debug_compile, on).
Predicates that have been compiled without debug instructions cannot be traced by the debugger (only entering and leaving such a predicate can be shown).
On the other hand, this code uses less space and runs slightly faster than code with debug instructions. So it makes sense to compile well-tested predicates without debug instructions.
Note however that predicates with debug instructions that are called by predicates without debug instructions are invisible to the debugger.
Success:
[eclipse]: dbgcomp, [user].
p :- writeln(hello).
user compiled 60 bytes in 0.02 seconds.
[eclipse]: nodbgcomp, [user].
q :- writeln(hello).
% generated code is smaller
user compiled 44 bytes in 0.00 seconds.
[eclipse]: trace.
yes.
Debugger switched on - creep mode
[eclipse]: p.
(1) 0 CALL p (dbg)?- creep
B (2) 1 CALL writeln(hello) (dbg)?- creep
hello
B (2) 1 EXIT writeln(hello) (dbg)?- creep
(1) 0 EXIT p (dbg)?- creep
yes.
[eclipse]: q.
N (1) 0 CALL q (dbg)?- creep % the inside of q/0
hello % is invisible
N (1) 0 EXIT q (dbg)?- creep % to the debugger
yes.