Debugging using RealView Debug(RVDebug) - debugging

I have some C code for an ARM926 target. I am trying to debug it using "Arm Xtended Debugger" (AXD). The main() of this code, takes 14 command line arguments which are mentioned in the code warrior project settings at proper place and behavior of the code is as expected.
But when I try to use the same AXF (Arm eXecutable Format file) file and try to do source level debugging using the RVDEBUG by changing the settings of the Codewarrior project, and start debugging, then the argc value is 1. Then the behavior of the code is unexpected.
When I select RVDEBUG in code warrior settings I give the same options as I used during AXD debug session.
So my question is:
I am using the same AXD for both the debugging sessions(AXD and RVDEBUG), why are they behaving differently? They should behave the same.

I don't use CodeWarrior but I know AXD and RVD: I remember Code Warrior can invoke AXD with the suitable arguments for the image, and so on. I don't know if Code Warrior can invoke RVD as well. So I suppose you run RVD yourself, outside any Code Warrior menu, don't you?
Then you just have to add the arguments in the dedicated input box at the bottom of the Load Image menu.
If this still does not work, I suggest you have a look at the semihosting options (they're rather in the connections options of RVD than in Code Warrior's).
Good luck!

Related

How to configure clang++ and VS Code on a mac

I'm trying to develop C++ code in VS Code on a mac. I have no problems building and debugging. However, my editor is full of red ink. Is there a way to fix my editor so it is as smart as the compiler?
Here's a simple example: https://github.com/TradeIdeasPhilip/compress/tree/master/mac-os/eight. I can open this folder in VS code and build and run, but the editor is ugly.
One of the first error messages is on line 22 of EightShared.C:
const std::string preloadContents = "\xdc\xe4\xeb\xf1\xf6\xfa\xfd\xff";
This should be very straightforward. It's a string constant. I'm importing <string> through another header file. (And adding directly to the top of this file did not make a difference.) But VS code marks the first : in red and when I hover over it I see expected a ; and when I ask it to help me, it offers to disable the red squiggles.
The editor also complains about the class keyword on line 31 even though it accepts classes in other files.
The editor also complains about most (but not all) references to types like uint32_t even though I #include <stdint.h> and that works without any red ink. Here's an example from EightShared.h
Those are just a couple of samples. My editor is filled with red marks.
I'm using Microsoft's C++ extensions for VS Code. I'm guessing that one of these needs to be configured better.
Any thoughts on how to get rid of all of these red marks? Maybe a sample of a working config file or a suggestion of what I'm doing wrong? Thanks.
I eventually found a problem in my .vscode/c_cpp_properties.json file. I removed "/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/include/c++/v1" from the "includePath". Then intellisense started working again.
I have no idea how that line got into that file. I certainly didn't type it.
The change in GitHub.

Problems watching non-trivial expressions in visual studio debugger

Basically my problem is that I expect Visual Studio (2010 Professional) to be able to evaluate any Visual C++ expression in the watch window that it handles in the code I'm debugging, but apparently there's something preventing this from happening. For example, when dealing with CStrings, evaluating the method IsEmpty on the CString in the watch window gives me a Member function not found error, as does a basic equality comparison (in the code being debugged obviously no problems).
Am I missing something here, or is what I'm asking for too much? Obvious solution would be to put debugging statements in my code for whatever CString operation I'm looking for, but I would prefer not to have to do this.
Update/Example:
CString blah = _T("blah");
Calling blah.IsEmpty() in my code works fine, but in the watch window of the debugger I get the error above (CXX0052). The contents of the variable blah can be seen the watch window.
I could reproduce your problem, and, indeed, the VS watch window shows Member function not found alongside with the error code CXX0052.
In the MSDN documentation I found that this problem arises due to a call of a inlined function, the CString::IsEmpty() member function is probably somehow inlined (this is what the Watch Window evaluator sees), to solve the problem, first open your project Configuration and disable inlining
Second, still in the project Configuration, choose Use MFC in a Static Library (somehow the Watch Window keep seeing the called function as an inlined one if you use it as shared library, maybe this is because in the Shared Library the code is inlined and the Watch Window evaluator don't use the Debug builds of such runtime libraries).
Third, clean and Rebuild your Solution.
After that, the problem should be fixed (remember to refresh the expression if you see the value grayed out in the watch panel) during debugging. Remember to switch back to your original Debug options or better, create a new Debug profile to keep this settings.

Debugging UDK using nFringe in Visual Studio 2005

This is a pretty niche question, so I am not expecting a huge response...
Basically, I am learning how to use the UDK by following some tutorials, namely this one:
http://forums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?p=27043379#post27043379
So far everything is going pretty well. The only real hangup I've had is getting everything to work in Visual Studio 2005 using this nFringe plugin. For a long time, couldn't get them to work at all. I've gotten into two or three chapters of the tutorial, and I've managed to use Visual Studio to edit the code, but I can't build the scripts within VS; I have to go to UDK Frontend to do that. And worse still, I can only really use Log commands in the unrealscripts to debug anything.
So my question is this: is it even possible to configure these tools in a way that I can put breakpoints in VS and have them be caught when I test the game? I feel as though I don't have something setup correctly.
Yes it is possible. Here are some info which might be useful to you.
First, both your .sln and your .ucproj files must be located in Development/src. Then, under visual studio, right-click your project (.ucproj file in the solution explorer) and open its properties.
You must set, under the General tab:
Target Game: UnrealEngine 3 Mod
UCC Path: ....\Binaries\Win32\UDK.exe
Reference Source Path: ..\Src
Under the Build tab:
check "Build debug scripts"
Under the Debug tab:
Start Game Executable: ....\Binaries\Win32\UDK.exe
Load map at startup: the name of your startup map, without path nor extension
Start with the specified game type: put your GameInfo class used for your mod, ie. MyMod.MyGameInfo
Disable startup movies can be checked to gain time at launch
Enable unpublished mods must be checked.
In your command line, the parameter -vadebug specifies that the breakpoints will be enabled.
After that, you must be able to build your script from Visual, and launch your game by pressing F5.
Breakpoints should work but you can't put them on a variable declaration, you have to put them on a function call, an assignment or a condition statement.
Hope this will help.
I havnt tried using breakpoints yet but I know its possable to build with nfringe and visual studio . You need to add a line to the
udk game / config / udk engine .ini
search for
editpackages
exactly like that , then youll see a block like this
EditPackagesInPath=....\Development\Src
EditPackages=Core
EditPackages=Engine
EditPackages=GFxUI
EditPackages=GameFramework
EditPackages=UnrealEd
EditPackages=GFxUIEditor
EditPackages=IpDrv
EditPackages=OnlineSubsystemPC
EditPackages=OnlineSubsystemGameSpy
EditPackages=OnlineSubsystemLive
EditPackages=OnlineSubsystemSteamworks
then add your own line pointing to a folder named what ever you want but make sure it has a folder in it named Classes and it has the uc files you wnat to compile in it
ModEditPackages=MyTestProject
if you used that line then you are tellign udk you have a folder named
MyTestProject
located in your development/src folder and you want it to compile everything in there

Can I change code/values while in debugging mode?

In Visual Studio 2010 (Ultimate), is it possible to step through some code, and, if a variable is not correct (e.g. you want to get all records beginning with 'A' but there is none, so you want to try 'B' instead), is it possible to change the code while in debug mode, to do this (change variables while in debug mode)?
It is quite annoying to have to stop debugging, change a value, then debug again and see the result. It'd be much easier to do it all in debug mode, anyway.
Thanks
In the watch window just enter the statement you want executed. For example if you want to set the variable prefix to "B" then just type prefix = "B" and hit enter.
You may also change code while running, however there are a number of limitations to this feature. See Microsoft's Edit and Continue documentation for details: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bcew296c(v=vs.80).aspx.
In the Solution Explorer view, right-click on each reference of References, choose Properties. In the Properties view, sign False to the field of Embed Interop Types. This works for me.
c

Follow program execution through .DLL in hex representation

Is there a way to follow a program's execution through DLL code in hex?
For example, I want to see what sections have just been read when I press a button. It has to work for x64 DLL's.
Thanks!
Yes you load the process into debugger and single step it.
Load the project in visual studio.
Press 'Play' or F5 to start the program in the debugger.
You will need to eventually halt execution sometime so you can start stepping through code or assembly code. You can do this by inserting a breakpoint, or breaking the execution by hitting the break command in the visual studio IDE.
Once halted, you can right click in the code view window, and select "Show Disassembly". Then it will show you the machine instructions.
Also in the watch window in the visual studio debugger, the right click pop up menu has an option to display all variables as hexidecimal. I'm beginning to prefer hex myself lately, because I can see invalid memory patterns easier.
You can use the tool at http://ircdb.org to log function calls arbitrary DLLs.
It's name is SocketSpy, because initially it was created for tracing winsock.dll only, but it does allow you to trace other dlls.
From http://fixunix.com/programmer/95098-tracing-library-dll-calls-win32.html
Use Option->Default Break Point List
Menu to add or remove soft breakpoints
from attached DLLs. Put soft
breakpoints only at function you need
to maximize execution time.
Soft breakpoint means that socketspy
does not stop at this breakpoint, only
log breakpoint information. Hard
breakpoint means that socketspy DOES
STOP at this breakpoint, and
Breakpoint dialog is opened. Specify
what calls should be captured ALL,
FROM EXE FILE or from DLLs (Combobox).
Specify log file File->Open Log File
menu if you want to save function
DLLs' calls into the text file, enable
logging (check box).
Then select a new or already action
process (Select Process button). The
tool can be used in NT/2000/XP only
Alternatively, there is StraceNT, which can trace arbitrary Dlls. It is available for free from http://www.intellectualheaven.com/default.asp?BH=projects&H=strace.htm
I've not used it, but I once stumble upon an Intel tool, which samples the context of the Instruction Pointer, and is able to use symbol files to convert IP to an actual function name... VTune maybe?
I guess there might be other such tools
UPDATE: aka. "statistical profilers"...
Debugging using IDE does not show you the assembly language equivalent of the execution of an IL instruction. You need to write your own hooks to a proper disassembler.

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