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digitalmars.D.learn - Better debugging?

reply Tim <tim.oliver tutanota.com> writes:
Hi all,

I am currently using GDB within VScode with the -gc DMD2 compiler 
switch and my debugging is not amazing. Whenever I inspect a 
struct/object it just shows me the pointer rather than the object 
information and strings come up as a gross array of the 
characters. Does anybody happen to know whether LDB is better or 
how I can have a nicer debug environment?

Thanks in advance
Oct 03 2021
next sibling parent reply Imperatorn <johan_forsberg_86 hotmail.com> writes:
On Sunday, 3 October 2021 at 22:21:45 UTC, Tim wrote:

 Hi all,

 I am currently using GDB within VScode with the -gc DMD2 
 compiler switch and my debugging is not amazing. Whenever I 
 inspect a struct/object it just shows me the pointer rather 
 than the object information and strings come up as a gross 
 array of the characters. Does anybody happen to know whether 
 LDB is better or how I can have a nicer debug environment?

 Thanks in advance


You don't say which operating system you are using.
I usually use Visual D which works great imo.

If I use vscode I use the C++ debug extension (don't remember 
what it's called).

If I debug outside of the IDE I use WinDbg, also has source debug 
support if configured correctly.

If you are on Linux I'm not sure, but I would go for the C++ 
thing probably.
Oct 03 2021
parent reply Tim <tim.oliver tutanota.com> writes:
On Sunday, 3 October 2021 at 22:26:15 UTC, Imperatorn wrote:

 On Sunday, 3 October 2021 at 22:21:45 UTC, Tim wrote:

 [...]


 You don't say which operating system you are using.
 I usually use Visual D which works great imo.

 If I use vscode I use the C++ debug extension (don't remember 
 what it's called).

 If I debug outside of the IDE I use WinDbg, also has source 
 debug support if configured correctly.

 If you are on Linux I'm not sure, but I would go for the C++ 
 thing probably.


Apologies. I use KDE linux
Oct 03 2021
next sibling parent Imperatorn <johan_forsberg_86 hotmail.com> writes:
On Sunday, 3 October 2021 at 22:27:20 UTC, Tim wrote:

 On Sunday, 3 October 2021 at 22:26:15 UTC, Imperatorn wrote:

 On Sunday, 3 October 2021 at 22:21:45 UTC, Tim wrote:

 [...]


 You don't say which operating system you are using.
 I usually use Visual D which works great imo.

 If I use vscode I use the C++ debug extension (don't remember 
 what it's called).

 If I debug outside of the IDE I use WinDbg, also has source 
 debug support if configured correctly.

 If you are on Linux I'm not sure, but I would go for the C++ 
 thing probably.


 Apologies. I use KDE linux


Then I guess code-d extension + MS C++ extension in order to 
debug, and webfreak's NativeDebug extension 
(https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=webfreak.debug)
Oct 03 2021
prev sibling parent WebFreak001 <d.forum webfreak.org> writes:
On Sunday, 3 October 2021 at 22:27:20 UTC, Tim wrote:

 On Sunday, 3 October 2021 at 22:26:15 UTC, Imperatorn wrote:

 On Sunday, 3 October 2021 at 22:21:45 UTC, Tim wrote:

 [...]


 You don't say which operating system you are using.
 I usually use Visual D which works great imo.

 If I use vscode I use the C++ debug extension (don't remember 
 what it's called).

 If I debug outside of the IDE I use WinDbg, also has source 
 debug support if configured correctly.

 If you are on Linux I'm not sure, but I would go for the C++ 
 thing probably.


 Apologies. I use KDE linux


On Linux I would recommend compiling with LDC (dub defaults to 
debug mode, otherwise use `-g`) and using LLDB.

Additionally for string, array and AA support use 
https://github.com/Pure-D/dlang-debug/#lldb (code-d section in 
README is for upcoming release, you need to follow the manual 
install procedures)

For VSCode I recommend using the 
[CodeLLDB](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=
adimcn.vscode-lldb) extension, it works pretty well.
Oct 04 2021
prev sibling next sibling parent Adam Ruppe <destructionator gmail.com> writes:
On Sunday, 3 October 2021 at 22:21:45 UTC, Tim wrote:

  -gc DMD2 compiler switch


tried plain -g ?

-gc is a compatibility debug thing for things with zero D 
support. p oboslete now
Oct 03 2021
prev sibling next sibling parent reply Basile B. <b2.temp gmx.com> writes:
On Sunday, 3 October 2021 at 22:21:45 UTC, Tim wrote:

 Hi all,

 I am currently using GDB within VScode with the -gc DMD2 
 compiler switch and my debugging is not amazing. Whenever I 
 inspect a struct/object it just shows me the pointer rather 
 than the object information and strings come up as a gross 
 array of the characters. Does anybody happen to know whether 
 LDB is better or how I can have a nicer debug environment?

 Thanks in advance


1. LDC2 generate better debug infos, especially for classes, 
although this might change from the next DMD version (it will 
include the inherited fields, just like LDC2).

2. to inspect objects you must evluate the dereference of an 
instance.

for example for a project, if  i eval `d`, a class instance VS 
`*d`, the pointed chunk of memory.

| name| value
| ---| ---
d | 0x7ffff7b4b480
s | 0x7ffff7b506c0
locParentAggr | 0x0
symParentAggr | 0x0
thisParentAggr | 0x0
needInheritance | false
this | 0x7ffff7b506c0
loc | 0x7ffff7b43ea0
evaluation of `d` | 0x7ffff7b4b480
evaluation of `*d` | {<styx.ast.base.AstNode> = {<object.Object> 
= {<No data fields>}, startPos = {line = 18, column = 1}, ir = 
0x0}, name = 0x7ffff7b4e5e0, symbol = 0x7ffff7b506c0, attributes 
= 0x0, asTypeDeclared = 0x7ffff7b50720, kind = 34 '\"', 
protection = 0 '\\000', progress = 0 '\\000'}

I don't know how the debugger gui you use works, here this is 
just a paste of dexed-ide table for locals and custom 
expressions. More often I use a debug popup:

![](https://i.imgur.com/cGdQfOr.png)

[A similar feature seems possible in 
vscode](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-java-debug/issues/444), maybe post
a feature request to the extension developpers, as the debug popup is often
very handy (no need to type expressions, as they are already there in the code
!)
Oct 03 2021
parent Imperatorn <johan_forsberg_86 hotmail.com> writes:
On Sunday, 3 October 2021 at 23:17:25 UTC, Basile B. wrote:

 On Sunday, 3 October 2021 at 22:21:45 UTC, Tim wrote:

 [...]


 1. LDC2 generate better debug infos, especially for classes, 
 although this might change from the next DMD version (it will 
 include the inherited fields, just like LDC2).

 [...]


Btw, thanks for continuing to work on dexed :)
Oct 09 2021
prev sibling parent max haughton <maxhaton gmail.com> writes:
On Sunday, 3 October 2021 at 22:21:45 UTC, Tim wrote:

 Hi all,

 I am currently using GDB within VScode with the -gc DMD2 
 compiler switch and my debugging is not amazing. Whenever I 
 inspect a struct/object it just shows me the pointer rather 
 than the object information and strings come up as a gross 
 array of the characters. Does anybody happen to know whether 
 LDB is better or how I can have a nicer debug environment?

 Thanks in advance


Might be something for Iain to weigh in one when it comes to GDC 
specifically but the non-dmd compilers generate better debug info.
Oct 03 2021