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digitalmars.D.learn - Using Windbg to debug D applications and unittests

reply solidstate1991 <laszloszeremi outlook.com> writes:
I had a lot of trouble trying to get Visual Studio to catch 
handled exceptions, which would have been mandatory for debugging 
unittests, but I either forgot how to do it, or something have 
changed in either the newer versions of VS or the D compilers I 
use (LDC, DMD).

So I downloaded the new WinDbg Preview, which is like the older 
WinDbg but with some new features and a new GUI. This would also 
allow me (in theory) to get rid of VS in the future or only keep 
it for other projects. So far I struggle to set up breakpoints 
that actually work and doesn't just step over them. It also 
doesn't like templates, especially if there's multiple instances 
of them. (Also I couldn't find any way to break on exceptions so 
far.)
Feb 25 2023
next sibling parent reply evilrat <evilrat666 gmail.com> writes:
On Saturday, 25 February 2023 at 15:55:33 UTC, solidstate1991 
wrote:

 I had a lot of trouble trying to get Visual Studio to catch 
 handled exceptions


VisualD for Visual Studio provides some extra help with 
displaying your data in debugger and on Windows is the best you 
can get for D.

You can use Visual Studio Code + code-d to debug, but it is not 
as good as full Visual Studio counterpart.

Anyway you can use LDC with -gc flag to improve this situation a 
bit as it will mimic C++ debug info that is more compatible with 
said debuggers than D one.
Feb 25 2023
parent reply solidstate1991 <laszloszeremi outlook.com> writes:
On Saturday, 25 February 2023 at 16:22:49 UTC, evilrat wrote:

 VisualD for Visual Studio provides some extra help with 
 displaying your data in debugger and on Windows is the best you 
 can get for D.

 You can use Visual Studio Code + code-d to debug, but it is not 
 as good as full Visual Studio counterpart.

 Anyway you can use LDC with -gc flag to improve this situation 
 a bit as it will mimic C++ debug info that is more compatible 
 with said debuggers than D one.


I used to use Visual Studio, but I forgot how to set it up 
properly to break on handled throws. Now it doesn't do anything 
if throws are handled in any fashion, and I can't find an option 
to change it (it was removed maybe?).
Feb 25 2023
parent reply evilrat <evilrat666 gmail.com> writes:
On Saturday, 25 February 2023 at 16:58:44 UTC, solidstate1991 
wrote:

 I used to use Visual Studio, but I forgot how to set it up 
 properly to break on handled throws. Now it doesn't do anything 
 if throws are handled in any fashion, and I can't find an 
 option to change it (it was removed maybe?).


Turn on exception settings panel in top menu bar:
   Debug->Windows->Exceptions Settings (Crtl+Alt+E)

My settings for D is full "D exceptions", under Win32 check "D 
Exception", or just click "Restore to default settings" in there 
on top of that panel.
Feb 25 2023
parent reply solidstate1991 <laszloszeremi outlook.com> writes:
On Saturday, 25 February 2023 at 18:08:57 UTC, evilrat wrote:

 Turn on exception settings panel in top menu bar:
   Debug->Windows->Exceptions Settings (Crtl+Alt+E)

 My settings for D is full "D exceptions", under Win32 check "D 
 Exception", or just click "Restore to default settings" in 
 there on top of that panel.


Well, VS turned to be even less cooperative than before. Now it 
only loads and runs a specific old version of an EXE file.

I'm asking around for other debuggers, I'm definitely moving to 
another.
Feb 25 2023
parent reply evilrat <evilrat666 gmail.com> writes:
On Saturday, 25 February 2023 at 19:31:10 UTC, solidstate1991 
wrote:

 Well, VS turned to be even less cooperative than before. Now it 
 only loads and runs a specific old version of an EXE file.

 I'm asking around for other debuggers, I'm definitely moving to 
 another.


Nothing happens without a reason, check your project settings and 
make sure that for debugging you have correct paths, command, and 
arguments.

Even with no debug info and no project you can just drop an 
executable to an empty VS window and start debugging it, at the 
very least it can show disassembly.
If there is .pdb files with debug info next to your executable 
you can just drag and drop your D source files and then add 
breakpoints in that source files and it will work.
Feb 25 2023
parent solidstate1991 <laszloszeremi outlook.com> writes:
On Saturday, 25 February 2023 at 19:55:27 UTC, evilrat wrote:

 Nothing happens without a reason, check your project settings 
 and make sure that for debugging you have correct paths, 
 command, and arguments.

 Even with no debug info and no project you can just drop an 
 executable to an empty VS window and start debugging it, at the 
 very least it can show disassembly.
 If there is .pdb files with debug info next to your executable 
 you can just drag and drop your D source files and then add 
 breakpoints in that source files and it will work.


Well, it was that.

I'll try to get GDB running, since I got so fed up with MS's own 
debuggers.
Feb 25 2023
prev sibling parent reply Basile B. <b2.temp gmx.com> writes:
On Saturday, 25 February 2023 at 15:55:33 UTC, solidstate1991 
wrote:

 I had a lot of trouble trying to get Visual Studio to catch 
 handled exceptions, which would have been mandatory for 
 debugging unittests, but I either forgot how to do it, or 
 something have changed in either the newer versions of VS or 
 the D compilers I use (LDC, DMD).
 [...]


You must break on `_d_throwc` (windows), `_d_throwdwarf` (linux), 
`_d_throw_exception` (ldc).

They are defined in

- https://github.com/dlang/dmd/blob/master/druntime/src/rt/deh.d
- 
https://github.com/dlang/dmd/blob/master/druntime/src/rt/deh_win32.d
- 
https://github.com/dlang/dmd/blob/master/druntime/src/rt/deh_win64_posix.d

At least this is what is done for the Dexed GDB widget, so that 
gdb breaks automatically when an Error or an Exception is new'd 
(https://gitlab.com/basile.b/dexed/-/blob/master/src/u_gdb.pas#L2072).
Feb 27 2023
parent reply Chris Piker <chris hoopjump.com> writes:
On Monday, 27 February 2023 at 12:09:50 UTC, Basile B. wrote:

 At least this is what is done for the Dexed GDB widget, so that 
 gdb breaks automatically when an Error or an Exception is new'd 
 (https://gitlab.com/basile.b/dexed/-/blob/master/src/u_gdb.pas#L2072).


Glad you mentioned Dexed.  I Had been meaning to try it out but 
forgot about it.  I just downloaded the deb and will give it a 
go.  Thanks!
Mar 04 2023
parent Basile B. <b2.temp gmx.com> writes:
On Saturday, 4 March 2023 at 19:19:26 UTC, Chris Piker wrote:

 On Monday, 27 February 2023 at 12:09:50 UTC, Basile B. wrote:

 At least this is what is done for the Dexed GDB widget, so 
 that gdb breaks automatically when an Error or an Exception is 
 new'd 
 (https://gitlab.com/basile.b/dexed/-/blob/master/src/u_gdb.pas#L2072).


 Glad you mentioned Dexed.  I Had been meaning to try it out but 
 forgot about it.  I just downloaded the deb and will give it a 
 go.  Thanks!


The GDB widget wont work on windows I think. The point of my 
first answer was just to show you how to  automatically break 
when something is thrown.
Mar 05 2023