JPH05181702A - Soft debugger - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve working efficiency by registering the contents of a register and a memory in a storage device, optionally reading out the contents registered in the storage means and returning the read contents to the register and the memory. CONSTITUTION:An input device 11, a display device 12, an internal storage device 13 including a debugging storage area, a table, etc., and an external storage device 14 are connected to a CPU 10. In a brake point or function accessing step or the like, the contents of the register and the memory on the execution program side are stored in the debugging storage area and their leading addresses also are simultaneously registered in the table. In the case of returning execution, the brake point or function accessing step just before a current one is searched from the table and the contents of the register and the memory which are stored in the address storage area are read out to the program side register and memory. Since it is unnecessary to repeatedly execute the program or previously describing information by hand writing, the working efficiency can be improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a soft debugger used in a program development environment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional debuggers do not have a backtrace function. That is, since the contents of the register and the memory are overwritten with new information each time each step of the program is executed, all the information regarding the previous steps is lost and the original state cannot be restored.

Therefore, in order to know the information in the previous step, it was necessary for the operator to write the information in advance by handwriting when the step was executed, or to re-execute the program from the beginning.

When a function is called, the information can be seen even in the previous step, but only the function name and its argument (information stacked on the stack) can be obtained. Knowing the information, we could never return to that step.

Therefore, the present invention provides a software debugger that can re-execute a program from the beginning or preliminarily write information by hand by an operator and can significantly improve work efficiency. ..

[0006]

According to the present invention, storage means, means for registering the contents of the register and memory at a predetermined step of a program being executed in the storage means, and the contents registered in the storage means are desired. Provides a soft debugger with means for reading and returning to registers and memory.

[0007]

The contents of the register and the memory on the side of the execution program are stored in the storage area for debugging at the breakpoint, the function calling step, etc., and at the same time, the head address thereof is also registered in the table. When the execution is returned, the breakpoint immediately before that or the function calling step is searched from the above table, and the contents of the register and the memory stored in the storage area of the address are read to the register and the memory of the execution program side.

[0008]

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a system having a soft debugger as one embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a CPU. The CPU 10 has an input device 11 such as a keyboard, a display device 12, a debug storage area described later, an internal storage device 13 in which a table and the like exist, and an external storage device 14. Are connected.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a program for performing information registration processing and information reading processing in the software debugger of this embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the registration processing operation particularly by this program.

First, the registration process will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3. In step S1, it is repeatedly determined whether or not the process of the program to be inspected has reached a breakpoint, that is, a stop position previously addressed by the user. In the case of a breakpoint, the debug program registration program operates and the following processing is executed. In step S2, it is determined whether or not the storage area for debugging overflows. If it overflows, the oldest registered content is erased in step S3. If it does not overflow, the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S4, the contents of the program register and the contents of the memory (data, stack) in the execution program at that time are registered in the storage area for debugging and the start address thereof is registered in the table. Next, in step S5, it is determined whether or not it is a reading process. If it is not the reading process, the process proceeds to step S6, and it is determined whether the execution of the program to be inspected is completed or whether the debugging is intentionally ended. If not completed, the processes from step S1 are repeated.

In the above description, the contents of the register and memory at that time are registered at the breakpoint, but the registration may be performed at the function calling step instead of or in addition to the breakpoint. further,
The user may manually move the steps one by one to advance the program to register the register and the memory at a desired position. However, the program stops at the position at the breakpoint and step execution, but at the function call step, the program does not stop and information is only registered.

A memory area or a paging area which is not used by the internal storage device 13 is used as a debug storage area. The capacity of the storage area for debugging is fixed in advance or set by the user according to the number of steps to be registered.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are flow charts for explaining a part of the program of FIG. 1 in detail, and FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining particularly the read processing operation by this program.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 and FIG. 1, the read processing of registered information will be described. If it is determined in step S5 of FIG. 1 that the reading process is performed, the process proceeds to step S7, and it is determined whether the reading process (processing for returning execution) is performed by designating the number of steps or by addressing. The user sets which one is to be performed via the input device 11.

If the number of steps is designated, the process proceeds to step S8 to execute the program shown in FIG. First step S
At 81, the number of steps to be returned from the current step is designated. This is the number of steps at the breakpoint and step execution level, and is actually specified by the user via the input device 11. Next, in step S82, as shown in FIG. 6, the read program of the debug program finds the break address corresponding to the step to be returned from the table, and reads the contents registered in the debug storage area with the break address as the start address. It is read into the program register and memory of the execution program.

In the case of address designation, the process proceeds to step S9 to execute the program shown in FIG. First step S
At 91, the address of the step to be returned is designated. This is actually specified by the user via the input device 11. Next, in step S92, as shown in FIG. 6, the read program of the debug program finds the address from the table. Next step S93
At, as a result of this address search, it is determined whether or not the information of the designated address is registered. If it is registered, the process proceeds to step S94, and the content registered in the debug storage area is read into the program register and the memory on the side of the execution program, using the address as the start address. If the information of the designated address is not registered, the process proceeds to step S95, and it is determined from the table whether the information of the function including the designated address is registered. When it is not registered, this processing routine is ended as it is. If it is registered, in step S96, the address of the function including the designated address is taken out from the table, and the content registered in the debug storage area is read into the program register and the memory on the execution program side using the address as the start address. .. Then, in step S97, the process is executed up to the address (specified address) of the step to be returned.

According to the above-described embodiment, the states before and after the broken portion of the data can be known at one time during debugging, and therefore it is not necessary for the user to write the data before the broken portion by handwriting. Moreover, after the data is broken, you can go straight back to the step before the broken point, eliminating the need to run from the beginning of the program to that point again, and get the information you need quickly when you need it. Because it can be done, work efficiency is greatly improved.

In the above embodiment, the reading process is configured to selectively specify the number of steps or the address, but it is clear that this may be configured to perform only one of them. Is.

[0021]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the storage means, the means for registering the contents of the register and the memory in the predetermined step of the program being executed into the storage means, and the storage means are registered. Since it is equipped with a means for reading the contents as desired and returning them to the register and memory, there is no need to re-execute the program from the beginning or the operator to write the information in advance by handwriting, and work efficiency can be greatly improved. It is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a program for performing an information registration process and an information return process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a system having a soft debugger in the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a registration processing operation by the program of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a part of the program of FIG. 1 in detail.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a part of the program of FIG. 1 in detail.

6 is a diagram illustrating a read processing operation by the program of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 CPU 11 Input Device 12 Display Device 13 Internal Storage Device 14 External Storage Device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A storage unit, a unit for registering the contents of a register and a memory in a predetermined step of a program being executed in the storage unit, and reading the contents registered in the storage unit to the register and the memory as desired. A soft debugger having means for returning.