JPH05313941A - Computer program debugging method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize the function of a source level debugger in an on-line way. CONSTITUTION:An example using a monitor device 10 and three tasks 20, 30 and 40 is shown as follows. That is, the device 10 is provided with a display part 11 and a window function which displays the executing contents of an application program and inputs the commands. The tasks 20-40 serve as the test subject programs and consist of the user coding parts 21, 31 and 41 and the debugging support parts 22, 32 and 42. The parts 22-42 are separated from a conventional source level debugger and connected to the remaining debugging monitor part via a communication circuit. The debugging monitor part belongs to the device 10 and functions as a man-machine interface. Only the parts 21-41 usually start when the instructions are inputted to a specific task through the input window of the part 11 for the tracing, the display of a variable, etc.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of debugging an application program created by a user, and in particular,
The present invention relates to a debugging method using a source level debugger.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the productivity of computer programs has been emphasized, and various software tools and utility software have been provided. Also in the field of debugging, excellent debug support programs such as symbolic debuggers and source level debuggers have been devised.

[0003] Generally, these debug support programs are integrally configured by a debug support unit for managing a task of a computer and a debug monitor unit as a man-machine interface for actual machine debugging of an application program created by a user.

Of these support programs, the source-level debugger is most widely used at present, and is executed line by line at the machine language level or high-level language level, or the operation is checked while stopping the execution of the application program at a desired position. This makes it very useful for early program testing. The greatest advantage of this source-level debugger is that it eliminates the need to embed debug code in application programs.

[0005]

However, there are many problems when the source level debugger is used at the final stage of the program test or its maintenance stage.

In other words, this tool cannot be analyzed unless the application program being executed is stopped, so that it becomes extremely difficult to analyze and correct a timing-related defect or a defect that occurs for the first time due to long-term continuous operation.
In addition, at the maintenance stage, there is a drawback that the program cannot be easily stopped during system operation.

Therefore, a means for observing the operation of the application program in the online line state and observing and changing the contents of the variables is required, but conventionally, it was difficult to realize it for the following reasons.

(1) It is well known that if a debug code is embedded in the application program itself, it becomes possible to monitor the program without stopping the execution, but if this happens, the behavior of the program may change. Moreover, there is a drawback in that the work is more troublesome than anything else.

(2) Dump the contents of the main memory,
By analyzing the management information of the OS (Operating System), some monitoring information can be obtained without stopping the application program, but it requires specialized knowledge and is not a general method.

The present invention has been made under such a background, and its purpose is to monitor the operating state, display observation and change of variables without requiring any special mechanism for the application program. It is about providing a method that can be done online.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a debug support unit for performing actual machine debugging of an application program created by a user and a debug monitor unit for man-machine interface management. In the method of using a non-online type debug support program consisting of
The debug support unit and the debug monitor unit are separated from the debug support program, and the debug support unit is added to the application program being executed upon the program interrupt command from the debug monitor unit. Online debugging of the application program is executed, and after execution, the extracted monitoring information is transferred to the debug monitor unit.

[0012]

In the conventional debug support program of this type, the debug support unit and the debug monitor unit are integrated. Therefore, when the debug support unit is executed, the debug monitor unit is necessarily stopped and the application program is executed. Had to stop. Further, it is necessary for the application program side to constantly check whether or not the current mode is the debug mode. Therefore, the two are separated and independent, and triggered by the program interrupt command, a debug support unit is added to the application program so that multiple execution is performed. The monitoring information extracted by the debug support unit is transferred to the debug monitor unit, so that the function of the conventional debug support program is followed and the debugging in the online state is realized.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a debugging method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows an example in the case of one monitor device 10 and three tasks 20, 30, 40. The monitor device 10 includes a display unit (display) 11 and has a window function for displaying execution contents of an application program and command input. This window function is a well-known technique of visually displaying the program state and control input information, and may be realized at the OS level or by using an application program.

Further, each of the tasks 20 to 40 is a program to be tested, and a user coding unit (application program) 21, 31, 41 and a debug support unit 22, 32, which is added in response to an interrupt command described later, respectively.
And 42. These debug support units 22 to 42
Is taken out separately from the conventional source level debugger, and is connected to the rest of the debug monitor by a communication line. Further, the debug monitor unit is the monitor device 1.
It is placed on the 0 side and functions as a man-machine interface.

In each of the tasks 20 to 40, normally only the user coding units 21 to 41 are running, for example, B
In the case of the ASIC system, as shown in FIG. 2A, the user coding units 21 to 41 are executed by the BASIC supervisor row by row.

When an instruction for tracing, displaying variables, changing variable values, or the like is input to the specific task from the input window of the display unit 11, the debug monitor unit is activated,
The monitor 10 issues a program interrupt command to the corresponding task.

With this program interrupt command as a trigger, as shown in FIG. 2B, the BASIC supervisor is rewritten as a debug support unit for each code. This transfers control of the task to the debug support section,
The user coding unit is executed line by line. At this time, the debug support unit exchanges the following information with the running user coding unit in a time division manner.

-Execution / Stop information-Single step execution information-Continuous execution information-Tracepoint setting information-Breakpoint setting information-Break condition (watch) setting information-Variable display information-Variable value change information- Local variable scope change information-Trace speed change information Here, a breakpoint is a point at which execution is suspended to check the value of a variable during execution of the user coding section, and a tracepoint is during execution. Represents the tracking and monitoring point of the user coding unit of.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the processing procedure after control is transferred to the debug support section. When a trace request is made, this is first executed (step 10).
0) If there is a break request, break processing, that is, execution of the program is stopped (step 101). Then, if there is a request for processing other than the above, these processings are executed (step 102) and the control of the application program ends.

The monitoring information of the user coding unit extracted by the debug support unit is passed to the debug monitor unit via the communication line. The debug monitor unit that has received the information displays the information in the window of the display unit 11. This allows the operator to visually observe the contents of the user coding unit.

[0022]

As described above, in the conventional debug support program such as the source level debugger, the debug support unit and the debug monitor unit are integrated, so that the application program is inevitably executed when the debug is executed. Although there was no choice but to stop, in the present invention, the debug support unit and the debug monitor unit are separated, and the debug support unit is added to the application program triggered by the program interrupt command from the debug monitor unit. Therefore, it is possible to perform tracing, display of variables, change of variable values, etc. without stopping the application program and without requiring any special mechanism on the program side. This enables timing-related defect analysis,
This makes it easy to analyze and correct defects caused by long-term continuous operation. At the maintenance stage, it is not necessary to stop the system.

Further, since the extracted monitoring information is transferred to the debug monitor unit after the debug execution, the function of the conventional debug support program (source level debugger) can be directly followed.

Further, in the debugging method of the present invention, since the debug support unit is automatically activated upon the program interrupt command, it is not necessary to check whether the current mode is the debug mode, and it is necessary to check each time. The performance is significantly improved compared to the conventional method.

According to this debugging method, a simple operation of the monitor device serving as the man-machine interface, that is,
Since it can be realized by monitoring / manipulating the input window, special knowledge of the tester is unnecessary, and the monitoring can be started and ended at any time. If necessary, it can be monitored at all times.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a debugging method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a main part of an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows a state before a debug monitor unit is activated and (b) shows a state after the activation.

FIG. 3 is an operation flowchart of a debug monitor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Monitor device (debug monitor unit) 11 ... Display device 20, 30, 40 ... Task 21, 31, 41 ... User coding unit (application program) 22, 32, 42 ... Debug monitor unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A user-created application program
Gram's real machine debugging
Debug support department and man-machine interface
Non-online consisting of the debug monitor part
Method using a type debug support program
In the above, from the debug support program to the debug support unit
Separated from the debug monitor part,
Application being executed triggered by the program interrupt command of
Add a debug support section to the
Of the application program
Perform online debugging and extract after execution
To transfer the monitored information to the debug monitor section.
Debugging a computer program characterized by
How to go.