Sometimes as I am debugging step-by-step, just before a FormCreate Event or just after the FromDestroy the debugger starts to open DevExpress units (cxContainer.pas, ...) and so before FormCreate my "F8" leads me to cxContainer instead of going into the next line of my code.
(this is just an example, it can happen of course with any 3rd party library)
How do I tell the debugger "debug only my units" (only the pas files listed in dpr file?)
Of course sometimes it is useful to debug libraries, but in most cases it isn't.
You'd better follow VCL convention for your third-party components:
Change DCU output path in all the third-party packages to a folder different than the folder you store the PAS files.
Compile each package once in Debug mode, and save the generated DCU files in a folder (e.g. Debug DCUs).
Compile each package once again, but this time in Release mode, and save the generated DCU files in a folder (e.g. Release DCUs).
Go to Delphi options and add path of release DCUs to "Library path".
In Delphi options, add path of source files to "Browsing path".
In Delphi options, add path of debug DCUs to "Debug DCU path".
This way, Delphi will only see release DCUs of that third-party component when you are compiling your project, so the debugger cannot step into the source code.
On the other hand, since source path is included in "Browsing path", you can still navigate to the source code inside IDE by Ctrl+Click on unit name, or anything defined in those units.
If you want to debug component, you can go to "Project | Options | Delphi Compiler | Compiling", and enable "Use debug .dcus". This will force compiler to use "Debug DCU path" instead of "Library path".
VCL works the same, generally you don't step into VCL source code when you are debugging your project, but if you enable "Use debug .dcus" you can debug VCL source code too.
JVCL also organizes its packages and source code the same way.
EDIT:
If you take this approach, and want to have code browsing (Ctrl+Click) working; please take note that when you compile release version of packages, you must set Symbol Reference Info in "Project | Options | Delphi Compiler | Compiling" to "Reference Info"; otherwise, Ctrl+Click won't work for those units. By default, Release build configuration sets Symbol Reference Info to None.
A quick and simple solution is disabling the DEBUG switch ({$D-}) for any libraries you're using. Many libraries (including DevExpress) use a global include file, usually at the top of each source file, or right above or below the "unit" statement (e.g. unit cxContainer; {$I cxVer.inc} interface ). Open that include file (click on it and press CTRL-Enter) and add {$D-} right at the top, and comment out any existing {$D+}.
There is only one way to tell the compiler not to debug a unit: compile it without debug information.
If you have the source to your libraries, you can rebuild their package after having turned off the "include debug info" compiler option for each package in the library. If you are lucky, your libraries will include an .inc file which specifies the compiler options they need and which they include in each unit. In that case all you have to do is edit this inc file and rebuild all packages.
If you don't have the source to your libraries, the library makers may have provided two sets of dcu's: one compiled with, the other without debug information. In that case, simply point your library path to the one you need.
Turn off debug info in units you don't want the debugger going into.
Related
when debugging through VCL (use debug dcus must be on !) you have very often (in some situations most of the time) to step through assembly code, especially such routines like "_IntfClear".
(removing System.pas could not help, because then a popup appears frequently asking where system.pas resides)
Is there any chance to exclude the unit "system" from debugging ?
Delphi's included DCU files are in the Lib folder. The debug versions are in the Lib/Debug folder. All the "Use debug DCUs" option does is control which of those two folders appears in your project's library path, so when your program is linked, one or the other set of DCU files is included.
Now that we've uncovered the magic of the "Use debug DCUs" option, we can take advantage of it. To exclude a certain DCU from debugging, enable "Use debug DCUs," and then simply find the debug version of the unit in question and replace it with the non-debug version. For example, delete Lib/Debug/System.dcu and replace it with Lib/System.dcu.
Alternatively, if there's one VCL unit that you want to trace through, but are otherwise uninterested in debugging code you didn't write, then disable "Use debug DCUs," and then find the debug version of that DCU and put it in among the non-debug files.
If you accidentally find yourself tracing through a function you're not interested in, you can press Shift+F8 to "step out" of the current function. Eventually, you will learn to recognize the places that typically lead to calls you don't want to trace, and then you'll press F8 to "step over" that code instead of F7 to "step into" it.
I noticed that in compiled exe there are hard-coded paths to 3rd party components units.
For example, if I use VirtualTrees component, TVirtualStringTree, in compiled executable I can find this path several times:
C:\Program Files\Borland\Delphi7\Source\Virtual Treeview\Source\VirtualTrees.pas
This applies to almost all 3rd party components I use, paths to component's units in exe.
I think this information should not be in executable, but don't know what I have to change in Delphi 7 settings, or in project's settings, to get rid of it.
Does anyone have a solution please?
What you see are the assertion messages keeping the source of the assert. You can disable them if you go to Project / Options or using CTRL + SHIFT + F11 shortcut which opens the project options dialog.
There uncheck the Assertions check box in the Compiler tab, save the project options and rebuild the project. Not recompile, but rebuild!
The paths in your binary you will see always when you use Assert when you'll have that option turned on.
How do I debug JVCL code using C++Builder? I enabled building debug DCUs when I installed JVCL, I turned on "use debug DCUs" under my project's Delphi settings (there doesn't appear to be an analogous option under C++ settings), and I disabled building with packages. In spite of all of this, single step still skips over JVCL code, and if a JVCL function shows up in a stack trace, double-clicking on it only shows disassembly.
Debugging RTL and VCL code works fine; it's only JVCL code that I'm having problems with.
Any ideas?
Edit: I've also noticed that JVCL debug DCUs work fine for Delphi apps. I tried doing building my project while Process Monitor was running, and for a C++Builder app, it's not even trying to find the JVCL DCUs (so it's apparently not just a problem with my search path). However, it does look for and find DCUs for core VCL files. So apparently C++Builder is determining its dependencies differently than Delphi, and apparently JVCL dependencies are being treated differently than core VCL dependencies, but I don't know how or why.
Setting the "use debug DCUs" option adds the contents of the debug path option onto the front of the search path option so that next time your code is linked, the linker will use the debug files instead of the normal files.
When you've checked that box, make sure that the directory that contains the debug versions of the JVCL DCUs is on your search path. If it's not, then add the JVCL path to your debug path (right after $(BDS)\Lib\Debug) and toggle the "use debug DCUs" option to reset the search path.
I'm using Delphi 2010 and I'm wondering if there's a way to trace through code which is in the project without tracing through calls to included VCLs.
For example - you put in a breakpoint and then use Shift+F7 to trace through line-by-line. Now you run into a call to some lengthy procedure in a VCL - in my case it's often a Measurement Studio or other component that draws the doodads for a bunch of I/O, OPC, or other bits. At any rate, what happens is that the debugger hops out of the active source file, opens the component source, and traces through that line by line. Often this is hundreds or thousands of lines of code I don't care about - I just want to have it execute and return to the next source line in MY project.
Obviously you can do this by setting breakpoints around every instance of an external call, but often there are too many to make this practical - I'd be spending an hour setting a hundred breakpoints every time I wanted to step through a section of code.
Is there a setting or a tool somewhere that can do this? Allow one to trace through code within the project while silently executing code which is external to the project?
The debugger won't step through units that don't have debug information, so the goal is to make the compiler omit debug information from the units you're not interested in.
Put your library units in a separate library project. That gives you the ability to have separate compilation settings for those units without affecting your project. Compile the library without debugging information enabled. Then remove those library units from your project. You can continue using them, but they won't belong to your project anymore.
An important aspect here is that the DCUs should reside in a separate directory from the source code. If the compiler finds DCUs and it happens to see the source code in the same folder, then it's liable to recompile that code when you really don't want it to. Set your projects' "DCU output folder" to something other than the default.
To really do it right, you can do what the VCL does and compile two different versions of your libraries. Compile one with debug information, and one without, and put the compiled files in different directories. Add the directory with the debug versions to your Delphi configuration; there should already be a folder listed there that contains the Delphi-provided debug DCUs.
When you set up two different versions, you allow yourself to choose whether you want to step into the library code. Simply toggle the "use debug DCUs" option in your project settings. Delphi will automatically add and remove the debug-version folder from the search path when you toggle that setting.
Note that even though you'll have a separate library project for your library units, you don't need to link to or distribute the DLL or package that that project generates. You can continue using the DCU files directly in your EXE project. You're only setting up the separate project so that you can select different compilation settings for those units. Add the library project's DCU output folder to your EXE project's search path, and you can continue using the units directly without any need to distribute the library project's DLL or package.
The IDE may try to add new directories to the search path automatically. Don't stand for that. If there's a source directory there that the IDE added for you and you don't want it there, feel free to remove it. The IDE is just trying to be helpful, but it doesn't know about your plan to have separate source and compiled folders.
Just to complete your options: If your libraries for some reason must be compiled with debug information (I usually use everything with debug info, including the VCL and RTL.) and you accidentally trace into a method you are not interested in, you can use Shift+F8 to run until the method returns to your code.
Another method is to use the debug information and Local symbol information compiler directives - add {$D-$L-} to the start of each unit.
This will ALWAYS suppress the generation of debug information for that unit. If you do need to trace into the code, comment out the directives.
I've just noticed that whenever I do an incremental compile (ctrl-F9) of any of my Delphi 2010 projects, all JEDI units referenced in my project are recompiling although they have not been changed in any way. In fact, if I create a new project, drop a JEDI control on the form and compile, I see all JEDI dependencies getting recompiled. If I think hit ctrl-F9 a second time without making any changes in my project, the same thing happens.
Anyone know what's causing this?
Update: The problem appears to be related to the subdirectory jvcl\run on my system. All units in this folder are getting recompiled each time I do a Delphi compilation (even without touching my project source). The compiled dcus are getting and left in this subdirectory on every compilation, even though the compiled dcus already exist in jvcl\lib\d14. I do not have jvcl\run on my library path.
Additionally, if I move the jvcl\run directory elsewhere on my hard disk my project compiles and links successfully, presumably finding the dcus in jvcl\lib\d14 (which is on my path).
Sometimes you will see the unit name flash by on the compile progress screen, even when it is not being recompiled.
To know for sure, check the date of the Jedi DCU's before and after compile.
Also, how did you install the Jedi controls? If you use the default installer, then they shouldn't compile ever (they are compiled at install). If you just dropped all the source into your library path, then they will recompile on a build, or if they are changed (and various other conditions).
There are a few placed to check for your "jvcl\run" path in your settings.
The first two:
Tools|Options
Environment Options|Delphi Options|Library-Win32
(1) "Library Path:" Edit Box
(2) "Debug DCU Path:" Edit Box
The Third is:
Open Your Project
Project | Options
Directories/Conditionals
(3) Search Path: Edit Box
And finally if you compile via the command line you need to check what you are passing in the DCC32.CFG and/or PROJECTNAME.CFG and the command line parameters to DCCC32.
The reason your compiled DCU's are getting placed in directory your source is in is because you have not set an "Unit Output Directory"