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.
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I use Borland Delphi 2006 (folder name: C:\Program files\borland\BDS\4.0), and I want to enable debug DCUs. Where can I find this option? in tools->options->debugger options it doesn't exist.
Note: I have also Embarcadero developer studio, but I hate it. My project is written under BDS 4.0 too.
A screenshot:
You may be confused by the fact that debug .dcu's is not a debugger option, but a compiler option.
Is the compiler the one which generates and includes the symbols required to debug inside the Delphi RTL/VCL.
The debug DCUILs (.NET) or DCUs (Win32) contain debug information and are built with stack frames. When this option is checked, the compiler prepends the debug DCUIL/DCU path to the unit search path specified in Debug Source Path on the Directories/Conditionals page.
The option is under the compiler options in each project, in:
Project\Options\Compiler\Debugging\Use debug DCUs
Note I really don't have BDS2006 right now, the closest version I have is BDS2007, but AFAIK the option is named the same.
I had a big problem with breakpoints not being hit in a Delphi 6 DirectShow DLL. I would load the DLL (AX) in the IDE and run it with Graph Edit as the Host program and none of the breakpoints would trigger. I tried moving the FastMM4 DLL to the project directory, removed FastMM4 completely, turned Debug DCUs on and off, cleaned the project directories, unregistering and re-registering the DLL, everything I could think of. Nothing worked. Every time I ran the host program I saw my DLL load with the message "No debug info" in the event viewer. Then in a desperate Google search I found a post for C++ Builder that recommended trying the "remote debug symbols" linker option:
Project -> Options -> Linker (Tab) -> Exe and DLL options (group box)
-> "Include Remote Debug Symbols" (checked it)
Suddenly my breakpoints started being hit. Here are my questions:
1) Why did this work? Is it because of the option or because this option triggered some other Compiler/Linker operation that fixed things? I would like to know so I can reliably fix this problem in the future when it happens again.
2) Are the remote debug symbols something a hostile programmer could use to deep trace my program? In other words, are they a security risk if left lying around?
1) It was because of the option. Without the debug symbol information, your IDE has no idea where to set your breakpoints. Debug DCUs has nothing to do with it -- that option links in a different set of VCL DCUs that contain debug information so you can set breakpoints. Helpful hint: depending on the version of Delphi, those DCUs are not, in fact, always in sync with their debug symbols.
2) Debug symbols/map files should not go out in a release, especially if the information handled by the program is sensitive in any way. This goes for any programming language.
If you need the ability to diagnose your software after it's release, incorporate exception, error, and assertion handling that gives you sufficient information to triage bugs from a log.
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.
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"
I'm building a project that uses the JVCL plugin system, which relies on runtime Delphi packages, and ever since I added it to my project, debugging has become a nightmare because I'm no longer able to step-trace into the source of any VCL or RTL units. They're all marked as gray dots in the debugger, (when the relevant functions appear at all in the call stack; sometimes I get very strange results,) and it's driving me crazy. Does anyone know how to get my debug DCU functionality back? (Aside from the obvious: rip out all the plugin-related code. That would work, but it wouldn't really help.)
Edit: Just to be clear, I can trace anything else in my project. JVCL code. Other 3rd party libraries. My own code. All of it shows up just fine in the debugger. Just not the Delphi RTL and VCL code--the stuff that the compiler option "use debug DCUs" is supposed to grant you access to.
This is working as designed.
When you are building with packages, you are executing the package code, and not using any DCU's. Therefore, the DCU's are compiled in, and you don't get access to the Debug DCU's.
You can either turn off packages altogether, or don't compile with the specific packages you want to debug. You can choose what packages should be used or not used, and the ones that aren't used will be "debuggable" with the Debug DCU's.
Packages are just DLLs. You have to include the debug info into those to be able to debug them, which is what you want to do. So you would need to have DEBUG packages for the VCL and RTL, not debug dcus. The debug dcus are not even needed anymore when you use prebuilt packages.
It could be the DCU's you have are out of date, so the debugger doesn't step into the code.
Usually deleting all the DCU's then doing a Build All will fix this.
You may need to delete DCU's in the search path too, just to be sure. Make a backup first of course...