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Handy Tips & Tricks for Debugging

LabWindows/CVI Code
Johannes Turner
National Instruments

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Agenda
1.

2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

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Catching bugs at compile time

Catching bugs at run time
LabWindows/CVI Debugging Tools
Debugging Release Executables
Summary
Q&A

About Me

Working at National Instruments Romania (NIR) located in Cluj-Napoca.

With NI for 5 years.
Worked in CVI R&D since the CVI 2012 SP2 release.
LabWindows/CVI User Group Community interaction:

LabWindows/CVI Discussion Forums

LabWindows/CVI Idea Exchange

Interests: source code editors, music.

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Catching Bugs at Compile Time: Compiler Warnings

Customize using predefined warning level in Options Build Options.

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Catching Bugs at Compile Time: Compiler Warnings

Customize warnings for each warning level preset.

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Catching Bugs at Compile Time: Compiler Warnings

Assignments in conditionals
Uninitialized local variables
Unreferenced local variables
Unreachable code
Pointer and sign conversions
Improper char array initialization
Static array bounds checking
Dangling else constructs
Macro redefinition
Operator precedence problems

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Catching Bugs at Compile Time: Compiler Warnings

Improper char array initialization

char foo[2] = "bar";

int bar[10];
return bar[10];

Operator precedence problems

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Dangling else constructs

Static array bounds checking

int i;
i = 100 << 10+2;

if (a == 1)
if (b == 1)
a = 42;
else
b = 42;

Catching Bugs at Compile Time: Compiler Warnings

Assignments in conditionals
Uninitialized local variables
Unreferenced local variables
Unreachable code
Pointer and sign conversions
Improper char array initialization
Static array bounds checking
Dangling else constructs
Macro redefinition
Operator precedence problems

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Catching Bugs at Compile Time: Example 1

Using and customizing LabWindows/CVI compiler warnings when

diagnosing issues in your application.

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Catching Bugs at Run Time: Automatic Checking

Invalid pointer arithmetic or array indexing

Dereferencing invalid or freed pointers
Use of uninitialized local variables
Library function argument type checking

printf, SetCtrlAttribute

Library functions return error values

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Run Break On Library Errors

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Catching Bugs at Run Time: Manual Checking

Asserts

Standard C macro (assert.h): assert(condition);

Tips:
o
o

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Test expectations and program invariants

Explicitly enforce assumptions your code makes

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Catching Bugs at Run Time: Manual Checking

Error checking!

Check function return values for errors

Null-check memory allocations
errChk, nullChk
o

int Initialize (int panel, int ctrl) {

int error = 0;
errChk(SetCtrlVal(panel, ctrl, Hello, world!));

Error:
return error;
}

Automatic run-time checking is not a substitute for checking error

conditions in your code!

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Debugging Tools: The Bread and Butter

Inspect and modify variables

Examine stack trace

Variables window

Detect when values change

Variables window
Editable data tooltips

Watch expressions
Break On Change

Detect special cases

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Conditional breakpoints

Regular watch expression

Watch expression with Break On Change enabled
Watch expression with Break On Change enabled (HW).
Watch expression with Break On Change enabled (SW).

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Debugging Tools: Other Handy Features

Change the point of execution

Inspect/modify memory

Memory window

Examine arrays graphically

Set Next Statement

Graphical Array View

Redraw UI while suspended

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Run Refresh User Interface (Ctrl + R)

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Catching Bugs at Run-Time Time: Example 1 (Cont.)

Using the Graphical Array View

Debugging common C language pitfalls.

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More LabWindows/CVI-Specific Debugging Tips

Get more insight about symbols

with Watch Window Specific Type
1.

2.

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Add symbol to Watch Window

(Add Watch Expression
menu item)
Right-click watchpoint
Specific Type

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Debugging Release Executables

Which EXE or DLL did the crash occur in?

Where in the EXE or DLL did the crash occur?

1.

2.

Look at the module list in the LabWindows/CVI debugger

Generate a map file for the EXE or DLL
Look up the address in the map file

Trace the execution of your EXE or DLL

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DebugPrintf

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Debugging Release Executables: Example 2

List of loaded modules

Map files

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Debugging Release Executables

Understanding why does my project work in the debug configuration

but does not in the release configuration?

Data initialization in debug builds.

Code generation optimization
o

Conditional compilation
o
o

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Options Build Options Optimization level

Examine the preprocessor output
Compare different preprocessor outputs
Examine values and trace macro expansion: #pragma message, #error

Race conditions
Different timing of processed events
Communication with hardware
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Debugging Release Executables: Example 2 (Cont.)

Analyzing the preprocessor output

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Other Advanced Debugging Tools

Windows Sysinternals

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http://www.sysinternals.com
DebugView
ProcessExplorer
Many more

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Summary

Early detection of bugs at compile time using compiler warnings

Catching bugs at run time
Using the debugger
Debugging release executables

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Questions and Answers

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Thank you!

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