creator-debugger.qdoc

/****************************************************************************
**
** Copyright (C) 2015 The Qt Company Ltd.
** Contact: http://www.qt.io/licensing
**
** This file is part of Qt Creator
**
**
** GNU Free Documentation License
**
** Alternatively, this file may be used under the terms of the GNU Free
** Documentation License version 1.3 as published by the Free Software
** Foundation and appearing in the file included in the packaging of this
** file.
**
**
****************************************************************************/

// **********************************************************************
// NOTE: the sections are not ordered by their logical order to avoid
// reshuffling the file each time the index order changes (i.e., often).
// Run the fixnavi.pl script to adjust the links to the index order.
// **********************************************************************

/*!
    \contentspage {Qt Creator Manual}
    \previouspage creator-testing.html
    \page creator-debugging.html
    \nextpage creator-debugger-engines.html

    \title Debugging

    \QC provides a debugger plugin that acts as an interface between the \QC
    core and external native debuggers such as the GNU Symbolic Debugger (GDB),
    the Microsoft Console Debugger (CDB), a QML/JavaScript debugger, and the
    debugger of the low level virtual machine (LLVM) project, LLDB.

    \list

        \li \l{Setting Up Debugger}

            The debugger plugin automatically selects a suitable
            native debugger for each \l{glossary-buildandrun-kit}{kit} from the
            ones found on your system. You can edit the kits to override this
            choice.

        \li \l{Launching the Debugger}

            To start an application from an open project under the control
            of a debugger, press the Debug button in the lower left corner
            of the main view, or press \key{F5}. Other, less common start
            options are available in the \uicontrol{Debug} > \uicontrol{Start Debugging}
            menu.

        \li \l{Interacting with the Debugger}

            You can use the tool views in the \uicontrol Debug mode to inspect the
            state of your application while debugging.

        \li \l{Using Debugging Helpers}

            \QC is able to show complex data types in a customized,
            user-extensible manner. For this purpose, it takes advantage of
            two technologies, collectively referred to as \e {debugging
            helpers}.

        \li \l{Debugging Qt Quick Projects}

            When debugging a Qt Quick application, you can inspect the state
            of the application while debugging JavaScript functions. You can set
            breakpoints, view call stack trace, and examine locals and
            expressions. While the application is running, you can inspect QML
            objects and user interfaces, as well as execute JavaScript
            expressions.

        \li \l{Debugging a C++ Example Application}

            Illustrates how to debug C++ applications in \QC.

        \li \l{Debugging a Qt Quick Example Application}

            Illustrates how to debug Qt Quick applications in \QC.

        \li \l{Troubleshooting Debugger}

            If you encounter problems while debugging, check for possible
            solutions to them.
    \endlist

*/


/*!
    \contentspage {Qt Creator Manual}
    \previouspage creator-debugger-engines.html
    \page creator-debugger-operating-modes.html
    \nextpage creator-debug-mode.html

    \title Launching the Debugger

    To start an application from an open project under the control
    of a debugger, press the \uicontrol Debug button in the lower left corner
    of the main view, or press \key{F5}.

    \QC checks whether the compiled program is up-to-date, and rebuilds
    and deploys it if the \uicontrol{Always build project before deploying it} and
    \uicontrol{Always deploy before running} options are selected in the
    \uicontrol{Build and Run} options.

    The debugger then takes over and starts the program with suitable
    parameters.

    \note Starting a C++ program in the debugger can take a long
    time, typically in the range of several seconds to minutes if complex
    features (like QtWebKit) are used.


    \section1 Launching the Debugger in Different Modes

    The debugger plugin can run the native debuggers in various operating
    modes depending on where and how the debugged process is started and run.
    Some of the modes are only available for a particular operating system or
    platform.

    In general, the \key{F5} and the \uicontrol{Debug} button are set up in a way
    to start the operating mode that is commonly used in a given context.
    So if the current project is set up as a C++ application using
    the MinGW toolchain targeting desktop Windows, the GDB engine will
    be started in Start Internal mode. If the current project is a
    QML application using C++ plugins,
    a "mixed" QML/C++ engine will be started, with the C++ parts
    being handled by GDB and GDB server remote debugging.

    Change the run configuration
    parameters (such as \uicontrol{Run in Terminal}) in the run settings of the
    project, or select options from the \uicontrol{Debug} > \uicontrol{Start Debugging}
    menu to select other modes of operation.

    The debugger can run in the following modes:

    \list

       \li \b{Start Internal} to debug applications developed inside
            \QC such as a Qt based GUI application.

       \li \b{Start External} to start and debug processes
            without a proper \QC project setup, either locally or
            on a remote machine.

       \li \b{Attach} to debug processes already started and
            running outside \QC, either locally or on a
            remote machine.

       \li \b{Core} to debug crashed processes on Unix.

       \li \b{Post-mortem} to debug crashed processes on Windows.

    \endlist

    \section2 Launching in Start Internal Mode

    Start Internal mode is the default start mode for most projects, including
    all projects using a desktop Qt version and plain C++ projects.

    If you need a console window to operate your application, for example because
    it accepts console input from the user, go to \uicontrol {Projects > Run
    Settings} and select the \uicontrol {Run in terminal} check box.

    To launch the debugger in Start Internal mode, click the
    \uicontrol {Start Debugging} button for the active project.

    You can specify breakpoints before or after launching the debugger.
    For more information, see \l{Setting Breakpoints}.

    \section2 Launching in Start External Mode

    To run any executable already present on your local or a remote machine
    without using a project, select \uicontrol{Debug > Start Debugging
    > Start and Debug External Application}.

    \section2 Launching in Attach Mode

    To attach the debugger to an application already running on your
    local or a remote machine, select
    \uicontrol {Debug > Start Debugging > Attach to Running Application},
    and then select a process by its name or process ID to attach to.

    While this mode does not strictly require a project to be opened in \QC,
    it is beneficial to have open one, as it makes setting breakpoints
    and stepping through the code easier.

    You can specify breakpoints before or after attaching the
    debugger to the application.
    For more information, see \l{Setting Breakpoints}.

    \section2 Launching in Core Mode

    The Core mode is used to inspect \e {core} files (crash dumps) that are
    generated from crashed processes on Linux and Unix systems if the system
    is set up to allow this.

    To enable the dumping of core files on a Unix system, enter the following
    command in the shell from which the application will be launched:

    \code
    ulimit -c unlimited
    \endcode

    To launch the debugger in the core mode, select \uicontrol{Debug > Start
    Debugging > Load Core File}.

    Also in this mode, using a properly configured project containing
    the sources of the crashed program is not strictly necessary, but
    helpful.

    \section2 Launching in Post-Mortem Mode

    The post-mortem mode is available only on Windows, if you have installed
    the debugging tools for Windows.

    The \QC installation program asks you whether you want to
    register \QC as a post-mortem debugger. To change the setting, select
    \uicontrol Tools > \uicontrol Options > \uicontrol Debugger >
    \uicontrol General > \uicontrol {Use QtCreator for post-mortem debugging}.

    You can launch the debugger in the post-mortem mode if an application
    crashes on Windows. Click the \uicontrol {Debug in \QC} button in the error
    message that is displayed by the Windows operating system.


    \section1 Remote Debugging

    \QC provides very easy access to remote debugging.

    In general, the remote debugging setup consist of a probe running on the
    remote machine and a counterpart running on the host side.
    The probe is either integrated into the running process (e.g. for QML
    debugging) or runs a separate process (e.g. when using GDB server
    on embedded Linux). The host side typically
    consists of \QC itself, often with the help of an external process, such as
    GDB or CDB.

    While this setup might look daunting, it is mostly invisible to
    the user of \QC. To start debugging on a remote target with the
    necessary helper processes running, select the corresponding
    \l{glossary-buildandrun-kit}{kit} in
    \uicontrol{Projects > Build & Run}, and then select a function to start remote
    debugging in the \uicontrol{Debug > Start Debugging} menu.

    Special use cases, such as attaching to a running process on the
    target, might still require manual setup.

    \section3 Using GDB

    When debugging on a target supported by GDB server, a local GDB process
    talks to a GDB server running on the remote machine that controls the
    process to be debugged.

    The GDB server process is started on the remote machines by passing a port
    number and the executable:

    \code
    gdbserver :1234 <executable>
    \endcode

    It then typically responds:
    \code
    Process bin/qtcreator created; pid = 5159
    Listening on port 1234
    \endcode

    On the local machine that runs \QC:

    \list 1

        \li Select \uicontrol {Debug > Start Debugging > Attach to Running
            Debug Server}.

        \li In the \uicontrol {Host and port} field, enter the name of the remote
            machine and the port number to use.

        \li Select \uicontrol{OK} to start debugging.

    \endlist

    \section3 Using CDB

    In remote mode, the local CDB process talks to a CDB process that
    runs on the remote machine. The process is started with special
    command line options that switch it into server mode. The remote CDB
    process must load the \QC CDB extension library that is shipped with
    \QC:

    \list 1

        \li Install the \e{Debugging Tools for Windows} on the remote machine.
            The installation folder contains the CDB command line executable
            (cdb.exe).

        \li Copy the \QC CDB extension library from the Qt installation
            directory to the a new folder on the remote machine
            (32 or 64 bit version depending on the version of the Debugging
            Tools for Windows
            used):

        \list

            \li \c {\lib\qtcreatorcdbext32\qtcreatorcdbext.dll} (32 bit)

            \li \c {\lib\qtcreatorcdbext64\qtcreatorcdbext.dll} (64 bit)

        \endlist

        \li Set the _NT_DEBUGGER_EXTENSION_PATH environment variable to point
            to that folder.

        \li To use TCP/IP as communication protocol, launch remote CDB as
            follows:

            \code
            cdb.exe -server tcp:port=1234 <executable>
            \endcode

        \li On the local machine running \QC, select
            \uicontrol {Debug > Start Debugging > Attach to Remote CDB Session}


        \li In the \uicontrol Connection field enter the connection parameters.
            For example, for TCP/IP:

            \code
            Server:Port
            \endcode

            If you chose some other protocol, specify one of the alternative
            formats:

            \code
            tcp:server=Server,port=Port[,password=Password][,ipversion=6]
            tcp:clicon=Server,port=Port[,password=Password][,ipversion=6]
            npipe:server=Server,pipe=PipeName[,password=Password]
            com:port=COMPort,baud=BaudRate,channel=COMChannel[,password=Password]
            spipe:proto=Protocol,{certuser=Cert|machuser=Cert},server=Server,pipe=PipeName[,password=Password]
            ssl:proto=Protocol,{certuser=Cert|machuser=Cert},server=Server,port=Socket[,password=Password]
            ssl:proto=Protocol,{certuser=Cert|machuser=Cert},clicon=Server,port=Socket[,password=Password]
            \endcode

            \li  Click \uicontrol{OK} to start debugging.

    \endlist
*/


/*!
    \contentspage {Qt Creator Manual}
    \previouspage creator-debugger-operating-modes.html
    \page creator-debug-mode.html
    \nextpage creator-debugging-helpers.html

    \title Interacting with the Debugger

    You can use the \QC \uicontrol Debug mode to inspect the state of your application
    while debugging. You can interact with the debugger in several ways,
    including the following:

    \list

        \li Go through a program line-by-line or instruction-by-instruction.

        \li Interrupt running programs.

        \li Set breakpoints.

        \li Examine the contents of the call stack.

        \li Examine and modify contents of local and global variables.

        \li Examine and modify registers and memory contents of
            the debugged program.

        \li Examine the list of loaded shared libraries.

        \li Disassemble sections of code.

        \li Create snapshots of the current state of the debugged program
            and re-examine them later.

    \endlist

    \QC displays the raw information provided by the native debuggers in a clear
    and concise manner with the goal to simplify the debugging process as much
    as possible without losing the power of the native debuggers.

    In addition to the generic IDE functionality provided by stack view, views
    for locals and expressions, registers, and so on, \QC includes features to
    make debugging Qt-based applications easy. The debugger plugin understands
    the internal layout of several Qt classes, for example, QString, the Qt
    containers, and most importantly QObject (and classes derived from it), as
    well as most containers of the C++ Standard Library and some GCC extensions.
    This deeper understanding is used to present objects of such classes in a
    useful way.

    \section1 Using the Debugger

    In \uicontrol Debug mode, you can use several views to interact with the
    program you are debugging. The availability of views depends on whether
    you are debugging C++ or QML. Frequently used views are shown by
    default and rarely used ones are hidden. To change the default settings,
    select \uicontrol {Window > Views}, and then select views to display or hide.
    Alternatively, you can enable or disable views from the context menu
    of the title bar of any visible debugger view.

    \image qtcreator-debugger-views.png "Debug mode views"

    You can drag and drop the views in \QD to new positions on the screen.
    The size and position of views are saved for future sessions. Select
    \uicontrol {Window > Views > Reset to Default Layout} to reset the views to
    their original sizes and positions.

    Once the program starts running under the control of the debugger, it
    behaves and performs as usual. You can interrupt a running C++ program by
    selecting \uicontrol{Debug} > \uicontrol {Interrupt}. The program is automatically
    interrupted when a breakpoint is hit.

    Once the program stops, \QC:

    \list

        \li Retrieves data representing the call stack at the program's current
            position.

        \li Retrieves the contents of local variables.

        \li Examines \uicontrol Expressions.

        \li Updates the \uicontrol Registers, \uicontrol Modules, and \uicontrol Disassembler
            views if you are debugging the C++ based applications.

    \endlist

    You can use the \uicontrol Debug mode views to examine the data in more detail.

    You can use the following keyboard shortcuts:

    \list

       \li To finish debugging, press \key{Shift+F5}.

       \li To execute a line of code as a whole, press \key{F10}
           (\key{Command+Shift+O} on OS X).

       \li To step into a function or a subfunction, press \key{F11}
           (\key{Command+Shift+I} on OS X).

       \li To leave the current function or subfunction, press \key{Shift+F11}
           (\key{Command+Shift+T} on OS X).

       \li To continue running the program, press \key{F5}.

       \li To run to the line containing the cursor, press \key{Ctrl+F10}
           (\key{Shift+F8} on OS X).

       \li To run to the selected function when you are stepping into a nested
           function, press \key{Ctrl+F6}.

    \endlist

    It is also possible to continue executing the program until the current
    function completes or jump to an arbitrary position in the current function.

    \section1 Setting Breakpoints

    A breakpoint represents a position or sets of positions in the code that,
    when executed, interrupts the program being debugged and passes the control
    to you. You can then examine the state of the interrupted program, or
    continue execution either line-by-line or continuously.

    \QC shows breakpoints in the \uicontrol{Breakpoints} view which is enabled
    by default. The \uicontrol{Breakpoints} view is also accessible when the debugger
    and the program being debugged is not running.

    \image qtcreator-debug-breakpoints.png "Breakpoints view"

    You can associate breakpoints with:

    \list

        \li Source code files and lines

        \li Functions

        \li Addresses

        \li Throwing and catching exceptions

        \li Executing and forking processes

        \li Executing some system calls

        \li Changes in a block of memory at a particular address when a
            program is running

    \endlist

    The interruption of a program by a breakpoint can be restricted with
    certain conditions.

    You can set and delete breakpoints before the program starts running or
    while it is running under the debugger's control. Breakpoints are saved
    together with a session.

    \section2 Adding Breakpoints

    To add breakpoints:

    \list 1

        \li Add a new breakpoint in one of the following ways:

            \list

                \li In the code editor, click the left margin or press \key F9
                    (\key F8 for OS X) at a particular line you want the
                    program to stop.

                \li In the \uicontrol Breakpoints view, double-click in the empty
                    part of the view.

                \li In the \uicontrol Breakpoints view, select \uicontrol {Add Breakpoint}
                    in the context menu.

            \endlist

        \li In the \uicontrol {Breakpoint type} field, select the location in the
            program code where you want the program to stop. The other options
            to specify depend on the selected location.

            \image qtcreator-add-breakpoint.png "Add Breakpoints" dialog

        \li In the \uicontrol Condition field, set the condition to be evaluated
            before stopping at the breakpoint if the condition evaluates as
            true.

        \li In the \uicontrol Ignore field, specify the number of times that the
            breakpoint is ignored before the program stops.

        \li In the \uicontrol Commands field, specify the commands to execute when
            the program stops; one command on a line. GDB executes the commands
            in the order in which they are specified.

    \endlist

    For more information on breakpoints, see
    \l{http://sourceware.org/gdb/onlinedocs/gdb/Breakpoints.html#Breakpoints}
    {Breakpoints, Watchpoints, and Catchpoints} in GDB documentation.

    \section2 Moving Breakpoints

    To move the breakpoint, drag and drop a breakpoint marker to another line.

    \section2 Deleting Breakpoints

    To delete breakpoints:

    \list

        \li Click the breakpoint marker in the text editor.

        \li Select the breakpoint in the \uicontrol Breakpoints view and press
            \key{Delete}.

        \li Select \uicontrol{Delete Breakpoint} in the context menu in the
            \uicontrol Breakpoints view.

    \endlist

    \section2 Setting Data Breakpoints

    A \e {data breakpoint} stops the program when data is read or written at the
    specified address.

    To set a data breakpoint at an address:

    \list 1

        \li Right-click in the \uicontrol Breakpoints view to open the context menu,
            and select \uicontrol {Add Breakpoint}.

        \li In the \uicontrol {Breakpoint type} field, select \uicontrol {Break on data
            access at fixed address}.

        \li In the \uicontrol Address field, specify the address of the memory block.

        \li Select \uicontrol OK.

    \endlist

    If the address is displayed in the \uicontrol {Locals and Expressions} view, you
    can select \uicontrol {Add Data Breakpoint at Object's Address} in the context
    menu to set the data breakpoint.

    \section1 Viewing Call Stack Trace

    When the program being debugged is interrupted, \QC displays the
    nested function calls leading to the current position as a call stack
    trace. This stack trace is built up from call stack frames, each
    representing a particular function. For each function, \QC tries
    to retrieve the file name and line number of the corresponding source
    file. This data is shown in the \uicontrol Stack view.

    \image qtcreator-debug-stack.png

    Since the call stack leading to the current position may originate or go
    through code for which no debug information is available, not all stack
    frames have corresponding source locations. Stack frames without
    corresponding source locations are grayed out in the \uicontrol{Stack} view.

    If you click a frame with a known source location, the text editor
    jumps to the corresponding location and updates the \uicontrol{Locals and Expressions}
    view, making it seem like the program was interrupted before entering the
    function.

    To find out which QML file is causing a Qt Quick 2 application to crash,
    select \uicontrol {Load QML Stack} in the context menu in the \uicontrol{Stack} view.
    The debugger tries to retrieve the JavaScript stack from the stopped
    executable and prepends the frames to the C++ frames, should it find any.
    You can click a frame in the QML stack to open the QML file in the editor.

    \section1 Locals and Expressions

    The Locals and Expressions view consists of three parts: the
    \uicontrol{Locals} pane at the top, the \uicontrol{Return Value} pane in the middle,
    and the \uicontrol{Expressions} pane at the bottom. The \uicontrol{Return Value}
    and \uicontrol{Expression} panes are only visible if they are not empty.

    \image qtcreator-locals-expressions.png "Locals and Expressions view"

    Whenever a program stops under the control of the debugger, it retrieves
    information about the topmost stack frame and displays it in the
    \uicontrol{Locals and Expressions} view. The \uicontrol{Locals} pane shows
    information about parameters of the function in that
    frame as well as the local variables. If the last operation in
    the debugger was returning from a function after pressing
    \key{Shift+F11}, the \uicontrol{Return Value} pane displays the value
    returned by the function.

    To compute values of arithmetic expressions or function
    calls, use expression evaluators in the \uicontrol{Expressions} pane.
    To insert a new expression evaluator, either double-click on an
    empty part of the \uicontrol{Locals and Expressions} view, or select
    \uicontrol{Add New Expression Evaluator} from the context menu, or
    drag and drop an expression from the code editor.

    \note Expression evaluators are powerful, but slow down debugger
    operation significantly. It is advisable to not use them excessively,
    and to remove unneeded expression evaluators as soon as possible.

    Expression evaluators are re-evaluated whenever the current
    frame changes. Note that functions used in the expressions are
    called each time, even if they have side-effects.

    All backends support simple C and C++ expressions. Functions
    can be called only if they are actually compiled into the
    debugged executable or a library used by the executable.
    Most notably, inlined functions such as most \c{operator[]}
    implementations of standard containers are typically \e{not}
    available.

    When using GDB or LLDB as backend, a special ranged
    syntax can be used to display multiple values with one
    expression. A sub-expression of form \c{foo[a..b]} is
    split into a sequence of individually evaluated expressions
    \c{foo[a], ..., foo[b]}.

    Compound variables of struct or class type are displayed as
    expandable in the view. Expand entries to show all members.
    Together with the display of value and type, you can
    examine and traverse the low-level layout of object data.


    \table
        \row
            \li \b{Note:}

        \row
            \li GDB and LLDB, and therefore \QC's debugger, work for optimized
                builds on Linux and OS X. Optimization can lead to
                re-ordering of instructions or removal of some local variables,
                causing the \uicontrol{Locals and Expressions} view to show unexpected
                data.
        \row
            \li The debug information provided by GCC does not include enough
                information about the time when a variable is initialized.
                Therefore, \QC can not tell whether the contents of a
                local variable contains "real data", or "initial noise". If a
                QObject appears uninitialized, its value is reported as
                \uicontrol {not in scope}. Not all uninitialized objects, however, can be
                recognized as such.
    \endtable


    The \uicontrol{Locals and Expressions} view also provides access to the most
    powerful feature of the debugger: comprehensive display of data belonging
    to Qt's basic objects.
    For example, in case of QObject, instead of displaying a pointer to some
    private data structure, you see a list of children, signals and slots.

    Similarly, instead of displaying many pointers and integers, \QC's
    debugger displays the contents of a QHash or QMap in an orderly manner.
    Also, the debugger displays access data for QFileInfo and provides
    access to the "real" contents of QVariant.

    Right-click in the \uicontrol{Locals and Expressions} view to open a context
    menu that provides additional options for viewing data. The available
    options depend on the type of the current items, and are provided by the
    \l{Using Debugging Helpers}{Debugging Helpers}. Typically, string-like data,
    such as \c{QByteArray} and \c{std::string}, offer a selection of encodings,
    as well as the possibility to use a full editor window. Map-like data, such
    as \c{QMap}, \c{QHash}, and \c{std::map}, offer a compact option using the
    \c{name} column for keys, resulting in a concise display of containers with
    short keys, such as numbers or short strings. For example, to expand all the
    values of QMap, select \uicontrol {Change Local Display Format} > \uicontrol Compact.

    You can use the \uicontrol{Locals and Expressions} view to change the contents of
    variables of simple data types, for example, \c int, \c float, QString
    and \c std::string when the
    program is interrupted. To do so, click the \uicontrol Value column, modify
    the value with the inplace editor, and press \key Enter (or \key Return).

    To change the complete contents of QVector or \c std::vector values,
    type all values separated by commas into the \uicontrol Value column of
    the main entry.

    You can enable tooltips in the main editor displaying this information.
    For more information, see \l{Showing Tooltips in Debug Mode}.

    \note The set of evaluated expressions is saved in your session.

    \section1 Directly Interacting with Native Debuggers

    In some cases, it is convenient to directly interact with the command
    line of the native debugger. In \QC, you can use the left
    pane of the \uicontrol {Debugger Log} view for that purpose. When you press
    \key {Ctrl+Enter}, the contents of the line under the text cursor
    are sent directly to the native debugger. Alternatively, you
    can use the line edit at the bottom of the view. Output is displayed in the
    right pane of the \uicontrol {Debugger Log} view.

    \note Usually, you do not need this feature, because \QC provides
    you with better ways to handle the task. For example, instead of using the
    GDB \c print command from the command line, you can evaluate an expression
    in the \uicontrol{Locals and Expressions} view.

    \section1 Debugging C++ Based Applications

    The following sections describe additional debugging functions that apply
    only to debugging C++.

    \section2 Starting the Debugger from the Command Line

    You can use the \QC debugger interface from the command line. To
    attach it to a running process, specify the process ID as a parameter for
    the \c {-debug} option. To examine a core file, specify the file name.
    \QC executes all the necessary steps, such as searching for
    the binary that belongs to a core file. To connect to a debug server,
    specify the server location and port number.

    For example:

    \list

        \li  \c {C:\qtcreator\bin>qtcreator -debug 2000}
        \li  \c {C:\qtcreator\bin>qtcreator -debug core=core.2000}
        \li  \c {C:\qtcreator\bin>qtcreator -debug some.exe,core=core}
        \li  \c {C:\qtcreator\bin>qtcreator -debug server=some.dot.com:4251}

    \endlist

    For more information, see \l{Using Command Line Options}.

    \section2 Stepping into Frameworks in OS X

    In OS X, external libraries are usually built into so-called Frameworks,
    which may contain both release and debug versions of the library. When you run
    applications on the OS X desktop, the release version of Frameworks is used
    by default. To step into Frameworks, select the \uicontrol {Use debug versions of
    Frameworks} option in the project run settings.

    \section2 Viewing Threads

    If a multi-threaded program is interrupted, the \uicontrol Threads view or the
    combobox named \uicontrol Threads in the debugger status bar can be used to
    switch from one thread to another. The \uicontrol Stack view adjusts itself
    accordingly.

    \section2 Viewing Modules

    The \uicontrol{Modules} view displays information that the debugger plugin has
    about modules included in the application that is being debugged. A module
    is a dynamic link library (.dll) in Windows, a shared object (.so) in
    Linux, and a dynamic shared library (.dylib) in OS X.

    In addition, the view displays symbols within the modules and indicates
    where each module was loaded.

    Right-click the view to open a context menu that contains menu items for:

    \list

        \li Updating the module list

        \li Loading symbols for modules

        \li Examining modules

        \li Editing module files

        \li Showing symbols in modules

        \li Showing dependencies between modules (Windows only)

    \endlist

    By default, the \uicontrol{Modules} view is hidden.

    \section2 Viewing Source Files

    The \uicontrol{Source Files} view lists all the source files included in the project.
    If you cannot step into an instruction, you can check whether the source file is
    actually part of the project, or whether it was compiled
    elsewhere. The view shows the path to each file in the file system.

    Right-click the view to open a context menu that contains menu items for
    reloading data and opening files.

    By default, the \uicontrol{Source Files} view is hidden.

    \section2 Viewing Disassembled Code and Register State

    The \uicontrol{Disassembler} view displays disassembled code for the current
    function. The \uicontrol{Registers} view displays the current state of the CPU's
    registers.

    The \uicontrol{Disassembler} view and the \uicontrol{Registers} view are both useful
    for low-level commands for checking single instructions, such as \uicontrol{Step Into}
    and \uicontrol{Step Over}. By default, both \uicontrol{Disassembler} and
    \uicontrol{Registers} view are hidden.

    \section2 Creating Snapshots

    A snapshot contains the complete state of the debugged program
    at a time, including the full memory contents.

    To create snapshots of a debugged program, select \uicontrol {Create Snapshot} in
    the context menu in the \uicontrol Snapshots view.

    Double-click on entries in the \uicontrol Snapshots view to switch between
    snapshots. The debugger views are updated to reflect the
    state of the program at time of taking the snapshot.

*/


/*!
    \contentspage {Qt Creator Manual}
    \previouspage creator-debug-mode.html
    \page creator-debugging-helpers.html
    \nextpage creator-debugging-qml.html

    \title Using Debugging Helpers

    Structured data, such as objects of \c class, \c struct, or \c union
    types, is displayed in the \uicontrol{Locals and Expressions} view as part
    of a tree.
    To access sub-structures of the objects, expand the tree nodes.
    The sub-structures are presented in their in-memory order, unless
    the \uicontrol{Sort Members of Classes and Structs Alphabetically} option
    from the context menu is selected.

    Similarly, pointers are displayed as a tree item with a single child
    item representing the target of the pointer. In case the
    context menu item
    \uicontrol{Dereference Pointers Automatically} is selected, the pointer
    and the target are combined into a single entry, showing the name
    and the type of the pointer and the value of the target.

    This standard representation is good enough for the examination
    of simple structures, but it does usually not give enough insight into
    more complex structures, such as \c QObjects or associative containers.
    These items are internally represented by a complex arrangement of
    pointers, often highly optimized, with part of the data not directly
    accessible through either sub-structures or pointers.

    To give the user simple access also to these items, \QC employs
    so-called \e{debugging helpers}. Debugging helpers come in two varieties,
    a compiled one, for use with the CDB backend, and a set of Python
    scripts for use with the GDB and LLDB backends.

    Debugging helpers are always automatically used. To force a plain
    C-like display of structures, select \uicontrol Tools > \uicontrol Options >
    \uicontrol Debugger > \uicontrol {Locals & Expressions}, and then deselect the
    \uicontrol{Use Debugging Helper} check box. For GDB
    and LLDB this will still use the Python scripts, but generate
    more basic output. To force plain display for a single object
    or for all objects of a given type, select the corresponding
    option from the context menu.

    \QC ships with debugging helpers for more than 130 of the most
    popular Qt classes, Standard C++ containers and smart pointers,
    covering the usual needs of a C++ application developer out-of-the-box.

    \section1 Extending GDB and LLDB Debugging Helpers

    When using either GDB or LLDB as the debugging backend, \QC uses Python
    scripts to display information in the \uicontrol {Locals and Expressions} view.

    You can easily extend these scripts to cover your own types,
    using the same code for both the GDB and the LLDB backend.
    No compilation is required, just adding a few lines of Python.
    The scripts can address multiple versions of Qt, or of your own
    library, at the same time.

    To extend the shipped Python based debugging helpers for custom
    types, add debugging helper implementations to the GDB startup file
    \c{~/.gdbinit}, or specify them directly in the \uicontrol{Additional
    Startup Commands} in \uicontrol {Tools > Options > Debugger > GDB}.

    The implementation of a debugging helper typically
    consists of a single Python function, which needs to be named
    \c{qdump__NS__Foo}, where \c{NS::Foo} is the class
    or class template to be examined. Note that the \c{::} scope
    resolution operator is replaced by double underscores \c{__}.
    Nested namespaces are possible.

    The debugger plugin calls this function whenever you want to
    display an object of this type. The function is passed the following
    parameters:

    \list

       \li \c d of type \c Dumper, an object containing current
           settings and providing facilities to build up an object
           representing part of the Locals and Expressions view,

       \li \c value of type \c Value, wrapping either a
           \l{https://sourceware.org/gdb/onlinedocs/gdb/Values-From-Inferior.html}{gdb.Value}
           or an
           \l{http://lldb.llvm.org/cpp_reference/html/classlldb_1_1SBValue.html}{lldb.SBValue}.

    \endlist

    The \c{qdump__*} function has to feed the Dumper object with certain
    information which is used to build up the object and its children's
    display in the \uicontrol{Locals and Expressions} view.

    Example:

    \code
    def qdump__QFiniteStack(d, value):
        alloc = int(value["_alloc"])
        size = int(value["_size"])
        d.putItemCount(size)
        d.putNumChild(size)
        if d.isExpanded():
            innerType = d.templateArgument(value.type, 0)
            d.putArrayData(innerType, value["_array"], size)
    \endcode

    \note To create dumper functions usable with both LLDB and GDB
    backends, avoid direct access to the \c gdb.* and \c lldb.* namespaces
    and use functions of the \c Dumper class instead.

    \section2 Dumper Class

    For each line in the \uicontrol{Locals and Expressions} view, a string like the
    following needs to be created and channeled to the debugger plugin.
    \code
     {iname='some internal name',           # optional
      addr='object address in memory',      # optional
      name='contents of the name column',   # optional
      value='contents of the value column',
      type='contents of the type column',
      numchild='number of children',        # zero/nonzero is sufficient
      childtype='default type of children', # optional
      childnumchild='default number of grandchildren', # optional
      children=[              # only needed if item is expanded in view
         {iname='internal name of first child',
           },
         {iname='internal name of second child',
           },

      ]}
    \endcode

    The value of the \c iname field is the internal name of the object,
    constituting a dot-separated list of identifiers, corresponding to the
    position of the object's representation in the view. If it is not
    present, is it generated by concatenating the parent object's iname,
    a dot, and a sequential number.

    The value of the \c name field is displayed in the \uicontrol{Name} column
    of the view. If it is not specified, a simple number in brackets
    is used instead.

    While in theory you can build up the entire string above manually, it is
    easier to employ the Dumper Python class for that purpose. The Dumper
    Python class contains a complete framework to take care of the \c iname and
    \c addr fields, to handle children of simple types, references, pointers,
    enums, known and unknown structs as well as some convenience functions to
    handle common situations.

    The member functions of the \c Dumper class are the following:

    \list

        \li \c{__init__(self)} - Initializes the output to an empty string and
            empties the child stack. This should not be used in user code.

        \li \c{put(self, value)} - Low level function to directly append to the
            output string. That is also the fastest way to append output.

        \li \c{putField(self, name, value)} - Appends a \c{name='value'} field.

        \li \c{childRange(self)} - Returns the range of children specified in
            the current \c Children scope.

        \li \c{putItemCount(self, count)} - Appends a field
            \c {value='<%d items'} to the output.

        \li \c{putName(self, name)} - Appends a \c {name=''} field.

        \li \c{putType(self, type, priority=0)} - Appends a field \c {type=''}
            unless the \a type coincides with the parent's default child type or
            \c putType was already called for the current item with a higher
            value of \c priority.

        \li \c{putBetterType(self, type)} - Overrides the last recorded
            \c type.

        \li \c{putNumChild(self, numchild)} - Appends a field \c {numchild=''}
            unless the \c numchild coincides with the parent's default child
            numchild value.

        \li \c{putValue(self, value, encoding = None)} - Append a file \c {value=''},
            optionally followed by a field \c {valueencoding=''}. The \c value
            needs to be convertible to a string entirely consisting of
            alphanumerical values. The \c encoding parameter can be used to
            specify the encoding in case the real value had to be encoded in some
            way to meet the alphanumerical-only requirement.
            Currently the following encodings are supported:

        \list

            \li 0: unencoded 8 bit data, interpreted as Latin1.

            \li 1: base64 encoded 8 bit data, used for QByteArray,
                double quotes are added.

            \li 2: base64 encoded 16 bit data, used for QString,
                double quotes are added.

            \li 3: base64 encoded 32 bit data,
                double quotes are added.

            \li 4: base64 encoded 16 bit data, without quotes (see 2)

            \li 5: base64 encoded 8 bit data, without quotes (see 1)

            \li 6: %02x encoded 8 bit data (as with \c QByteArray::toHex),
                double quotes are added.

            \li 7: %04x encoded 16 bit data (as with \c QByteArray::toHex),
                double quotes are added.
        \endlist

        \li \c{putStringValue(self, value)} - Encodes a QString and calls
            \c putValue with the correct \c encoding setting.

        \li \c{putByteArrayValue(self, value)} - Encodes a QByteArray and calls
            \c putValue with the correct \c encoding setting.

        \li \c{isExpanded()} - Checks whether the current item
            is expanded in the view.

        \li \c{putIntItem(self, name, value)} - Equivalent to:
            \code
            with SubItem(self, name):
                self.putValue(value)
                self.putAddress(value.address)
                self.putType("int")
                self.putNumChild(0)
            \endcode

        \li \c{putBoolItem(self, name, value)} - Equivalent to:
            \code
            with SubItem(self, name):
                self.putValue(value)
                self.putType("bool")
                self.putNumChild(0)
            \endcode

        \li \c{putCallItem(self, name, value, func, *args)} -
            Uses GDB to call the function \c func on the value specified by