Dynamic tracing of C code execution

[Nikhil]

Hi,

I have a set of C source files and I need a tool which can add probes
and then dynamically trace the execution and print the results (The C
source code does not have any printf statements).

The purpose of the tool is to add test cases for unit testing and then
see the statement/branch coverage for them.

Thanks,

Nikhil

 

[Vladimir Oka]

Nikhil opined:

Hi,

I have a set of C source files and I need a tool which can add probes
and then dynamically trace the execution and print the results (The C
source code does not have any printf statements).

The purpose of the tool is to add test cases for unit testing and
then see the statement/branch coverage for them.

I can't think of such a tool right now, but I do wonder how would it
know where to put "print" statements, and what to print out, without
heavy input from you? While specifying that, you might as well add
your own debug "print" statements, and guard them with `#ifdef`s so
they're only compiled in for debug/test purposes. As a bonus, you
won't be relying on a tool still being available (and supporting
whatever next platform you port to) sometime in the future.

--
Fatal Error: Found [MS-Windows] System -> Repartitioning Disk for
Linux...
(By (e-mail address removed), Christopher Browne)

<http://clc-wiki.net/wiki/Introduction_to_comp.lang.c>

 

[Michael Mair]

Nikhil opined:


I can't think of such a tool right now, but I do wonder how would it
know where to put "print" statements, and what to print out, without
heavy input from you? While specifying that, you might as well add
your own debug "print" statements, and guard them with `#ifdef`s so
they're only compiled in for debug/test purposes. As a bonus, you
won't be relying on a tool still being available (and supporting
whatever next platform you port to) sometime in the future.

You even can go one step further and
#ifdef TRACE_ON
# define TRACE_PRINT(a) fputs(a, TRACE_FILE)
#else
# define TRACE_PRINT(a)
#endif
There is also the ((....)) trick
#ifdef TRACE_ON
# define TRACE_PRINTF(a) fprintf a
#else
# define TRACE_PRINTF(a)
#endif
"called" via
TRACE_PRINTF((TRACE_FILE, formatstring, ....))


Cheers
Michael

 

[Walter Bright]

Hi,

I have a set of C source files and I need a tool which can add probes
and then dynamically trace the execution and print the results (The C
source code does not have any printf statements).

The purpose of the tool is to add test cases for unit testing and then
see the statement/branch coverage for them.

Here's a tool that will get you started:

http://www.digitalmars.com/ctg/trace.html

-Walter Bright
www.digitalmars.com C, C++, D programming language compilers

 

[Ira Baxter]

Hi,

I have a set of C source files and I need a tool which can add probes
and then dynamically trace the execution and print the results (The C
source code does not have any printf statements).

The purpose of the tool is to add test cases for unit testing and then
see the statement/branch coverage for them.

See the white paper, "TestCoverage.pdf" at
http://www.semanticdesigns.com/Products/TestCoverage
It explains how to use a program transformation tool
to insert probes in source code. The paper is focused
on probes for test coverage, but the ideas work for
any kind of probe.

 

[Frank Pittel]

: Hi,

: I have a set of C source files and I need a tool which can add probes
: and then dynamically trace the execution and print the results (The C
: source code does not have any printf statements).

: The purpose of the tool is to add test cases for unit testing and then
: see the statement/branch coverage for them.

: Thanks,

: Nikhil

Use truss.
--