Hi All,
Is there any documentation on how to use DIFactory to generate basic debug info?
It seems similar enough to IRBuilder but working with objects (rather
than pointers) and that's raising some issues.
Also, am I supposed to run the ModuleDebugInfoPrinterPass manually, or
it gets printed automatically when I WriteBitcodeToFile?
Hi All,
Is there any documentation on how to use DIFactory to generate basic debug info?
Use Create* methods to create basic debug info. There is not any
tutorial document explaining how to generated basic debug info.
It seems similar enough to IRBuilder but working with objects (rather
than pointers) and that's raising some issues.
It is encapsulating how debug info is encoded. Earlier it was using
GlobalVariable, now it uses MDNode. The idea is that debug info user
will only rely on DIDescriptor class hierarchy to manipulate debug
info. The classes in this hierarchy are light weight enough to pass
around as objects.
It is on my wish list to enhance IRBuilder to cover functionality
supported by DIFactory. If you're interested then patches are welcome
in that direction!
Also, am I supposed to run the ModuleDebugInfoPrinterPass manually, or
it gets printed automatically when I WriteBitcodeToFile?
Debug info is encoded in llvm IR as MDNodes. And all MDNodes from a
Module, just like any other llvm values, are automatically emitted
when the Module is written to a bitcode file.
Use Create* methods to create basic debug info. There is not any
tutorial document explaining how to generated basic debug info.
I got that far... 
I could prepare a how-to when I'm finished, if that interests you.
It is encapsulating how debug info is encoded. Earlier it was using
GlobalVariable, now it uses MDNode. The idea is that debug info user
will only rely on DIDescriptor class hierarchy to manipulate debug
info. The classes in this hierarchy are light weight enough to pass
around as objects.
The problem with that is that you can't do:
DIDescriptor file = factory->CreateFile(...);
You have to get the type of file to be DIFile.
When creating a Subprogram, you can't pass a DIFile object, but only a
DIDescriptor, so you have to:
DIDescriptor* desc = &file;
factory->CreateSubprogram(*desc, ...);
Also, because they're not pointers, you can't use cast, as you would
when passing arguments to IRBuilder.
I understand that the objects are lightweight, thus the ability to
pass them as objects, but some casting could be allowed, especially to
DIDescriptor (copy ctor? new and assignment operators?).
Debug info is encoded in llvm IR as MDNodes. And all MDNodes from a
Module, just like any other llvm values, are automatically emitted
when the Module is written to a bitcode file.
Weird, I wasn't getting the metadata before I started forcing
ModuleDebugInfoPrinterPass via PassManager. Could be other changes I
did, too, will check.
Use Create* methods to create basic debug info. There is not any
tutorial document explaining how to generated basic debug info.I got that far...
I could prepare a how-to when I'm finished, if that interests you.
sure
It is encapsulating how debug info is encoded. Earlier it was using
GlobalVariable, now it uses MDNode. The idea is that debug info user
will only rely on DIDescriptor class hierarchy to manipulate debug
info. The classes in this hierarchy are light weight enough to pass
around as objects.The problem with that is that you can't do:
DIDescriptor file = factory->CreateFile(...);
You have to get the type of file to be DIFile.
When creating a Subprogram, you can't pass a DIFile object, but only a
DIDescriptor, so you have to:DIDescriptor* desc = &file;
factory->CreateSubprogram(*desc, ...);Also, because they're not pointers, you can't use cast, as you would
when passing arguments to IRBuilder.I understand that the objects are lightweight, thus the ability to
pass them as objects, but some casting could be allowed, especially to
DIDescriptor (copy ctor? new and assignment operators?).
If it helps then go ahead add them.
Debug info is encoded in llvm IR as MDNodes. And all MDNodes from a
Module, just like any other llvm values, are automatically emitted
when the Module is written to a bitcode file.Weird, I wasn't getting the metadata before I started forcing
ModuleDebugInfoPrinterPass via PassManager. Could be other changes I
did, too, will check.
Make sure at least one regular llvm value is using these MDNodes.
MDNodes are like Constants, if nobody is using them then they
disappear magically.
Hi Devang,
I've managed to make it work, so I can pass all sorts of DI* objects
when a DIDescriptor is required, but now I also have to do the other
way round and cast them back to DI*. This is getting a bit too ugly...
Is there any strong reason to re-invent polymorphism here?
The fact that the objects are light is not a reason, just an enabling
fact. And they might grow bigger in the future, so there must be a
strong underlying reason not to use pointers as IRBuilder does... But
I can't figure it out...
Hi Devang,
I've sent the patch to llvm-commits, can you check if it's ok?
cheers,
--renato
Done. r110072.