Debugger helper

[JohnToddSr]

Okay, I give up. What kind of magic do you have to do to even compile Debugger helper, let alone use it? Every time I try to compile the thing I get messages like: "undefined reference to '_imp_ZSqlFreePv', etc, etc, etc.
I'm using Qt 4.5.1 and when I'm debugging in Creator, the debugger will stop at my break points, but it won't tell me the value of my variables. I can get every other bit of info on the variables, just not the value. I'm assuming that this infamous "Debugging Helper" will help me see these values.

[wysota]

I don't think the helper uses any SQL calls. Are you sure they are not within your application? Does it use SQL?

[JohnToddSr]

Here's what I did, I opened Tools->Options->Qt4 and saw that I have a red "X" where my debugging helper should be listed. So I made sure that the MinGw Directory was pointed in the right place and I clicked "Rebuild". When it finished I clicked "Show Log". Here is some of what I found in the Log file...

Building debugging helper library in C:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/qtc-debugging-helper/

Running C:/DevTools/MinGW/bin/mingw32-make.exe clean...
C:/DevTools/MinGW/bin/mingw32-make -f Makefile.Debug clean
mingw32-make[1]: Entering directory `C:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/qtc-debugging-helper'
rm tmp/obj/debug_static/gdbmacros.o
mingw32-make[1]: [clean] Error -1073741515 (ignored)
rm debug/libgdbmacros.a
mingw32-make[1]: [clean] Error -1073741515 (ignored)
mingw32-make[1]: Leaving directory `C:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/qtc-debugging-helper'
C:/DevTools/MinGW/bin/mingw32-make -f Makefile.Release clean
mingw32-make[1]: Entering directory `C:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/qtc-debugging-helper'
rm tmp/obj/release_static/gdbmacros.o
mingw32-make[1]: [clean] Error -1073741515 (ignored)
rm release/libgdbmacros.a
mingw32-make[1]: [clean] Error -1073741515 (ignored)
mingw32-make[1]: Leaving directory `C:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/qtc-debugging-helper'
rm libgdbmacros.a
mingw32-make: [clean] Error -1073741515 (ignored)

Runinng C:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/bin/qmake.exe ...

Running C:/DevTools/MinGW/bin/mingw32-make.exe ...
C:/DevTools/MinGW/bin/mingw32-make -f Makefile.Debug all
mingw32-make[1]: Entering directory `C:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/qtc-debugging-helper'
g++ -enable-stdcall-fixup -Wl,-enable-auto-import -Wl,-enable-runtime-pseudo-reloc -shared -Wl,--out-implib,debug/libgdbmacros.a -o debug/gdbmacros.dll tmp/obj/debug_static/gdbmacros.o -L'c:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/lib' -L'c:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/lib' -lQtGuid -lgdi32 -lcomdlg32 -loleaut32 -limm32 -lwinmm -lwinspool -lmsimg32 -lQtCored -lkernel32 -luser32 -lshell32 -luuid -lole32 -ladvapi32 -lws2_32
tmp/obj/debug_static/gdbmacros.o: In function `ZN22_GLOBAL__N_qtGhVersion13isPointerTypeERK10QBy teArray':
C:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/qtc-debugging-helper/gdbmacros.cpp:216: undefined reference to `_imp___ZNK10QByteArray8endsWithEPKc'
C:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/qtc-debugging-helper/gdbmacros.cpp:216: undefined reference to `_imp___ZNK10QByteArray8endsWithEPKc'
tmp/obj/debug_static/gdbmacros.o: In function `ZN22_GLOBAL__N_qtGhVersion16stripPointerTypeE10QB yteArray':
C:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/qtc-debugging-helper/gdbmacros.cpp:221: undefined reference to `_imp___ZNK10QByteArray8endsWithEPKc'
C:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/qtc-debugging-helper/gdbmacros.cpp:222: undefined reference to `_imp___ZN10QByteArray4chopEi'
C:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/qtc-debugging-helper/gdbmacros.cpp:223: undefined reference to `_imp___ZNK10QByteArray8endsWithEPKc'


C:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/qtc-debugging-helper/../include/QtCore/../../src/corelib/tools/qlist.h: (.text$_ZNK5QListI7QStringE5firstEv[QList<QString>::first() const]+0x2d ): undefined reference to `_imp___Z9qt_assertPKcS0_i'
C:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/qtc-debugging-helper/../include/QtCore/../../src/corelib/tools/qlist.h: (.text$_ZNK5QListI7QStringE4lastEv[QList<QString>::last() const]+0x2d): undefined reference to `_imp___Z9qt_assertPKcS0_i'
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
mingw32-make[1]: *** [debug/gdbmacros.dll] Error 1
mingw32-make[1]: Leaving directory `C:/DevTools/Qt4.5.1/qtc-debugging-helper'
mingw32-make: *** [debug-all] Error 2

Thanks for your help!

[JohnToddSr]

Actually, I may not even need the Debugging Helper if I can figure out how to display the values of my variables while debugging. I'm getting their memory address, what type they are, etc, but I'm not getting the one thing I REALLY need which is the value. If I have a QString cheese and I set it to "Whine", when I look at the db window, I see that its name is cheese, it's a QString, it has a memory address of blah, blah, but NO WHERE does it tell me that the value is Whine. I see a column called "value" but there is nothing listed in it for the variable. How do I display the value of the variable during debug?

Thanks

[wysota]

That's what the helper is for. You can also google for some helper scripts for gdb which do the same. Nevertheless the code should compile.

[JohnToddSr]

I am trying to run creator on Windows. Would that make a difference? I'm open to any reason you might think of that I could be getting the errors I'm getting. The output log I posted earlier was just a SMALL part of the 30KB file that was produced when I tried to compile it.

Is anyone else having this problem?

Thanks

[JohnToddSr]

Okay, it seems to be a Windows thing. I was able to compile Debugger Helper under CentOS Linux just fine. So, since I'm developing under windows, what do I need to do to have Debugger Helper compile under Windows?

Thanks

[wysota]

Does this happen for every application?

[JohnToddSr]

No, I'm working on several applications using Qt Creator and all of them compile fine under Windows. One of the applications uses XML, SQL, threads, GUI and it has no problem what so ever. The only app that I've had this trouble with is Debugger Helper.

[wysota]

Ok, but debugger helper should be compiled for every application you run within Creator. Isnt't that the case for you?

[JohnToddSr]

Okay, I think I'm missing something here. Let me explain what I'm doing and then you might be able to see what I'm doing wrong. If you could, could you walk me through what I'm supposed to do to Compile Debugger helper after you read this?
Let's say I have a program that I'm writing called "Hello World". I open Qt Creator and start a new project. I tell the wizard that I don't want a GUI, it's a Qt4 Console App. After I write my code I go to Tools -> Options-> Qt4-> Qt Versions and I have an entry in the table called Auto-detected with a valid path to my Qt build and a red "X" under the Debugger Helper column. So, I browse until I find my MinGw Directory and then I click the "Rebuild" button. When it finishes, I still have a red "X" in the Debugger Helper column and I click the "Show Log" button and there are hundreds and hundreds of "undefined reference" errors.

I have done this same process for each of the applications I'm building and the result is always the same.

Thanks

[wysota]

Unfortunately for me it just works... I'm currently running under Linux with Qt 4.5.0 installed.

Did you compile Qt yourself?

[sirQit]

Hi all, I didn't want to start a new thread so I will reply on this one

I am able to build the debugger helper, I have the green check in the Qt version I am using, the IDE does not complaint about not finding the debugger helper but the debugger cannot see the contents of any Qt type.

I have removed the CONFIG line in the .pro file, it was += debug though...

I am running QtCreator in Windows Vista, and I am not sure if that is a problem.

do you have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[Carlton]

Hi there,
I'm also having difficulty with the debug helper for Qt creator version 1.3.1, installed using Qt2010.02 windows installer (installed onto Windows XP SP2). I have removed all previous versions of Qt from the computer, there is no MSVC installed.
The debug helper compiles, giving the little green tick, but when running in debug mode, it says the helper is not available. I have reinstalled again from scratch, but with no effect. I have no problems with my Mandriva 2010 Linux installation, and had no problems debugging with the previous version creator 1.0 (Qt2009.01).

[kamre]

Hello, I am using Qt 4.5.2 and QtCreator 1.2 on Windows XP.

There is a problem with Debugger helper:


Here are my Qt4 options:


And this checkbox is always resetted (even if check it and press OK):


Can anyone explain how to enable debugger helper?
Thanks in advance.

[chal61]

Hello, I am using Qt 4.5.2 and QtCreator 1.2 on Windows XP.

There is a problem with Debugger helper:


Here are my Qt4 options:


And this checkbox is always resetted (even if check it and press OK):


Can anyone explain how to enable debugger helper?
Thanks in advance.

Same configuration, same problems.

So far I couldn't find any solution...

[chal61]

How nice, I made the debugger helper working under windows (latest QT release 4.5.2, QTCreator 1.2.0).

- Tools->Options->Debugger->Cdb (click under the link "Debugging Tools for Windows") and Install the debugger tools

- Tools->Options->Debugger->Cdb->autodetect
- Tools->Options->Debugger->Debugger helper-> Debug Debugger helper

and now it works!

[miwarre]

How nice, I made the debugger helper working under windows (latest QT release 4.5.2, QTCreator 1.2.0).

- Tools->Options->Debugger->Cdb (click under the link "Debugging Tools for Windows") and Install the debugger tools

- Tools->Options->Debugger->Cdb->autodetect
- Tools->Options->Debugger->Debugger helper-> Debug Debugger helper

and now it works!

Hi,

Thanks for the tip: only partial success here.

I run Qt Creator 1.2.0 based on Qt 4.5.2 (32 bit) (pre-compiled binaries) on XP SP3. Installed the MS Dbg tools for Win (in a custom folder, so I could not use "Autodetect" but entered the CDB path directly).

Result: I get reasonably complete data about Qt objects the first time I debug an app in a Qt session (note: reasonably complete, not totally).

But when the app finishes and I try to re-run it, I get the old, un-populated obejct data again. I have to stop Qt Creator, re-start it and debug again: not really convenient...

Something is definitely missing...

Miwarre

P.S.: I am surprised that so few people complain about this very important fact: does (almost) nobody debug his/her apps?

[ktk]

Hi,

Thanks for the tip: only partial success here.

I run Qt Creator 1.2.0 based on Qt 4.5.2 (32 bit) (pre-compiled binaries) on XP SP3. Installed the MS Dbg tools for Win (in a custom folder, so I could not use "Autodetect" but entered the CDB path directly).

Result: I get reasonably complete data about Qt objects the first time I debug an app in a Qt session (note: reasonably complete, not totally).

But when the app finishes and I try to re-run it, I get the old, un-populated obejct data again. I have to stop Qt Creator, re-start it and debug again: not really convenient...

Something is definitely missing...

Miwarre

P.S.: I am surprised that so few people complain about this very important fact: does (almost) nobody debug his/her apps?

Use 1.2.1. Several bugs related to debugging have been fixed there, among them the "vanishing checkmark" and the "faulty second run"

[ktk]

How nice, I made the debugger helper working under windows (latest QT release 4.5.2, QTCreator 1.2.0).

- Tools->Options->Debugger->Cdb (click under the link "Debugging Tools for Windows") and Install the debugger tools

- Tools->Options->Debugger->Cdb->autodetect
- Tools->Options->Debugger->Debugger helper-> Debug Debugger helper

and now it works!

That's probably pure accident. The comments in the code regarding "Debug Debugging helpers" suggest that this was intended for internal use only and
not meant to be present in a "release" build.

Try to use version 1.2.1. That has several critical fixes in that area.