Doc updates, including contribution from Ian Sheldon.

[bpt/guile.git] / doc / ref / scheme-debug.texi

@page
@node Debugging
@chapter Debugging Infrastructure

@menu
* Source Properties::           Remembering the source of an expression.
* Using Traps::
* Capturing the Stack or Innermost Stack Frame::
* Examining the Stack::
* Examining Stack Frames::
* Decoding Memoized Source Expressions::
* Starting a New Stack::
@end menu


@node Source Properties
@section Source Properties

@cindex source properties
As Guile reads in Scheme code from file or from standard input, it
remembers the file name, line number and column number where each
expression begins.  These pieces of information are known as the
@dfn{source properties} of the expression.  If an expression undergoes
transformation --- for example, if there is a syntax transformer in
effect, or the expression is a macro call --- the source properties are
copied from the untransformed to the transformed expression so that, if
an error occurs when evaluating the transformed expression, Guile's
debugger can point back to the file and location where the expression
originated.

The way that source properties are stored means that Guile can only
associate source properties with parenthesized expressions, and not, for
example, with individual symbols, numbers or strings.  The difference
can be seen by typing @code{(xxx)} and @code{xxx} at the Guile prompt
(where the variable @code{xxx} has not been defined):

@example
guile> (xxx)
standard input:2:1: In expression (xxx):
standard input:2:1: Unbound variable: xxx
ABORT: (unbound-variable)
guile> xxx
<unnamed port>: In expression xxx:
<unnamed port>: Unbound variable: xxx
ABORT: (unbound-variable)
@end example

@noindent
In the latter case, no source properties were stored, so the best that
Guile could say regarding the location of the problem was ``<unnamed
port>''.

The recording of source properties is controlled by the read option
named ``positions'' (@pxref{Reader options}).  This option is switched
@emph{on} by default, together with the debug options ``debug'' and
``backtrace'' (@pxref{Debugger options}), when Guile is run
interactively; all these options are @emph{off} by default when Guile
runs a script non-interactively.


@node Using Traps
@section Using Traps

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} with-traps thunk
@deffnx {C Function} scm_with_traps (thunk)
Call @var{thunk} with traps enabled.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} debug-object? obj
@deffnx {C Function} scm_debug_object_p (obj)
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a debug object.
@end deffn


@node Capturing the Stack or Innermost Stack Frame
@section Capturing the Stack or Innermost Stack Frame

When an error occurs in a running program, or the program hits a
breakpoint, its state at that point can be represented by a @dfn{stack}
of all the evaluations and procedure applications that are logically in
progress at that time, each of which is known as a @dfn{frame}.  The
programmer can learn more about the program's state at the point of
interruption or error by inspecting the stack and its frames.

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} make-stack obj . args
@deffnx {C Function} scm_make_stack (obj, args)
Create a new stack. If @var{obj} is @code{#t}, the current
evaluation stack is used for creating the stack frames,
otherwise the frames are taken from @var{obj} (which must be
either a debug object or a continuation).

@var{args} should be a list containing any combination of
integer, procedure and @code{#t} values.

These values specify various ways of cutting away uninteresting
stack frames from the top and bottom of the stack that
@code{make-stack} returns.  They come in pairs like this:
@code{(@var{inner_cut_1} @var{outer_cut_1} @var{inner_cut_2}
@var{outer_cut_2} @dots{})}.

Each @var{inner_cut_N} can be @code{#t}, an integer, or a
procedure.  @code{#t} means to cut away all frames up to but
excluding the first user module frame.  An integer means to cut
away exactly that number of frames.  A procedure means to cut
away all frames up to but excluding the application frame whose
procedure matches the specified one.

Each @var{outer_cut_N} can be an integer or a procedure.  An
integer means to cut away that number of frames.  A procedure
means to cut away frames down to but excluding the application
frame whose procedure matches the specified one.

If the @var{outer_cut_N} of the last pair is missing, it is
taken as 0.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} last-stack-frame obj
@deffnx {C Function} scm_last_stack_frame (obj)
Return a stack which consists of a single frame, which is the
last stack frame for @var{obj}. @var{obj} must be either a
debug object or a continuation.
@end deffn


@node Examining the Stack
@section Examining the Stack

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} stack? obj
@deffnx {C Function} scm_stack_p (obj)
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a calling stack.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} stack-id stack
@deffnx {C Function} scm_stack_id (stack)
Return the identifier given to @var{stack} by @code{start-stack}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} stack-length stack
@deffnx {C Function} scm_stack_length (stack)
Return the length of @var{stack}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} stack-ref stack index
@deffnx {C Function} scm_stack_ref (stack, index)
Return the @var{index}'th frame from @var{stack}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} display-backtrace stack port [first [depth]]
@deffnx {C Function} scm_display_backtrace (stack, port, first, depth)
Display a backtrace to the output port @var{port}. @var{stack}
is the stack to take the backtrace from, @var{first} specifies
where in the stack to start and @var{depth} how much frames
to display. Both @var{first} and @var{depth} can be @code{#f},
which means that default values will be used.
@end deffn


@node Examining Stack Frames
@section Examining Stack Frames

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} frame? obj
@deffnx {C Function} scm_frame_p (obj)
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a stack frame.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} frame-number frame
@deffnx {C Function} scm_frame_number (frame)
Return the frame number of @var{frame}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} frame-previous frame
@deffnx {C Function} scm_frame_previous (frame)
Return the previous frame of @var{frame}, or @code{#f} if
@var{frame} is the first frame in its stack.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} frame-next frame
@deffnx {C Function} scm_frame_next (frame)
Return the next frame of @var{frame}, or @code{#f} if
@var{frame} is the last frame in its stack.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} frame-source frame
@deffnx {C Function} scm_frame_source (frame)
Return the source of @var{frame}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} frame-procedure? frame
@deffnx {C Function} scm_frame_procedure_p (frame)
Return @code{#t} if a procedure is associated with @var{frame}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} frame-procedure frame
@deffnx {C Function} scm_frame_procedure (frame)
Return the procedure for @var{frame}, or @code{#f} if no
procedure is associated with @var{frame}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} frame-arguments frame
@deffnx {C Function} scm_frame_arguments (frame)
Return the arguments of @var{frame}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} frame-evaluating-args? frame
@deffnx {C Function} scm_frame_evaluating_args_p (frame)
Return @code{#t} if @var{frame} contains evaluated arguments.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} frame-overflow? frame
@deffnx {C Function} scm_frame_overflow_p (frame)
Return @code{#t} if @var{frame} is an overflow frame.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} frame-real? frame
@deffnx {C Function} scm_frame_real_p (frame)
Return @code{#t} if @var{frame} is a real frame.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} display-application frame [port [indent]]
@deffnx {C Function} scm_display_application (frame, port, indent)
Display a procedure application @var{frame} to the output port
@var{port}. @var{indent} specifies the indentation of the
output.
@end deffn


@node Decoding Memoized Source Expressions
@section Decoding Memoized Source Expressions

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} memoized? obj
@deffnx {C Function} scm_memoized_p (obj)
Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is memoized.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} unmemoize m
@deffnx {C Function} scm_unmemoize (m)
Unmemoize the memoized expression @var{m},
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} memoized-environment m
@deffnx {C Function} scm_memoized_environment (m)
Return the environment of the memoized expression @var{m}.
@end deffn


@node Starting a New Stack
@section Starting a New Stack

@deffn {Scheme Syntax} start-stack id exp
Evaluate @var{exp} on a new calling stack with identity @var{id}.  If
@var{exp} is interrupted during evaluation, backtraces will not display
frames farther back than @var{exp}'s top-level form.  This macro is a
way of artificially limiting backtraces and stack procedures, largely as
a convenience to the user.
@end deffn


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