Merge pull request #5 from rocky1138/patch-2

[clinton/Virtual-Jaguar-Rx.git] / docs / vj_ReleaseNotes.txt

Release 3 (TBC)
---------------
0) Fixed the windows respawning in the next emulator launch without --alpine or --debugger options
1) Added an Exception Vector Table browser window
2) Modified the About window to update the credits list in a more appropriate way
-- Updated the emulator application credits line
3) Added 'Rx' word to the emulator name to make distinction with the original version

Release 2 (3rd September 2017)
------------------------------
0) Added some error detections when reading the ELF executable file
1) Added all hardware labels (based on the document scans from the Version 2.4 - June 7, 1995)
2) "Step Over" code function for BSR/JSR functions
3) Added the .debug_ranges detection to avoid a detection error
4) DWARF support
-- TAG: Compilation Unit, Subprogram, Variables, Types
-- Line numbers, symbols, functions
5) Added an All Watch browser window for non-local variables
6) Added a heap allocator browser window based on my own memory allocation functions
7) Added additional 4 memory browser windows with address input based on hexa, decimal or symbol name
8) Windows refreshing executed only if windows is visible
9) Added a restart function
-- Restart only the 68000 program counter to his original set
10) Modified the icons color backgound for the "Step In" and "Step Over" functions
11) Updated the About window to update the credits list
12) 64 bits Release executable
13) Fixed (hacking) the display of the SP (Stack) memory browser
14) Set the emulator in Halt mode when launched in alpine debug mode without a loaded rom
-- Otherwise the 68000 program counter will have a 0 value and will execute the code at this address
15) Added some information in the --help/-h/-? option
16) --debugger option no longer force the log file
17) Added a --dram-max option to extend the DRAM size to 8MB
18) Added the "enter" key support when setting the BPM (Breapoint)
19) Save the windows positions, size and visibilities (show or hide) status
-- Such windows will automatically respawn in the next emulator launch

Release 1 (12th February 2017)
------------------------------
0) BPM (Breapoint) now stop at the designated address and no longer stop after executing the code
1) Clean-up the tracing / no-tracing flags for better U.I understanding
2) Added SP (Stack) memory browser
3) User can change now the number of lines of disassembly displayed in the tracing window
4) User can turn on/off the op-codes associated in the disassembly lines displayed in the M68K tracing window
5) Added an emulator status window (GPU status, M68K debugger & tracking status)
6) Added a GPU disassembly tracing window - Display the current PC pointer
7) Added a DSP disassembly tracing window - Display the current PC pointer
8) Added possibility to change refresh rate of browser windows when emulation is launched
9) Display partial hardware labels (Internal Memory & Graphics sub-system address space) in the disassembly lines displayed in the M68K tracing window
-- Display first the hardware labels (based from the Jag V8 dev. PDF) and then the ones possibly found in the ELF debug symbol
10) Minor U.I cosmetic changes
11) User can turn on/off the hardware labels associated in the disassembly lines displayed in the M68K tracing window
-- It doesn't apply to the hardware labels possibly found in the ELF debug symbol

Release 0 (5th January 2017)
----------------------------
0) New option --debugger
1) ELF format support
2) ELF debug symbol support
3) "Step Into" code function
4) Menus layout dedicated to the debugger
5) Added a dedicated main window for tracing (M68K)
6) Added a Debugger tab in the config tab
7) Visual Studio 2015 project support
8) libelf-0.8.13 library support
9) 64 bits debug executable only


Known issues
============
1) Video output is not displayed due to OpenGL / QT5 integration problems with VS 2015
2) The BPM (Breapoint) remains stuck on his address when user wants to continue the code execution
-- Need to trace over the BPM or unset the BPM
3) To handle DWARF 2 issues with GCC, the code must be compiled with the -gdwarf-2 option
4) The Watch variables list may display not available (N/A) type information
-- Such missing information may be included in future release
5) The 2MB mirroring is no longer applied in case of --dram-max option usage
6) Stack must reflect the --dram-max option usage otherwise the stack may be corrupted
-- The application needs to set the SP (Stack) in accordance
7) The Exception Vector Table broswer window displays only 65 vectors
-- Missing vectors may be added in future release

Cosmetic / UX issues
====================
1) The SP (Stack) icon color backgound doesn't look similar with the other ones
2) The emulator status option has no icon
3) The SP (Stack) window size always open at a forced size no matter if the size has been changed

Legacy issues/hints
===================
1) Emulator seems to have easter egg(s)
-- The option --yarrr displays a single message and end the application
2) The --alpine option force the log file but it can be override if --no-log option is set after the --alpine option

Project information
===================
1) Code based on the Shamus Hammons source code available via Gethub by the 13th June 2016
2) Visual Studio 2015 project support for 64 bits
3) libelf 0.8.13 library 64bits for VS 2015
4) libdwarf 1.41 library 64bits for VS 2015, cygwin64 & Msys2/MinGW64
5) QT 5.5.1 library 64bits for VS 2015
6) Zlib 1.2.8 library 64bits for VS 2015
7) SDL 1.2.15 library 64bits for VS 2015
8) The original make files have been modified to follow the requirements and modifications
9) The 'Rx' word has been added to the emulator name to make distinction with the original version


Download statistics
-------------------
jaguar64eu : 15 downloads for the Release 0 on the 12th Feb, 2017
jaguar64eu : 18 downloads for the Release 1 on the 21st May, 2017
No downloads available for the Release 2