Fix a random crash when reading the source lines information
[clinton/Virtual-Jaguar-Rx.git] / docs / vj_HistoryNotes.txt
1 Release 5 (TBA)
2 ---------------
3 0) Added a date creation stamp in the application command line information
4 - This date already appears in the Release 4 executable but was not referenced in his history note
5 1) Added a specific breakpoint for the M68K illegal instruction exception
6 -- Alert box will display a message and then the code will stop
7 2) Added a specific breakpoint for the M68K address error exception
8 -- Alert box will display a message and then the code will stop
9 3) Added a HW registers browser window and set a tab for the Blitter
10 4) Added detection for the unsigned/signed short type
11 -- Will allow the return of a short type variable's value
12 5) Added a specific breakpoint for the M68K Unimplemented instruction, and Exception not referenced exceptions
13 6) Fix potential emulator freeze after an exception has occured
14 7) Fix a random crash when reading the source lines information
15
16 Release 4a (15th August 2019)
17 -----------------------------
18 Git commit: f04df4f185ed4f3cfc805d0f61b3c019a108ae2c
19 -
20 0) Fix specific breakpoint for ROM cartridge or unknown memory location writing
21
22 Release 4 (10th August 2019)
23 ----------------------------
24 Git commit: 9b25d85d1ea4a9476b83476bcec65e05464f68da
25 -
26 0) The zoom value setting has been fixed in the registry
27 1) Debugger mode now shares the same alpine rom path setting
28 2) Local variables window displays register name now
29 3) Switch to Zlib 1.2.11 static library 64bits for VS 2017
30 4) Switch to SDL 1.2.15 static library 64bits for VS 2017
31 5) Local variables window displays values from function's parameters
32 6) Fixed the typedef's name display in Local and Watch variables window
33 7) Breakpoint may now occur in case of a ROM cartridge writing
34 -- ROM cartridge writing detection follow the alpine "allow writes to cartridge rom"'s flag check
35 -- Alert box will display a message with possibility to pass or not the breakpoint only if this is related to a 8 or 16 bits ROM access
36 8) Local variables window detects now if a variable is used or not by the code
37 9) The address provided in the debugger memory windows is now verified to prevent crash
38 -- Wrong address will be displayed in red
39 10) UI changes
40 -- Added new icons for the exit and status features
41 -- Modified icons for the SP (Stack) browser
42 -- Unified icons sizes depend on their usage (drop down menu and main menu)
43 -- Underline the active M68K line in the disassembly window
44 -- Allow the up/down navigation on the SP (Stack) browser
45 -- Restart function cleans-up the SP (Stack) browser and the heap allocator system
46 -- Fixed the up navigation on the memory window
47 11) Added some log information for the emulator initialisations
48 12) Breakpoint will happen in case of writing at unknown memory location
49 -- Alert box will display a message and then the code will stop
50 13) Added the DRAM size in the emulator status window
51 14) Debugger sources code clean-up
52 15) Added a call stack feature
53 16) Follow platform requirement to prevent source file reading issue
54 17) UI modifications
55 -- Modified icon for the memory window to make a distinction with the memory browser
56 -- The all watch, and Exception Vector Table windows, can be closed using keyboard
57 -- Renamed the debugger dedicated icons to make a distinction
58 -- Added the call stack window
59 18) Fixed a crash in the all watch window after loading a new binary without ELF/DWARF information
60 -- Previously used ELF/DWARF information was still accessible
61 19) Fixed slash/backslash issue, in the Alpine tab, to follow platform requirement
62 20) Heap allocation window uses the DRAM size limit option and detect if heap allocation shares space with SP (Stack)
63 21) Added a Jaguar model and BIOS configuration tab
64 22) Jaguar model and BIOS configuration integration
65 23) Added LEB128 decoding functions
66 -- It is used for the DWARF decoding information
67 24) Debugger support improvement
68 -- DWARF support for the enum type (partial), structure and subroutine type
69 -- Debugger can report variable's unsigned char value
70 25) UI modifications
71 -- Added a status bar, better status report & information display for the heap allocation window
72 -- Added a status bar, better status report & information display for the local variables window
73 -- Added better information display for the exception vectors table window, and added some missing vectors
74 -- Added a status bar, better status report & information display for the call stack window
75 -- Added a status bar, better status report & information display for the all watches window
76 26) Added screenshot feature
77 -- Not accessible in debugger mode
78 -- Added screenshot editable path in the general tab, and a key binding
79 27) Minor misspellings fixes
80 28) DWARF source code directory path clean-up
81 29) Added a source code files list viewer
82 -- List comes from the DWARF information
83 30) Check potential variables missing/incomplete description found in the DWARF information
84 -- No crash involved but can help to reduce such as variables duplicate or the blank ones
85 31) Added a sorting filter in the all watches window
86 32) Improve source code file reading to avoid additional text/bytes reading
87 33) Help & content texts updates
88 34) Fixed a crash legacy issue when emulator launches in Alpine mode without a valid rom
89 35) Added the support for the used lines source's DWARF structure
90 -- Mostly used to handle missing subprogram's lines information, and missing CU's low/high PC
91 36) Added the Rx version's contact in the help text
92 37) Added search paths in case of missing DWARF directories information
93 -- Used to look for the file(s)
94 38) Setup CU's low/high PC in case of the DWARF structures doesn't have it
95 -- Used mostly to allow display the source assembled with vasm
96 39) Added function name support from ELF structure
97 40) Added the return address information in the call stack
98 41) Added multiple breakpoints feature, and their key bindings, for functions only
99 42) Added timer initialisation for the SDL setup
100 43) Added a cartridge view menu
101 -- Added a window to display my own directory and his files list
102 44) Debugger sources code clean-up
103 45) Fix a crash when emulator, in non-debugger mode, opens the breakpoint UIs at launch
104 46) Fix crash with potential missing DWARF structure tag's type name
105 47) Added ELF sections check so a potential unknown section will stop, or not stop, the decoding
106 48) Project has switched to QT 5.12.0 library 64bits for VS 2017
107 49) Added a Save Dump As... feature to save a memory zone to a file
108 50) The -d command line option, dedicated to the debugger, has been renamed to avoid duplication with the dsp one
109 -- -d has been renamed by -D because another -d was also used for the dsp command line option
110 51) Removed the sorting filter in the all watches window
111 52) Fix the support of the DRAM size limit option in the heap allocation window
112 53) Set cartridge view menu for debugger mode only
113 54) Prevent crash in case of call stack is out of range
114
115 Release 3 (13th November 2017)
116 ------------------------------
117 Git commit: b1b673a3b0d19e3c2c45b6590b773b11e45bced7
118 -
119 0) Fixed the windows respawning in the next emulator launch within --alpine or --debugger options
120 1) Added an Exception Vector Table window
121 2) Modified the About window to update the credits list in a more appropriate way
122 -- Updated the emulator application credits line
123 3) Added 'Rx' word to the emulator name
124 4) Fixed a crash when reading the DWARF information in the case of the DWARF2 format has not been used
125 5) Added ui, alpine and debugger groups in the settings
126 6) Added the possibility to erase settings
127 7) Added the --es-all, --es-ui, --es-alpine and --es-debugger options to erase specific settings
128 8) Added a key bindings tab and adapted the configuration dialog tabs
129 -- User can modify the key bindings where appropriate
130 -- Key bindings UI is displayed based on the option used (--debugger, -- alpine)
131 9) Fixed a crash, in Release mode, when the HW labels setting is turn on
132 10) Solved an interference between the HW labels setting and the one used by the debugger
133 -- The setting is now only the reference used
134 11) Fixed the SP (Stack) browser UI potential missing data
135 12) Create a directory for EEPROMs (based on the EEPROMs setting) if it doesn't already exist
136 13) Keep the scrollbar position in accordance of the M68K PC pointer
137 -- UI displays the source without the need to move down/up the scrollbar
138 14) Fixed a crash when DWARF information report a source line number exceeding the number of lines present in a source file
139 -- This may come from the linker vlink
140 15) Improved the .heap section detection to avoid a detection error
141 -- Depend vlink version, .heap section may have an Alloc flag
142 16) Fixed a crash when DWARF information does references to missing source code files
143 17) Added a local variables window
144 18) Project has switched to Visual Studio 2017 and QT 5.9.1 library
145
146 Release 2 (3rd September 2017)
147 ------------------------------
148 0) Added some error detections when reading the ELF executable file
149 1) Added all hardware labels (based on the document scans from the Version 2.4 - June 7, 1995)
150 2) "Step Over" code function for BSR/JSR functions
151 3) Added the .debug_ranges detection to avoid a detection error
152 4) DWARF support
153 -- TAG: Compilation Unit, Subprogram, Variables, Types
154 -- Line numbers, symbols, functions
155 5) Added an All Watch window for non-local variables
156 6) Added a heap allocator window based on my own memory allocation functions
157 7) Added additional 4 memory windows with address input based on hexa, decimal or symbol name
158 8) Windows refreshing executed only if windows is visible
159 9) Added a restart function
160 -- Restart only the 68000 program counter to his original set
161 10) Modified the icons color backgound for the "Step In" and "Step Over" functions
162 11) Updated the About window to update the credits list
163 12) 64 bits Release executable
164 13) Fixed (hacking) the display of the SP (Stack) browser
165 14) Set the emulator in Halt mode when launched in alpine debug mode without a loaded rom
166 -- Otherwise the 68000 program counter will have a 0 value and will execute the code at this address
167 15) Added some information in the --help/-h/-? option
168 16) --debugger option no longer force the log file
169 17) Added a --dram-max option to extend the DRAM size to 8MB
170 18) Added the "enter" key support when setting the BPM (Breapoint)
171 19) Save the windows positions, size and visibilities (show or hide) status
172 -- Such windows will automatically respawn in the next emulator launch
173
174 Release 1 (12th February 2017)
175 ------------------------------
176 0) BPM (Breapoint) now stop at the designated address and no longer stop after executing the code
177 1) Clean-up the tracing / no-tracing flags for better U.I understanding
178 2) Added SP (Stack) browser
179 3) User can change now the number of lines of disassembly displayed in the tracing window
180 4) User can turn on/off the op-codes associated in the disassembly lines displayed in the M68K tracing window
181 5) Added an emulator status window (GPU status, M68K debugger and tracking status)
182 6) Added a GPU disassembly tracing window - Display the current PC pointer
183 7) Added a DSP disassembly tracing window - Display the current PC pointer
184 8) Added possibility to change refresh rate of browsers when emulation is launched
185 9) Display partial hardware labels (Internal Memory and Graphics sub-system address space) in the disassembly lines displayed in the M68K tracing window
186 -- Display first the hardware labels (based from the Jag V8 dev. PDF) and then the ones possibly found in the ELF debug symbol
187 10) Minor U.I cosmetic changes
188 11) User can turn on/off the hardware labels associated in the disassembly lines displayed in the M68K tracing window
189 -- It doesn't apply to the hardware labels possibly found in the ELF debug symbol
190
191 Release 0 (5th January 2017)
192 ----------------------------
193 0) New option --debugger
194 1) ELF format support
195 2) ELF debug symbol support
196 3) "Step Into" code function
197 4) Menus layout dedicated to the debugger
198 5) Added a dedicated main window for tracing (M68K)
199 6) Added a Debugger tab in the config tab
200 7) Visual Studio 2015 project support
201 8) libelf-0.8.13 library support
202 9) 64 bits debug executable only
203
204
205 Known issues
206 ============
207 1) Video output is not displayed due to my OpenGL / QT5 5.5.1 integration with VS 2015 but solved when using the QT 5.9.1 package for VS 2017
208 2) The BPM (Breapoint) remains stuck on his address when user wants to continue the code execution
209 -- Need to trace over the BPM or unset the BPM
210 -- The issue can be prevented if the code doesn't set IRQ, otherwise the IRQ will need to be traced to get back control
211 3) DWARF 2 support
212 -- With GCC: the code must be compiled with the -gdwarf-2 option
213 4) The Local and Watch variables window may display not available type information or empty information
214 -- Such missing information may be included in future release
215 -- The 'const' type may not be reported correctly in the DWARF information
216 5) The 2MB mirroring is no longer applied in case of --dram-max option usage
217 6) Stack must reflect the --dram-max option usage otherwise the stack may be corrupted
218 -- The application needs to set the SP (Stack) in accordance
219 7) The Exception Vector Table window displays only 65 vectors
220 -- Missing vectors may be added in future release
221 8) User needs to manualy check if the Atari Jaguar executable match his source code files
222 -- Otherwise, source code and assembly may not match or leads to instabilities
223 9) The emulator needs to be restarted in case of the following actions occur
224 -- Key bindings changes
225 -- BIOS selection changes and without new executable load
226 10) In the case of a ROM cartridge writing, and with occuring breakpoint, the PC pointer will point at the next instruction and not at the instruction causing the breakpoint
227 11) Emulator will crash in case of wrong address value provided in the memory browser
228 12) The RAM access log is limited to the 2MB
229 13) In various occasions, global variables may be duplicated or without name in the DWARF information
230 -- It may come from the Vlink linker and/or GCC 7.1.0 or 8.2.0 compilation with -gdwarf-2 option
231 14) Source code disply only assembled code from vasm with option -dwarf
232 15) After a new breakpoint set, the breakpoint list window is not refreshed
233 -- User must perform an operation, such code tracing, to see the breakpoints list update
234 16) Some ASCII characters may be not displayed correctly
235 -- It depend how the text is displayed, this is related to the QT/HTML encoding done when reading DWARF file
236 17) Potential legacy crash when leaving emulator in pause mode for a long period of time
237
238 Cosmetic / UX issues
239 ====================
240 1) The SP (Stack) icon color backgound doesn't look similar with the other ones
241 2) The SP (Stack) browser size always open at a forced size no matter if the size has been changed
242 3) Not every features have associated key bindings
243
244 Legacy issues/hints
245 ===================
246 1) Emulator seems to have easter egg(s)
247 -- The option --yarrr displays a single message and end the application
248 -- Pressing F8, while in the main window, will create an extra message in the log file
249 2) The --alpine option force the log file but it can be override if --no-log option is set after the --alpine option
250
251 Project information
252 ===================
253 1) Code based on the Shamus Hammons source code available via Gethub by the 12th September 2017 (2.1.3 Final)
254 2) Visual Studio 2015/2017 project support for 64 bits
255 3) libelf 0.8.13 library 64bits for VS 2015/2017
256 4) libdwarf 1.41 library 64bits for VS 2015, cygwin64 and Msys2/MinGW64
257 5) QT 5.5.1 library 64bits for VS 2015
258 6) QT 5.12.0 library 64bits for VS 2017
259 7) Zlib 1.2.8 library 64bits for VS 2015
260 8) Zlib 1.2.11 library 64bits for VS 2017
261 9) SDL 1.2.15 library 64bits for VS 2015/2017
262 10) The original make files have been modified to follow the requirements and modifications
263 11) The 'Rx' word has been added to the emulator name to make distinction with the official version
264 12) The project is set at https://github.com/djipi/Virtual-Jaguar-Rx
265 13) GPLv3 file document has been renamed as LICENSE, to fit better the GitHub requirements
266 -- Text / License terms are the same
267 14) The x86 configuration has been removed in the VS 2017 project
268
269
270 Download statistics
271 -------------------
272 jaguar64eu : 15 downloads for the Release 0 on the 12th Feb, 2017
273 jaguar64eu : 18 downloads for the Release 1 on the 21st May, 2017
274 No downloads statistics available for the Release 2
275 No downloads statistics available for the Release 3