340e5da89c48814ab28d3b3c2e17a29bd85697e4
[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 8) Added ELF & DWARF .debug* types
16 9) Added ELF section types check and new error messages
17 10) Modified the call stack layout window and added source filename from the called source line
18 11) Added a source tab in the main window for step into tracing
19 12) Added the step over for source level tracing
20 13) Set text conversion to Qt/HTML format for the M68K tracing window
21 14) Added a source code file date check when reading DWARF information
22 -- Will avoid source code mismatching with the ELF executable
23 15) Remove Visual Studio 2015 support
24 16) Work around fix for a compilation error on Linux
25 -- EEPROM directory creation allowed only for Windows at the moment
26 17) Show the SR value as a readable form in the CPU browser
27 18) Potential fix to compile on Linux
28 -- Added the relative directory path for the Qt include files
29 19) Merge the Linux build fixes from @richard42
30 -- Jaguar core's makefile and Qt pro file updates, fix filenames case sensitive & fixes for Linux
31 20) Updated the M68K exception catch
32 -- Added a M68K exception catch check in the Alpine tab settings
33 -- Added a specific breakpoint for the M68K bus error exception
34 21) Project has switched to libdwarf 20210305 library 64bits for VS 2017
35 22) Breakpoint list window is now refreshed after a new breakpoint is set
36 23) Handle number of M68K cycles used when tracing in debugger mode
37 -- The cycles are displayed in the emulator status window
38 24) Improve the DWARF source line number reporting
39 25) Added a #line in the call stack browser window
40
41 Release 4a (15th August 2019)
42 -----------------------------
43 Git commit: f04df4f185ed4f3cfc805d0f61b3c019a108ae2c
44 -
45 0) Fix specific breakpoint for ROM cartridge or unknown memory location writing
46
47 Release 4 (10th August 2019)
48 ----------------------------
49 Git commit: 9b25d85d1ea4a9476b83476bcec65e05464f68da
50 -
51 0) The zoom value setting has been fixed in the registry
52 1) Debugger mode now shares the same alpine rom path setting
53 2) Local variables window displays register name now
54 3) Switch to Zlib 1.2.11 static library 64bits for VS 2017
55 4) Switch to SDL 1.2.15 static library 64bits for VS 2017
56 5) Local variables window displays values from function's parameters
57 6) Fixed the typedef's name display in Local and Watch variables window
58 7) Breakpoint may now occur in case of a ROM cartridge writing
59 -- ROM cartridge writing detection follow the alpine "allow writes to cartridge rom"'s flag check
60 -- 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
61 8) Local variables window detects now if a variable is used or not by the code
62 9) The address provided in the debugger memory windows is now verified to prevent crash
63 -- Wrong address will be displayed in red
64 10) UI changes
65 -- Added new icons for the exit and status features
66 -- Modified icons for the SP (Stack) browser
67 -- Unified icons sizes depend on their usage (drop down menu and main menu)
68 -- Underline the active M68K line in the disassembly window
69 -- Allow the up/down navigation on the SP (Stack) browser
70 -- Restart function cleans-up the SP (Stack) browser and the heap allocator system
71 -- Fixed the up navigation on the memory window
72 11) Added some log information for the emulator initialisations
73 12) Breakpoint will happen in case of writing at unknown memory location
74 -- Alert box will display a message and then the code will stop
75 13) Added the DRAM size in the emulator status window
76 14) Debugger sources code clean-up
77 15) Added a call stack feature
78 16) Follow platform requirement to prevent source file reading issue
79 17) UI modifications
80 -- Modified icon for the memory window to make a distinction with the memory browser
81 -- The all watch, and Exception Vector Table windows, can be closed using keyboard
82 -- Renamed the debugger dedicated icons to make a distinction
83 -- Added the call stack window
84 18) Fixed a crash in the all watch window after loading a new binary without ELF/DWARF information
85 -- Previously used ELF/DWARF information was still accessible
86 19) Fixed slash/backslash issue, in the Alpine tab, to follow platform requirement
87 20) Heap allocation window uses the DRAM size limit option and detect if heap allocation shares space with SP (Stack)
88 21) Added a Jaguar model and BIOS configuration tab
89 22) Jaguar model and BIOS configuration integration
90 23) Added LEB128 decoding functions
91 -- It is used for the DWARF decoding information
92 24) Debugger support improvement
93 -- DWARF support for the enum type (partial), structure and subroutine type
94 -- Debugger can report variable's unsigned char value
95 25) UI modifications
96 -- Added a status bar, better status report & information display for the heap allocation window
97 -- Added a status bar, better status report & information display for the local variables window
98 -- Added better information display for the exception vectors table window, and added some missing vectors
99 -- Added a status bar, better status report & information display for the call stack window
100 -- Added a status bar, better status report & information display for the all watches window
101 26) Added screenshot feature
102 -- Not accessible in debugger mode
103 -- Added screenshot editable path in the general tab, and a key binding
104 27) Minor misspellings fixes
105 28) DWARF source code directory path clean-up
106 29) Added a source code files list viewer
107 -- List comes from the DWARF information
108 30) Check potential variables missing/incomplete description found in the DWARF information
109 -- No crash involved but can help to reduce such as variables duplicate or the blank ones
110 31) Added a sorting filter in the all watches window
111 32) Improve source code file reading to avoid additional text/bytes reading
112 33) Help & content texts updates
113 34) Fixed a crash legacy issue when emulator launches in Alpine mode without a valid rom
114 35) Added the support for the used lines source's DWARF structure
115 -- Mostly used to handle missing subprogram's lines information, and missing CU's low/high PC
116 36) Added the Rx version's contact in the help text
117 37) Added search paths in case of missing DWARF directories information
118 -- Used to look for the file(s)
119 38) Setup CU's low/high PC in case of the DWARF structures doesn't have it
120 -- Used mostly to allow display the source assembled with vasm
121 39) Added function name support from ELF structure
122 40) Added the return address information in the call stack
123 41) Added multiple breakpoints feature, and their key bindings, for functions only
124 42) Added timer initialisation for the SDL setup
125 43) Added a cartridge view menu
126 -- Added a window to display my own directory and his files list
127 44) Debugger sources code clean-up
128 45) Fix a crash when emulator, in non-debugger mode, opens the breakpoint UIs at launch
129 46) Fix crash with potential missing DWARF structure tag's type name
130 47) Added ELF sections check so a potential unknown section will stop, or not stop, the decoding
131 48) Project has switched to Qt 5.12.0 library 64bits for VS 2017
132 49) Added a Save Dump As... feature to save a memory zone to a file
133 50) The -d command line option, dedicated to the debugger, has been renamed to avoid duplication with the dsp one
134 -- -d has been renamed by -D because another -d was also used for the dsp command line option
135 51) Removed the sorting filter in the all watches window
136 52) Fix the support of the DRAM size limit option in the heap allocation window
137 53) Set cartridge view menu for debugger mode only
138 54) Prevent crash in case of call stack is out of range
139
140 Release 3 (13th November 2017)
141 ------------------------------
142 Git commit: b1b673a3b0d19e3c2c45b6590b773b11e45bced7
143 -
144 0) Fixed the windows respawning in the next emulator launch within --alpine or --debugger options
145 1) Added an Exception Vector Table window
146 2) Modified the About window to update the credits list in a more appropriate way
147 -- Updated the emulator application credits line
148 3) Added 'Rx' word to the emulator name
149 4) Fixed a crash when reading the DWARF information in the case of the DWARF2 format has not been used
150 5) Added ui, alpine and debugger groups in the settings
151 6) Added the possibility to erase settings
152 7) Added the --es-all, --es-ui, --es-alpine and --es-debugger options to erase specific settings
153 8) Added a key bindings tab and adapted the configuration dialog tabs
154 -- User can modify the key bindings where appropriate
155 -- Key bindings UI is displayed based on the option used (--debugger, -- alpine)
156 9) Fixed a crash, in Release mode, when the HW labels setting is turn on
157 10) Solved an interference between the HW labels setting and the one used by the debugger
158 -- The setting is now only the reference used
159 11) Fixed the SP (Stack) browser UI potential missing data
160 12) Create a directory for EEPROMs (based on the EEPROMs setting) if it doesn't already exist
161 13) Keep the scrollbar position in accordance of the M68K PC pointer
162 -- UI displays the source without the need to move down/up the scrollbar
163 14) Fixed a crash when DWARF information report a source line number exceeding the number of lines present in a source file
164 -- This may come from the linker vlink
165 15) Improved the .heap section detection to avoid a detection error
166 -- Depend vlink version, .heap section may have an Alloc flag
167 16) Fixed a crash when DWARF information does references to missing source code files
168 17) Added a local variables window
169 18) Project has switched to Visual Studio 2017 and Qt 5.9.1 library
170
171 Release 2 (3rd September 2017)
172 ------------------------------
173 0) Added some error detections when reading the ELF executable file
174 1) Added all hardware labels (based on the document scans from the Version 2.4 - June 7, 1995)
175 2) "Step Over" code function for BSR/JSR functions
176 3) Added the .debug_ranges detection to avoid a detection error
177 4) DWARF support
178 -- TAG: Compilation Unit, Subprogram, Variables, Types
179 -- Line numbers, symbols, functions
180 5) Added an All Watch window for non-local variables
181 6) Added a heap allocator window based on my own memory allocation functions
182 7) Added additional 4 memory windows with address input based on hexa, decimal or symbol name
183 8) Windows refreshing executed only if windows is visible
184 9) Added a restart function
185 -- Restart only the 68000 program counter to his original set
186 10) Modified the icons color backgound for the "Step In" and "Step Over" functions
187 11) Updated the About window to update the credits list
188 12) 64 bits Release executable
189 13) Fixed (hacking) the display of the SP (Stack) browser
190 14) Set the emulator in Halt mode when launched in alpine debug mode without a loaded rom
191 -- Otherwise the 68000 program counter will have a 0 value and will execute the code at this address
192 15) Added some information in the --help/-h/-? option
193 16) --debugger option no longer force the log file
194 17) Added a --dram-max option to extend the DRAM size to 8MB
195 18) Added the "enter" key support when setting the BPM (Breapoint)
196 19) Save the windows positions, size and visibilities (show or hide) status
197 -- Such windows will automatically respawn in the next emulator launch
198
199 Release 1 (12th February 2017)
200 ------------------------------
201 0) BPM (Breapoint) now stop at the designated address and no longer stop after executing the code
202 1) Clean-up the tracing / no-tracing flags for better U.I understanding
203 2) Added SP (Stack) browser
204 3) User can change now the number of lines of disassembly displayed in the tracing window
205 4) User can turn on/off the op-codes associated in the disassembly lines displayed in the M68K tracing window
206 5) Added an emulator status window (GPU status, M68K debugger and tracking status)
207 6) Added a GPU disassembly tracing window - Display the current PC pointer
208 7) Added a DSP disassembly tracing window - Display the current PC pointer
209 8) Added possibility to change refresh rate of browsers when emulation is launched
210 9) Display partial hardware labels (Internal Memory and Graphics sub-system address space) in the disassembly lines displayed in the M68K tracing window
211 -- Display first the hardware labels (based from the Jag V8 dev. PDF) and then the ones possibly found in the ELF debug symbol
212 10) Minor U.I cosmetic changes
213 11) User can turn on/off the hardware labels associated in the disassembly lines displayed in the M68K tracing window
214 -- It doesn't apply to the hardware labels possibly found in the ELF debug symbol
215
216 Release 0 (5th January 2017)
217 ----------------------------
218 0) New option --debugger
219 1) ELF format support
220 2) ELF debug symbol support
221 3) "Step Into" code function
222 4) Menus layout dedicated to the debugger
223 5) Added a dedicated main window for tracing (M68K)
224 6) Added a Debugger tab in the config tab
225 7) Visual Studio 2015 project support
226 8) libelf-0.8.13 library support
227 9) 64 bits debug executable only
228
229
230 Known issues
231 ============
232 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
233 2) The BPM (Breapoint) remains stuck on his address when user wants to continue the code execution
234 -- Need to trace over the BPM or unset the BPM
235 -- The issue can be prevented if the code doesn't set IRQ, otherwise the IRQ will need to be traced to get back control
236 3) DWARF 2 support
237 -- With GCC: the code must be compiled with the -gdwarf-2 option
238 4) The Local and Watch variables window may display not available type information or empty information
239 -- Such missing information may be included in future release
240 -- The 'const' type may not be reported correctly in the DWARF information
241 5) The 2MB mirroring is no longer applied in case of --dram-max option usage
242 6) Stack must reflect the --dram-max option usage otherwise the stack may be corrupted
243 -- The application needs to set the SP (Stack) in accordance
244 7) The Exception Vector Table window displays only 65 vectors
245 -- Missing vectors may be added in future release
246 8) User needs to manualy check if the Atari Jaguar executable match his source code files
247 -- Otherwise, source code and assembly may not match or leads to instabilities
248 9) The emulator needs to be restarted in case of the following actions occur
249 -- Key bindings changes
250 -- BIOS selection changes and without new executable load
251 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
252 11) Emulator will crash in case of wrong address value provided in the memory browser
253 12) The RAM access log is limited to the 2MB
254 13) In various occasions, global variables may be duplicated or without name in the DWARF information
255 -- It may come from the Vlink linker and/or GCC 7.1.0 or 8.2.0 compilation with -gdwarf-2 option
256 14) Source code disply only assembled code from vasm with option -dwarf
257 15) After a new breakpoint set, the breakpoint list window is not refreshed
258 -- User must perform an operation, such code tracing, to see the breakpoints list update
259 16) Some ASCII characters may be not displayed correctly
260 -- Probably depend how the text is displayed, this is related to the Qt/HTML encoding done when reading DWARF file
261 17) Potential legacy crash when leaving emulator in pause mode for a long period of time
262 -- Need much investigation
263
264 Cosmetic / UX issues
265 ====================
266 1) The SP (Stack) icon color backgound doesn't look similar with the other ones
267 2) The SP (Stack) browser size always open at a forced size no matter if the size has been changed
268 3) Not every features have associated key bindings
269
270 Legacy issues/hints
271 ===================
272 1) Emulator seems to have easter egg(s)
273 -- The option --yarrr displays a single message and end the application
274 -- Pressing F8, while in the main window, will create an extra message in the log file
275 2) The --alpine option force the log file but it can be override if --no-log option is set after the --alpine option
276
277 Project information
278 ===================
279 1) Code based on the Shamus Hammons source code available via Gethub by the 12th September 2017 (2.1.3 Final)
280 2) Visual Studio 2017 project support for 64 bits
281 3) libelf 0.8.13 library 64bits for VS 2017
282 4) libdwarf 20210305 library 64bits for VS 2017
283 5) Qt 5.12.0 library 64bits for VS 2017
284 6) Zlib 1.2.11 library 64bits for VS 2017
285 7) SDL 1.2.15 library 64bits for VS 2017
286 8) The original make files have been modified to follow the requirements and modifications
287 9) The 'Rx' word has been added to the emulator name to make distinction with the official version
288 10) The project is set at https://github.com/djipi/Virtual-Jaguar-Rx
289 11) GPLv3 file document has been renamed as LICENSE, to fit better the GitHub requirements
290 -- Text / License terms are the same
291 14) The x86 configuration has been removed in the VS 2017 project
292
293
294 Download statistics
295 -------------------
296 jaguar64eu : 15 downloads for the Release 0 on the 12th Feb, 2017
297 jaguar64eu : 18 downloads for the Release 1 on the 21st May, 2017
298 No downloads statistics available for the Release 2
299 No downloads statistics available for the Release 3