d2853932b3b2cf2f974a378775875bab038bf108
[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
36 Release 4a (15th August 2019)
37 -----------------------------
38 Git commit: f04df4f185ed4f3cfc805d0f61b3c019a108ae2c
39 -
40 0) Fix specific breakpoint for ROM cartridge or unknown memory location writing
41
42 Release 4 (10th August 2019)
43 ----------------------------
44 Git commit: 9b25d85d1ea4a9476b83476bcec65e05464f68da
45 -
46 0) The zoom value setting has been fixed in the registry
47 1) Debugger mode now shares the same alpine rom path setting
48 2) Local variables window displays register name now
49 3) Switch to Zlib 1.2.11 static library 64bits for VS 2017
50 4) Switch to SDL 1.2.15 static library 64bits for VS 2017
51 5) Local variables window displays values from function's parameters
52 6) Fixed the typedef's name display in Local and Watch variables window
53 7) Breakpoint may now occur in case of a ROM cartridge writing
54 -- ROM cartridge writing detection follow the alpine "allow writes to cartridge rom"'s flag check
55 -- 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
56 8) Local variables window detects now if a variable is used or not by the code
57 9) The address provided in the debugger memory windows is now verified to prevent crash
58 -- Wrong address will be displayed in red
59 10) UI changes
60 -- Added new icons for the exit and status features
61 -- Modified icons for the SP (Stack) browser
62 -- Unified icons sizes depend on their usage (drop down menu and main menu)
63 -- Underline the active M68K line in the disassembly window
64 -- Allow the up/down navigation on the SP (Stack) browser
65 -- Restart function cleans-up the SP (Stack) browser and the heap allocator system
66 -- Fixed the up navigation on the memory window
67 11) Added some log information for the emulator initialisations
68 12) Breakpoint will happen in case of writing at unknown memory location
69 -- Alert box will display a message and then the code will stop
70 13) Added the DRAM size in the emulator status window
71 14) Debugger sources code clean-up
72 15) Added a call stack feature
73 16) Follow platform requirement to prevent source file reading issue
74 17) UI modifications
75 -- Modified icon for the memory window to make a distinction with the memory browser
76 -- The all watch, and Exception Vector Table windows, can be closed using keyboard
77 -- Renamed the debugger dedicated icons to make a distinction
78 -- Added the call stack window
79 18) Fixed a crash in the all watch window after loading a new binary without ELF/DWARF information
80 -- Previously used ELF/DWARF information was still accessible
81 19) Fixed slash/backslash issue, in the Alpine tab, to follow platform requirement
82 20) Heap allocation window uses the DRAM size limit option and detect if heap allocation shares space with SP (Stack)
83 21) Added a Jaguar model and BIOS configuration tab
84 22) Jaguar model and BIOS configuration integration
85 23) Added LEB128 decoding functions
86 -- It is used for the DWARF decoding information
87 24) Debugger support improvement
88 -- DWARF support for the enum type (partial), structure and subroutine type
89 -- Debugger can report variable's unsigned char value
90 25) UI modifications
91 -- Added a status bar, better status report & information display for the heap allocation window
92 -- Added a status bar, better status report & information display for the local variables window
93 -- Added better information display for the exception vectors table window, and added some missing vectors
94 -- Added a status bar, better status report & information display for the call stack window
95 -- Added a status bar, better status report & information display for the all watches window
96 26) Added screenshot feature
97 -- Not accessible in debugger mode
98 -- Added screenshot editable path in the general tab, and a key binding
99 27) Minor misspellings fixes
100 28) DWARF source code directory path clean-up
101 29) Added a source code files list viewer
102 -- List comes from the DWARF information
103 30) Check potential variables missing/incomplete description found in the DWARF information
104 -- No crash involved but can help to reduce such as variables duplicate or the blank ones
105 31) Added a sorting filter in the all watches window
106 32) Improve source code file reading to avoid additional text/bytes reading
107 33) Help & content texts updates
108 34) Fixed a crash legacy issue when emulator launches in Alpine mode without a valid rom
109 35) Added the support for the used lines source's DWARF structure
110 -- Mostly used to handle missing subprogram's lines information, and missing CU's low/high PC
111 36) Added the Rx version's contact in the help text
112 37) Added search paths in case of missing DWARF directories information
113 -- Used to look for the file(s)
114 38) Setup CU's low/high PC in case of the DWARF structures doesn't have it
115 -- Used mostly to allow display the source assembled with vasm
116 39) Added function name support from ELF structure
117 40) Added the return address information in the call stack
118 41) Added multiple breakpoints feature, and their key bindings, for functions only
119 42) Added timer initialisation for the SDL setup
120 43) Added a cartridge view menu
121 -- Added a window to display my own directory and his files list
122 44) Debugger sources code clean-up
123 45) Fix a crash when emulator, in non-debugger mode, opens the breakpoint UIs at launch
124 46) Fix crash with potential missing DWARF structure tag's type name
125 47) Added ELF sections check so a potential unknown section will stop, or not stop, the decoding
126 48) Project has switched to Qt 5.12.0 library 64bits for VS 2017
127 49) Added a Save Dump As... feature to save a memory zone to a file
128 50) The -d command line option, dedicated to the debugger, has been renamed to avoid duplication with the dsp one
129 -- -d has been renamed by -D because another -d was also used for the dsp command line option
130 51) Removed the sorting filter in the all watches window
131 52) Fix the support of the DRAM size limit option in the heap allocation window
132 53) Set cartridge view menu for debugger mode only
133 54) Prevent crash in case of call stack is out of range
134
135 Release 3 (13th November 2017)
136 ------------------------------
137 Git commit: b1b673a3b0d19e3c2c45b6590b773b11e45bced7
138 -
139 0) Fixed the windows respawning in the next emulator launch within --alpine or --debugger options
140 1) Added an Exception Vector Table window
141 2) Modified the About window to update the credits list in a more appropriate way
142 -- Updated the emulator application credits line
143 3) Added 'Rx' word to the emulator name
144 4) Fixed a crash when reading the DWARF information in the case of the DWARF2 format has not been used
145 5) Added ui, alpine and debugger groups in the settings
146 6) Added the possibility to erase settings
147 7) Added the --es-all, --es-ui, --es-alpine and --es-debugger options to erase specific settings
148 8) Added a key bindings tab and adapted the configuration dialog tabs
149 -- User can modify the key bindings where appropriate
150 -- Key bindings UI is displayed based on the option used (--debugger, -- alpine)
151 9) Fixed a crash, in Release mode, when the HW labels setting is turn on
152 10) Solved an interference between the HW labels setting and the one used by the debugger
153 -- The setting is now only the reference used
154 11) Fixed the SP (Stack) browser UI potential missing data
155 12) Create a directory for EEPROMs (based on the EEPROMs setting) if it doesn't already exist
156 13) Keep the scrollbar position in accordance of the M68K PC pointer
157 -- UI displays the source without the need to move down/up the scrollbar
158 14) Fixed a crash when DWARF information report a source line number exceeding the number of lines present in a source file
159 -- This may come from the linker vlink
160 15) Improved the .heap section detection to avoid a detection error
161 -- Depend vlink version, .heap section may have an Alloc flag
162 16) Fixed a crash when DWARF information does references to missing source code files
163 17) Added a local variables window
164 18) Project has switched to Visual Studio 2017 and Qt 5.9.1 library
165
166 Release 2 (3rd September 2017)
167 ------------------------------
168 0) Added some error detections when reading the ELF executable file
169 1) Added all hardware labels (based on the document scans from the Version 2.4 - June 7, 1995)
170 2) "Step Over" code function for BSR/JSR functions
171 3) Added the .debug_ranges detection to avoid a detection error
172 4) DWARF support
173 -- TAG: Compilation Unit, Subprogram, Variables, Types
174 -- Line numbers, symbols, functions
175 5) Added an All Watch window for non-local variables
176 6) Added a heap allocator window based on my own memory allocation functions
177 7) Added additional 4 memory windows with address input based on hexa, decimal or symbol name
178 8) Windows refreshing executed only if windows is visible
179 9) Added a restart function
180 -- Restart only the 68000 program counter to his original set
181 10) Modified the icons color backgound for the "Step In" and "Step Over" functions
182 11) Updated the About window to update the credits list
183 12) 64 bits Release executable
184 13) Fixed (hacking) the display of the SP (Stack) browser
185 14) Set the emulator in Halt mode when launched in alpine debug mode without a loaded rom
186 -- Otherwise the 68000 program counter will have a 0 value and will execute the code at this address
187 15) Added some information in the --help/-h/-? option
188 16) --debugger option no longer force the log file
189 17) Added a --dram-max option to extend the DRAM size to 8MB
190 18) Added the "enter" key support when setting the BPM (Breapoint)
191 19) Save the windows positions, size and visibilities (show or hide) status
192 -- Such windows will automatically respawn in the next emulator launch
193
194 Release 1 (12th February 2017)
195 ------------------------------
196 0) BPM (Breapoint) now stop at the designated address and no longer stop after executing the code
197 1) Clean-up the tracing / no-tracing flags for better U.I understanding
198 2) Added SP (Stack) browser
199 3) User can change now the number of lines of disassembly displayed in the tracing window
200 4) User can turn on/off the op-codes associated in the disassembly lines displayed in the M68K tracing window
201 5) Added an emulator status window (GPU status, M68K debugger and tracking status)
202 6) Added a GPU disassembly tracing window - Display the current PC pointer
203 7) Added a DSP disassembly tracing window - Display the current PC pointer
204 8) Added possibility to change refresh rate of browsers when emulation is launched
205 9) Display partial hardware labels (Internal Memory and Graphics sub-system address space) in the disassembly lines displayed in the M68K tracing window
206 -- Display first the hardware labels (based from the Jag V8 dev. PDF) and then the ones possibly found in the ELF debug symbol
207 10) Minor U.I cosmetic changes
208 11) User can turn on/off the hardware labels associated in the disassembly lines displayed in the M68K tracing window
209 -- It doesn't apply to the hardware labels possibly found in the ELF debug symbol
210
211 Release 0 (5th January 2017)
212 ----------------------------
213 0) New option --debugger
214 1) ELF format support
215 2) ELF debug symbol support
216 3) "Step Into" code function
217 4) Menus layout dedicated to the debugger
218 5) Added a dedicated main window for tracing (M68K)
219 6) Added a Debugger tab in the config tab
220 7) Visual Studio 2015 project support
221 8) libelf-0.8.13 library support
222 9) 64 bits debug executable only
223
224
225 Known issues
226 ============
227 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
228 2) The BPM (Breapoint) remains stuck on his address when user wants to continue the code execution
229 -- Need to trace over the BPM or unset the BPM
230 -- The issue can be prevented if the code doesn't set IRQ, otherwise the IRQ will need to be traced to get back control
231 3) DWARF 2 support
232 -- With GCC: the code must be compiled with the -gdwarf-2 option
233 4) The Local and Watch variables window may display not available type information or empty information
234 -- Such missing information may be included in future release
235 -- The 'const' type may not be reported correctly in the DWARF information
236 5) The 2MB mirroring is no longer applied in case of --dram-max option usage
237 6) Stack must reflect the --dram-max option usage otherwise the stack may be corrupted
238 -- The application needs to set the SP (Stack) in accordance
239 7) The Exception Vector Table window displays only 65 vectors
240 -- Missing vectors may be added in future release
241 8) User needs to manualy check if the Atari Jaguar executable match his source code files
242 -- Otherwise, source code and assembly may not match or leads to instabilities
243 9) The emulator needs to be restarted in case of the following actions occur
244 -- Key bindings changes
245 -- BIOS selection changes and without new executable load
246 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
247 11) Emulator will crash in case of wrong address value provided in the memory browser
248 12) The RAM access log is limited to the 2MB
249 13) In various occasions, global variables may be duplicated or without name in the DWARF information
250 -- It may come from the Vlink linker and/or GCC 7.1.0 or 8.2.0 compilation with -gdwarf-2 option
251 14) Source code disply only assembled code from vasm with option -dwarf
252 15) After a new breakpoint set, the breakpoint list window is not refreshed
253 -- User must perform an operation, such code tracing, to see the breakpoints list update
254 16) Some ASCII characters may be not displayed correctly
255 -- Probably depend how the text is displayed, this is related to the Qt/HTML encoding done when reading DWARF file
256 17) Potential legacy crash when leaving emulator in pause mode for a long period of time
257 -- Need much investigation
258
259 Cosmetic / UX issues
260 ====================
261 1) The SP (Stack) icon color backgound doesn't look similar with the other ones
262 2) The SP (Stack) browser size always open at a forced size no matter if the size has been changed
263 3) Not every features have associated key bindings
264
265 Legacy issues/hints
266 ===================
267 1) Emulator seems to have easter egg(s)
268 -- The option --yarrr displays a single message and end the application
269 -- Pressing F8, while in the main window, will create an extra message in the log file
270 2) The --alpine option force the log file but it can be override if --no-log option is set after the --alpine option
271
272 Project information
273 ===================
274 1) Code based on the Shamus Hammons source code available via Gethub by the 12th September 2017 (2.1.3 Final)
275 2) Visual Studio 2017 project support for 64 bits
276 3) libelf 0.8.13 library 64bits for VS 2017
277 4) libdwarf 20210305 library 64bits for VS 2017
278 5) Qt 5.12.0 library 64bits for VS 2017
279 6) Zlib 1.2.11 library 64bits for VS 2017
280 7) SDL 1.2.15 library 64bits for VS 2017
281 8) The original make files have been modified to follow the requirements and modifications
282 9) The 'Rx' word has been added to the emulator name to make distinction with the official version
283 10) The project is set at https://github.com/djipi/Virtual-Jaguar-Rx
284 11) GPLv3 file document has been renamed as LICENSE, to fit better the GitHub requirements
285 -- Text / License terms are the same
286 14) The x86 configuration has been removed in the VS 2017 project
287
288
289 Download statistics
290 -------------------
291 jaguar64eu : 15 downloads for the Release 0 on the 12th Feb, 2017
292 jaguar64eu : 18 downloads for the Release 1 on the 21st May, 2017
293 No downloads statistics available for the Release 2
294 No downloads statistics available for the Release 3