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