New Linkmap Window makes Source View more powerful

TPF/GI has added another powerful debugging aid to Source View: the Linkmap Window.

The Linkmap Window allows programmers to see the files and functions that make up a program, and to easily navigate to those files and functions.

Tree structure

The Linkmap Window presents information in a handy tree structure.

The first level of the tree contains the program name. The second level contains the files that the program is composed of. And the third level contains all the functions in each file, arranged alphabetically (Figure 1).

One strength of the Linkmap Window lies in its ability to let programmers add files to trace and navigate through their code.

To view a linkmap, programmers can select View>Linkmap... from the menubar and enter the name of a program in a dialog box. Or, even more conveniently, while stopped in Source View programmers can click a tool button, and the linkmap for the active program will be displayed.

Figure1: The Linkmap Window uses a tree structure to display the files and functions that belong to a program.

Easy navigation

One strength of the Linkmap Window lies in its ability to let programmers add files to trace and navigate through their code.

Once a linkmap is displayed, programmers can add a file to Source View trace by double clicking the file in the Linkmap Window. If the file has already been added to Source View trace, double clicking the file name will display the file.

Similarly, programmers can navigate to a function in their code by double clicking the name of the function in the Linkmap Window. The file in which the function resides will be downloaded and added to Source View trace if necessary, and then the file will be displayed with the beginning of the function highlighted.

Setting up trace on the fly: an example

A quick example will show how useful the Linkmap Window can be. Suppose a program is about to call a function named myFunc() that the programmer would like to trace into, but the programmer doesn?t know which file contains the function. He or she can do a Find (Ctrl+F) on the Linkmap Window and search for the text myFunc(). When the correct item is found, a double click will add the control file to Source View trace, and the programmer can step into myFunc() to look for bugs.

PC ease of use

The Linkmap Window is another step by TPF/GI to bring the power of PC-based debugging tools to TPF programs. When displayed, the Linkmap Window docks beside the Local Variables window, making it easy for programmers to switch from one to the other by clicking folder-style tab at the tops of the windows. The Local Variables Window allows programmers to view and change local variables in their human readable formats.