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    Debugging Npp .exe without a debugger (beginner)

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    • Alan KilbornA
      Alan Kilborn @Victorel Petrovich
      last edited by

      @Victorel-Petrovich

      OutputDebugString() is where I’d go with it, rather than going to the trouble of getting a console. But, it’s similar, and apparently what you have going now works, so…

      Victorel PetrovichV 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
      • Victorel PetrovichV
        Victorel Petrovich @Alan Kilborn
        last edited by

        @Alan-Kilborn Thank you for answering to the point .

        Everywhere I read (including 2 ref-s above , and at microsoft) they say OutputDebugString() is for when the app is run from / has a debugger .

        But, it’s similar, and apparently what you have going now works, so…

        Indeed.

        EkopalypseE 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • EkopalypseE
          Ekopalypse @Victorel Petrovich
          last edited by

          @Victorel-Petrovich said in Debugging Npp .exe without a debugger (beginner):

          Everywhere I read (including 2 ref-s above , and at microsoft) they say OutputDebugString() is for when the app is run from / has a debugger .

          … but it is not limited to be used only by debuggers. Applications like debugview from sysinternals tools can be used to get this output.

          or a pythons script like

          import ctypes
          from ctypes.wintypes import HANDLE, DWORD, BOOL, LPVOID, LPCWSTR, LPHANDLE
          import mmap
          import struct
          import os
          from Npp import console
          console.show()
          
          kernel32 = ctypes.WinDLL('kernel32', use_last_error=True)
          
          CreateEventW = kernel32.CreateEventW
          CreateEventW.argtypes = [LPVOID, BOOL, BOOL, LPCWSTR]
          CreateEventW.restype = HANDLE
          
          SetEvent = kernel32.SetEvent
          SetEvent.argtypes = [HANDLE]
          SetEvent.restype = BOOL
          
          WaitForSingleObject = kernel32.WaitForSingleObject
          WaitForSingleObject.argtypes = [HANDLE, DWORD]
          WaitForSingleObject.restype = DWORD
          
          WaitForMultipleObjects = kernel32.WaitForMultipleObjects
          WaitForMultipleObjects.argtypes = [DWORD, LPHANDLE, BOOL, DWORD]
          WaitForMultipleObjects.restype = DWORD
          
          CloseHandle = kernel32.CloseHandle
          CloseHandle.argtypes = [HANDLE]
          CloseHandle.restype = BOOL
          
          BUFFER_READY = kernel32.CreateEventW(None, 0, 0, 'DBWIN_BUFFER_READY')
          DATA_READY = kernel32.CreateEventW(None, 0, 0, 'DBWIN_DATA_READY')
          STOP_DBG_LOOP = kernel32.CreateEventW(None, 0, 0, 'STOP_DBG_LOOP')
          
          HANDLES = (HANDLE * 2)(DATA_READY, STOP_DBG_LOOP)
          buffer = mmap.mmap(0, 4096, "DBWIN_BUFFER", mmap.ACCESS_WRITE)
          CURRENT_NPP_ID = os.getpid()
          
          # Call SetEvent(STOP_DBG_LOOP) to stop the loop,
          # either with a second script or by calling from the PS console
          
          while True:
              SetEvent(BUFFER_READY)
              result = WaitForMultipleObjects(2, HANDLES, False, 0xFFFFFFFF)
              if result == 1:  # STOP_DBG_LOOP received
                  break
              elif result == 0:
                  buffer.seek(0)
                  process_id, = struct.unpack("L", buffer.read(4))
                  data = buffer.read(4092)
                  if CURRENT_NPP_ID != process_id:  # to prevent seeing PS's own debug strings.
                      if b"\0" in data:
                          data = data[:data.index(b"\0")]
                      print("Process:[{0}] {1}".format(process_id, data.decode().strip()))
              else:
                  print('ooppss: {}'.format(result))
                  break
          
          CloseHandle(BUFFER_READY)
          CloseHandle(DATA_READY)
          CloseHandle(STOP_DBG_LOOP)
          print('done')
          
          Victorel PetrovichV 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
          • Victorel PetrovichV
            Victorel Petrovich @Ekopalypse
            last edited by Victorel Petrovich

            @Ekopalypse you’re a wizard

            Victorel PetrovichV 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
            • Victorel PetrovichV
              Victorel Petrovich @Victorel Petrovich
              last edited by Victorel Petrovich

              I’ve just downloaded DebugView from sysinternals (easy to use), and read in several pages about OutputDebugString().
              So, yes, it’s good if you don’t want to create a console in the app with AllocConsole() like above.
              But then you usually need to prepare the formatted string in advance using sprintf() or similar, then pass to OutputDebugString… (Or write a special function to do it… again extra inserted code or files).
              So printf() is easier to use (at least for most practical cases, IMO), and already familiar.

              Alan KilbornA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • Alan KilbornA
                Alan Kilborn @Victorel Petrovich
                last edited by

                @Victorel-Petrovich said in Debugging Npp .exe without a debugger (beginner):

                So printf() is easier to use (at least for most practical cases, IMO), and already familiar.

                Really, only because you already have the “console” approach in your rearview mirror.

                If someone didn’t have that, OutputDebugString is easier.

                It’s just a matter of (in very simple terms):

                char buf[1024];
                sprintf(buf, “test”);
                OutputDebugString(buf);

                Victorel PetrovichV 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • Victorel PetrovichV
                  Victorel Petrovich @Alan Kilborn
                  last edited by Victorel Petrovich

                  @Alan-Kilborn said in Debugging Npp .exe without a debugger (beginner):

                  It’s just a matter of (in very simple terms):
                  char buf[1024];
                  sprintf(buf, “test”);
                  OutputDebugString(buf);

                  But when you have several tens of outputs to write in every function you test… :/

                  d390b628-0f66-493e-8f3e-127d0b706c2d-image.png

                  Alan KilbornA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                  • Alan KilbornA
                    Alan Kilborn @Victorel Petrovich
                    last edited by Alan Kilborn

                    @Victorel-Petrovich said in Debugging Npp .exe without a debugger (beginner):

                    But when you have several tens of outputs to write in every function you test

                    Hmm, no idea why that’s a problem…

                    I think if this is how you’re considering debugging Notepad++ changes you might make…it is going to wear you down fast and you’ll give up trying to make changes.

                    Victorel PetrovichV 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                    • Victorel PetrovichV
                      Victorel Petrovich @Alan Kilborn
                      last edited by Victorel Petrovich

                      @Alan-Kilborn With column-mode editing, and duplication of lines etc, it’s not that bad.
                      Much harder is to understand why I don’t get the results I expect, doing lots of googling , and try again and again.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • Victorel PetrovichV
                        Victorel Petrovich
                        last edited by

                        Another option, pointed out to me by @Yaron10 on github:
                        printInt(int int2print) and printStr(const TCHAR *str2print)
                        Will output in a message box…
                        Comparable with OutputDebugString in the need to prepare the (complex) string beforehand, but doesn’t require a debugger or allocating a console.
                        https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/blob/master/PowerEditor/src/MISC/Common/Common.cpp#L32
                        (The definitions also hint at how to properly pass the string).

                        PeterJonesP 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • PeterJonesP PeterJones moved this topic from General Discussion on
                        • PeterJonesP
                          PeterJones @Victorel Petrovich
                          last edited by

                          Topic moved to the newly renamed and refocused “Notepad++ & Plugin Development” category, where it naturally fits (I assumed @Victorel-Petrovich wouldn’t mind it being moved, since he was the one who wanted a specific place to ask such questions).

                          Personally, when I am doing a lot of print-based debugging, I write wrapper functions or #define macros that encapsulate all the formatting into the string, and then call the proper output function with that string, so that I can just have a single line of code for each inline debug print, and I let the complications of definining a dummy buffer variable and the sprintf formatting elsewhere.

                          But really, none of these questions are specific to debugging Notepad++, and is really a generic C/C++ “best way to debug without a debugger, without a console, or similar restriction” question.

                          Victorel PetrovichV 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                          • Victorel PetrovichV
                            Victorel Petrovich @PeterJones
                            last edited by

                            @PeterJones said in Debugging Npp .exe without a debugger (beginner):

                            I assumed @Victorel-Petrovich wouldn’t mind it being moved

                            True

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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