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# Application Level Debugging API

## Classes

struct | DEBUG_CONNECTION_INFO
struct | DEBUG_MODE

## Typedefs

typedef BOOL(* | LEVEL_PINCLIENT::DEBUG_INTERPRETER_CALLBACK )(THREADID threadIndex, CONTEXT *ctxt, const std::string &cmd, std::string *reply, VOID *v)

## Enumerations

enum | DEBUG_STATUS { DEBUG_STATUS_DISABLED, DEBUG_STATUS_UNCONNECTABLE, DEBUG_STATUS_UNCONNECTED, DEBUG_STATUS_CONNECTED
}
enum | DEBUG_CONNECTION_TYPE { DEBUG_CONNECTION_TYPE_NONE, DEBUG_CONNECTION_TYPE_TCP_SERVER, DEBUG_CONNECTION_TYPE_TCP_CLIENT }
enum | DEBUGGER_TYPE { DEBUGGER_TYPE_UNKNOWN, DEBUGGER_TYPE_GDB, DEBUGGER_TYPE_IDB, DEBUGGER_TYPE_VISUAL_STUDIO_VSDBG,
DEBUGGER_TYPE_VISUAL_STUDIO
}
enum | DEBUG_MODE_OPTION { DEBUG_MODE_OPTION_NONE = 0, DEBUG_MODE_OPTION_STOP_AT_ENTRY = (1<<0), DEBUG_MODE_OPTION_SILENT = (1<<1), DEBUG_MODE_OPTION_ALLOW_REMOTE = (1<<2)
}

## Functions

VOID | LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_AddDebugInterpreter (DEBUG_INTERPRETER_CALLBACK fun, VOID *val)
VOID | LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_RemoveDebugInterpreter (DEBUG_INTERPRETER_CALLBACK fun)
VOID | LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_ApplicationBreakpoint (const CONTEXT *ctxt, THREADID tid, BOOL waitIfNoDebugger, const std::string &msg)
BOOL | LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_SetDebugMode (const DEBUG_MODE *mode)
DEBUG_STATUS | LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_GetDebugStatus ()
BOOL | LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_GetDebugConnectionInfo (DEBUG_CONNECTION_INFO *info)
DEBUGGER_TYPE | LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_GetDebuggerType ()
BOOL | LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_WaitForDebuggerToConnect (unsigned timeout)
BOOL | LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_GetStoppedThreadPendingToolBreakpoint (THREADID tid, std::string *msg)
BOOL | LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_ChangePendingToolBreakpointOnStoppedThread (THREADID tid, BOOL squash, const std::string &msg)

## Detailed Description

This API allows the user to debug the application that is running on top of Pin. It also allows a tool to interact with the debugger and provide extended commands to the debugger. Also see the tutorial section on this topic: The Pin Advanced Debugging Extensions.

## Typedef Documentation

typedef BOOL(* LEVEL_PINCLIENT::DEBUG_INTERPRETER_CALLBACK)(THREADID threadIndex, CONTEXT *ctxt, const std::string &cmd, std::string *reply, VOID *v)

| Call-back function to handle commands from a debugger. The format of the cmd and reply strings may vary depending on which debugger is connected to Pin. Tools can call PIN_GetDebuggerType() to tell which debugger is connected. When the debugger is GDB, cmd is the text string that the user types after the "monitor" command and reply is displayed verbatim as a response to the command.

Pin reserves all command strings that start with the prefix "pin " or "pin:". Pin interprets these commands itself and does not pass them on to the tool.

Parameters:

  `[in]` | threadIndex | The Pin thread ID of the debugger's "focus" thread.
  `[in]` | ctxt | Application register state of the debugger's "focus" thread. The interpreter can change this state if it handles cmd. When the debugger resumes this thread, it will use the new register state in ctxt.
  `[in]` | cmd | The debugger command.
  `[out]` | reply | Receives the reply to the command, if the interpreter understands cmd.
  `[in]` | v | The tool's call-back value.

Returns:
  TRUE if this interpreter function understands cmd. FALSE if it does not. If FALSE is returned, Pin will call the next registered interpreter to see if it understands cmd.

## Enumeration Type Documentation

enum DEBUG_CONNECTION_TYPE

| Possible connection types for an application debugger. The connection type can be specified either via the -appdebug knobs or by PIN_SetDebugMode().

Enumerator:

  DEBUG_CONNECTION_TYPE_NONE | Application debugging is disabled in this session.
  DEBUG_CONNECTION_TYPE_TCP_SERVER | Pin opens a TCP port and waits for a debugger to connect.
  DEBUG_CONNECTION_TYPE_TCP_CLIENT | Pin connects to a TCP port opened by the debugger.

enum DEBUG_MODE_OPTION

| Options which affect application debugging.

Enumerator:

  DEBUG_MODE_OPTION_NONE | No options specified.
  DEBUG_MODE_OPTION_STOP_AT_ENTRY | If this option is set, Pin stops the application at the first instruction and execution remains stopped until a debugger connects and continues the application. If this option is cleared, the application immediately runs when PIN_StartProgram() is called.
  DEBUG_MODE_OPTION_SILENT | If debugging is enabled Pin normally prints a message to the console when PIN_StartProgram() is called which tells the user how to connect a debugger. This option suppresses the message.
  DEBUG_MODE_OPTION_ALLOW_REMOTE | By default, Pin only listens for a debugger's TCP connection on the local machine. If this option is enabled, Pin will also listen for a connection from a remote machine.

enum DEBUG_STATUS

| Possible status codes telling the state of application level debugging.

Enumerator:

  DEBUG_STATUS_DISABLED | Application debugging is not enabled in this Pin session.
  DEBUG_STATUS_UNCONNECTABLE | Application debugging is enabled, but it is too early to allow a debugger to connect.
  DEBUG_STATUS_UNCONNECTED | Application debugging is enabled, but no debugger is connected yet.
  DEBUG_STATUS_CONNECTED | Application debugging is enabled and a debugger is connected.

enum DEBUGGER_TYPE

| Application debugger types that could be connected to Pin.

Enumerator:

  DEBUGGER_TYPE_UNKNOWN | No debugger connected, or type is unknown.
  DEBUGGER_TYPE_GDB | The GNU debugger.
  DEBUGGER_TYPE_IDB | The Intel debugger.
  DEBUGGER_TYPE_VISUAL_STUDIO_VSDBG | Visual Studio via VSDBG.
  DEBUGGER_TYPE_VISUAL_STUDIO | Visual Studio via native connection.

## Function Documentation

VOID LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_AddDebugInterpreter | ( | DEBUG_INTERPRETER_CALLBACK | fun,
|  | VOID * | val
| ) |

| Register a handler that can interpret commands sent from an application debugger. This API allows a tool to extend the normal set of commands understood by a debugger that is connected to Pin. A tool may install more than one interpreter function. Pin calls each one until it reaches an interpreter that understand the command.

Parameters:

  `[in]` | fun | The debug interpreter function.
  `[in]` | val | Value to pass to the interpreter function.

Note:
  The pin client lock is obtained during the call of this API.

Availability:
  Mode: JIT
  O/S: Linux, Windows
  CPU: IA-32 and Intel(R) 64 architectures

VOID LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_ApplicationBreakpoint | ( | const CONTEXT * | ctxt,
|  | THREADID | tid,
|  | BOOL | waitIfNoDebugger,
|  | const std::string & | msg
| ) |

| A tool can call this API to stop execution in an application debugger as though a breakpoint was hit. The ctxt parameter tells the register state that the debugger sees when the application stops. If application level debugging is not enabled in this Pin session, execution does not stop, but resumes immediately at ctxt. Tools can tell if application level debugging is enabled by calling PIN_GetDebugStatus().

The semantics of this API are very similar to PIN_ExecuteAt(). Both APIs abandon the current analysis function and resume execution at a new CONTEXT. The only difference is that PIN_ApplicationBreakpoint() also stops at a breakpoint in the application debugger.

This API can be called from an analysis function or a replacement routine, but not from a callback.

The expected format of the msg string may depend on which debugger is connected to Pin. Tools can call PIN_GetDebuggerType() to find the debugger type.

When used with GDB, the msg string is displayed verbatim to the user when the debugger stops. The debugger adds a newline to the end of the string before displaying it.

Parameters:

  `[in]` | ctxt | The register state that is reported to the debugger. When the debugger resumes this thread, it resumes execution at this register state (unless the debugger changes the register state).
  `[in]` | tid | The ID of the calling thread.
  `[in]` | waitIfNoDebugger | If waitIfNoDebugger is TRUE and the status is DEBUG_STATUS_UNCONNECTED, PIN_ApplicationBreakpoint() blocks until a debugger connects. Tools can call PIN_GetDebugStatus() to get the status. If waitIfNoDebugger is FALSE or if the status is DEBUG_STATUS_DISABLED or DEBUG_STATUS_UNCONNECTABLE, PIN_ApplicationBreakpoint() resumes immediately at the new context when no debugger is connected.
  `[in]` | msg | Tells the reason why the breakpoint was triggered.

Returns:
  This API never returns.

Note:
  The vm lock is obtained during the call of this API.

Availability:
  Mode: JIT
  O/S: Linux, Windows
  CPU: IA-32 and Intel(R) 64 architectures

BOOL LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_ChangePendingToolBreakpointOnStoppedThread | ( | THREADID | tid,
|  | BOOL | squash,
|  | const std::string & | msg
| ) |

| If the given stopped thread has a pending tool breakpoint, this function can change the message associated with that breakpoint request or it can squash the breakpoint request entirely. The debugger will see the effect of the changed breakpoint after it resumes execution of the thread. If the tool changes the breakpoint message, the debugger will receive the breakpoint event with the new message. If the tool squashes the breakpoint request, the thread will not stop at the breakpoint at all. Instead, it continues executing at the ctxt parameter that was passed to PIN_ApplicationBreakpoint().

Parameters:

  `[in]` | tid | Pin ID of a stopped thread.
  `[in]` | squash | If TRUE, the breakpoint request is squashed. The msg parameter is ignored in this case.
  `[in]` | msg | The new breakpoint message for this breakpoint request.

Returns:
  TRUE if thread tid is stopped and has a pending breakpoint from PIN_ApplicationBreakpoint().

BOOL LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_GetDebugConnectionInfo | ( | DEBUG_CONNECTION_INFO * | info | ) |

| This function retrieves the information that an application level debugger will need in order to connect to this Pin session.

Parameters:

  `[out]` | info | Receives the connection information.

Returns:
  TRUE if application level debugging is enabled for this Pin session.

Availability:
  Mode: JIT
  O/S: Linux, Windows
  CPU: IA-32 and Intel(R) 64 architectures

DEBUGGER_TYPE LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_GetDebuggerType | ( |  | ) |

| This function tells the type of application level debugger (if any) that is connected to Pin. If no debugger is connected, returns DEBUGGER_TYPE_UNKNOWN.

Returns:
  The type of the application level debugger that is connected to Pin.

Availability:
  Mode: JIT
  O/S: Linux, Windows
  CPU: IA-32 and Intel(R) 64 architectures

DEBUG_STATUS LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_GetDebugStatus | ( |  | ) |

| This function tells whether application level debugging is enabled in this Pin session. If so, it tells whether an application debugger is currently connected to Pin.

Returns:
  A code telling the status of application level debugging.

Availability:
  Mode: JIT
  O/S: Linux, Windows
  CPU: IA-32 and Intel(R) 64 architectures

BOOL LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_GetStoppedThreadPendingToolBreakpoint | ( | THREADID | tid,
|  | std::string * | msg
| ) |

| Tells whether a stopped thread has called PIN_ApplicationBreakpoint(), but the breakpoint has NOT yet been reported to the debugger. For example, this can occur if two threads call PIN_ApplicationBreakpoint() simultaneously and the debugger has asked Pin to report one debugger event at a time. In this case, Pin reports one breakpoint to the debugger and leaves the other breakpoint pending.

Parameters:

  `[in]` | tid | Pin ID of a stopped thread.
  `[out]` | msg | If there is a pending breakpoint and if msg is not NULL, msg receives the breakpoint message.

Returns:
  TRUE if thread tid is stopped and has a pending breakpoint from PIN_ApplicationBreakpoint().

VOID LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_RemoveDebugInterpreter | ( | DEBUG_INTERPRETER_CALLBACK | fun | ) |

| Remove a previously installed debug interpreter function.

Parameters:

  `[in]` | fun | The interpreter function to remove.

Note:
  The pin client lock is obtained during the call of this API.

Availability:
  Mode: JIT
  O/S: Linux, Windows
  CPU: IA-32 and Intel(R) 64 architectures

BOOL LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_SetDebugMode | ( | const DEBUG_MODE * | mode | ) |

| Set whether application debugging is enabled or disabled in this Pin session and set the debugging mode if debugging is enabled. This API overrides the following knobs if they are specified on the command line:

- -appdebug
- -appdebug_enable
- -appdebug_silent
- -appdebug_allow_remote
- -appdebug_connection
- -appdebug_exclude

If the tool calls this API, it must be called before PIN_StartProgram().

Parameters:

  `[in]` | mode | Tells whether application debugging is enabled and specifies the mode. If mode->_tcpClient->_ip is set, this method makes a copy of the string.

Returns:
  TRUE on success, FALSE on failure or if called after PIN_StartProgram().

Availability:
  Mode: JIT
  O/S: Linux, Windows
  CPU: IA-32 and Intel(R) 64 architectures

BOOL LEVEL_PINCLIENT::PIN_WaitForDebuggerToConnect | ( | unsigned | timeout | ) |

| Waits for an application level debugger to connect to this Pin session. This function may only be called after PIN_StartProgram(). If the debugger status is DEBUG_STATUS_DISABLED or DEBUG_STATUS_UNCONNECTABLE, it returns FALSE immediately. After a successful return, an application level debugger is connected to Pin. The debugger will stop the application soon, but there is no guarantee that this will happen immediately after this API returns. If the tool wants to guarantee an immediate stop, it should call PIN_ApplicationBreakpoint().

Parameters:

  `[in]` | timeout | A timeout value (milliseconds). This function returns (with FALSE) if a debugger has not connected by the end of the timeout period. A timeout value of zero means wait forever.

Returns:
  TRUE if an application level debugger is connected.

Availability:
  Mode: JIT
  O/S: Linux, Windows
  CPU: IA-32 and Intel(R) 64 architectures