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In RAD Studio 10.2.1 we added support for debug visualizers for Delphi generic and C++ template types. A debug visualizer is an IDE plugin that allows you to change the display of a variable in the various debug windows, such as Local Variables and Watches.

“Great!”, you may think, “but how do I actually write one of these visualizers?”

Pretty easily, as it turns out.

A debug vizualiser is an interfaced class that implements some specific Open Tools API interfaces (see toolsapi.pas), located in a DLL or package, and an instance of which is registered with the IDE when the package is loaded. Those interfaces are:

IOTADebuggerVisualizer, IOTADebuggerVisualizer250: name and description of the visualizer, list of types it’s interested in; version 250 adds support for generics or templates by allowing you to specify that a type string is for a generic or template type.
IOTADebuggerVisualizerValueReplacer: this lets you replace the result of an expression returned by the debug evaluator with some other content – whatever you want. You can get more advanced than this, such as showing an external window for the results. This is just a simple example.
IOTAThreadNotifier, IOTAThreadNotifier160: let you handle an evaluation completing. A notifier, by convention in the ToolsAPI, also always has four other methods to do with saving, destroying and modification that are not meaningful in this example.

Table of Contents

Generic and template debug visualizer example

Here’s a complete visualizer code snippet. To test this out, create a new package, and add designide to the Requires. Then add a unit called GenericVisualizer.pas to it and paste in the following source code. To test it out, just right-click and Install, and then it’s running right there inside your local IDE instance. (You can also debug the IDE with IDE if you want to do some more advanced work and load it while debugging an instance of the IDE with your first copy of the IDE.)

Source code

.
unit GenericVisualizer;

interface

procedure Register;

implementation

uses
  Classes, SysUtils, ToolsAPI;

type
  TGenericVisualizer = class(TInterfacedObject, IOTADebuggerVisualizer,
    IOTADebuggerVisualizer250, IOTADebuggerVisualizerValueReplacer,
    IOTAThreadNotifier, IOTAThreadNotifier160)
  private
    FCompleted: Boolean;
    FDeferredResult: string;
  public
    { IOTADebuggerVisualizer }
    function GetSupportedTypeCount: Integer;
    procedure GetSupportedType(Index: Integer; var TypeName: string;
      var AllDescendants: Boolean); overload;
    function GetVisualizerIdentifier: string;
    function GetVisualizerName: string;
    function GetVisualizerDescription: string;
    { IOTADebuggerVisualizer250 }
    procedure GetSupportedType(Index: Integer; var TypeName: string;
      var AllDescendants: Boolean; var IsGeneric: Boolean); overload;
    { IOTADebuggerVisualizerValueReplacer }
    function GetReplacementValue(const Expression, TypeName,
      EvalResult: string): string;
    { IOTAThreadNotifier }
    procedure EvaluateComplete(const ExprStr: string; const ResultStr: string;
      CanModify: Boolean; ResultAddress: Cardinal; ResultSize: Cardinal;
      ReturnCode: Integer);
    procedure ModifyComplete(const ExprStr: string; const ResultStr: string;
      ReturnCode: Integer);
    procedure ThreadNotify(Reason: TOTANotifyReason);
    procedure AfterSave;
    procedure BeforeSave;
    procedure Destroyed;
    procedure Modified;
    { IOTAThreadNotifier160 }
    procedure EvaluateComplete(const ExprStr: string; const ResultStr: string;
      CanModify: Boolean; ResultAddress: TOTAAddress; ResultSize: LongWord;
      ReturnCode: Integer);
  end;

type
  TGenericVisualierType = record
    TypeName: string;
    IsGeneric: Boolean;
  end;

const
  GenericVisualizerTypes: array [0 .. 4] of TGenericVisualierType = (
    (TypeName: 'MyGenericType.IGenericInterface<T,T2>'; IsGeneric: True),
    (TypeName: 'MyGenericType.TGenericClass<System.Integer>'; IsGeneric: False),
    (TypeName: 'MyGenericType.TGenericClass<T>'; IsGeneric: True),
    (TypeName: 'std::vector<T, Allocator>'; IsGeneric: True),
    (TypeName: 'std::map<K, V, Compare, Allocator>'; IsGeneric: True)
  );

  { TGenericVisualizer }

procedure TGenericVisualizer.AfterSave;
begin
  // don't care about this notification
end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.BeforeSave;
begin
  // don't care about this notification
end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.Destroyed;
begin
  // don't care about this notification
end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.Modified;
begin
  // don't care about this notification
end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.ModifyComplete(const ExprStr, ResultStr: string;
  ReturnCode: Integer);
begin
  // don't care about this notification
end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.EvaluateComplete(const ExprStr, ResultStr: string;
  CanModify: Boolean; ResultAddress, ResultSize: Cardinal; ReturnCode: Integer);
begin
  EvaluateComplete(ExprStr, ResultStr, CanModify, TOTAAddress(ResultAddress),
    LongWord(ResultSize), ReturnCode);
end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.EvaluateComplete(const ExprStr, ResultStr: string;
  CanModify: Boolean; ResultAddress: TOTAAddress; ResultSize: LongWord;
  ReturnCode: Integer);
begin
  FCompleted := True;
  if ReturnCode = 0 then
    FDeferredResult := ResultStr;
end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.ThreadNotify(Reason: TOTANotifyReason);
begin
  // don't care about this notification
end;

function TGenericVisualizer.GetReplacementValue(const Expression, TypeName,
  EvalResult: string): string;
begin
  Result := 'Generic visualizer:' + '; ' +
    'Expression: ' + Expression + '; ' +
    'Type name: ' + TypeName + '; ' +
    'Evaluation: ' + EvalResult;
end;

function TGenericVisualizer.GetSupportedTypeCount: Integer;
begin
  Result := Length(GenericVisualizerTypes);
end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.GetSupportedType(Index: Integer;
  var TypeName: string; var AllDescendants: Boolean);
begin
  AllDescendants := True;
  TypeName := GenericVisualizerTypes[index].TypeName;
end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.GetSupportedType(Index: Integer;
  var TypeName: string; var AllDescendants: Boolean; var IsGeneric: Boolean);
begin
  AllDescendants := True;
  TypeName := GenericVisualizerTypes[index].TypeName;
  IsGeneric := GenericVisualizerTypes[index].IsGeneric;
end;

function TGenericVisualizer.GetVisualizerDescription: string;
begin
  Result := 'Sample on how to register a generic visualizer';
end;

function TGenericVisualizer.GetVisualizerIdentifier: string;
begin
  Result := ClassName;
end;

function TGenericVisualizer.GetVisualizerName: string;
begin
  Result := 'Sample Generic Visualizer';
end;

var
  GenericVis: IOTADebuggerVisualizer;

procedure Register;
begin
  GenericVis := TGenericVisualizer.Create;
  (BorlandIDEServices as IOTADebuggerServices).RegisterDebugVisualizer(GenericVis);
end;

procedure RemoveVisualizer;
var
  DebuggerServices: IOTADebuggerServices;
begin
  if Supports(BorlandIDEServices, IOTADebuggerServices, DebuggerServices) then
  begin
    DebuggerServices.UnregisterDebugVisualizer(GenericVis);
    GenericVis := nil;
  end;
end;

initialization

finalization
  RemoveVisualizer;

end.

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unit GenericVisualizer;

interface

procedure Register;

implementation

uses

Classes, SysUtils, ToolsAPI;

type

TGenericVisualizer = class(TInterfacedObject, IOTADebuggerVisualizer,

IOTADebuggerVisualizer250, IOTADebuggerVisualizerValueReplacer,

IOTAThreadNotifier, IOTAThreadNotifier160)

private

FCompleted: Boolean;

FDeferredResult: string;

public

{ IOTADebuggerVisualizer }

function GetSupportedTypeCount: Integer;

procedure GetSupportedType(Index: Integer; var TypeName: string;

var AllDescendants: Boolean); overload;

function GetVisualizerIdentifier: string;

function GetVisualizerName: string;

function GetVisualizerDescription: string;

{ IOTADebuggerVisualizer250 }

procedure GetSupportedType(Index: Integer; var TypeName: string;

var AllDescendants: Boolean; var IsGeneric: Boolean); overload;

{ IOTADebuggerVisualizerValueReplacer }

function GetReplacementValue(const Expression, TypeName,

EvalResult: string): string;

{ IOTAThreadNotifier }

procedure EvaluateComplete(const ExprStr: string; const ResultStr: string;

CanModify: Boolean; ResultAddress: Cardinal; ResultSize: Cardinal;

ReturnCode: Integer);

procedure ModifyComplete(const ExprStr: string; const ResultStr: string;

ReturnCode: Integer);

procedure ThreadNotify(Reason: TOTANotifyReason);

procedure AfterSave;

procedure BeforeSave;

procedure Destroyed;

procedure Modified;

{ IOTAThreadNotifier160 }

procedure EvaluateComplete(const ExprStr: string; const ResultStr: string;

CanModify: Boolean; ResultAddress: TOTAAddress; ResultSize: LongWord;

ReturnCode: Integer);

end;

type

TGenericVisualierType = record

TypeName: string;

IsGeneric: Boolean;

end;

const

GenericVisualizerTypes: array [0 .. 4] of TGenericVisualierType = (

(TypeName: 'MyGenericType.IGenericInterface<T,T2>'; IsGeneric: True),

(TypeName: 'MyGenericType.TGenericClass<System.Integer>'; IsGeneric: False),

(TypeName: 'MyGenericType.TGenericClass<T>'; IsGeneric: True),

(TypeName: 'std::vector<T, Allocator>'; IsGeneric: True),

(TypeName: 'std::map<K, V, Compare, Allocator>'; IsGeneric: True)

);

{ TGenericVisualizer }

procedure TGenericVisualizer.AfterSave;

begin

// don't care about this notification

end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.BeforeSave;

begin

// don't care about this notification

end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.Destroyed;

begin

// don't care about this notification

end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.Modified;

begin

// don't care about this notification

end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.ModifyComplete(const ExprStr, ResultStr: string;

ReturnCode: Integer);

begin

// don't care about this notification

end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.EvaluateComplete(const ExprStr, ResultStr: string;

CanModify: Boolean; ResultAddress, ResultSize: Cardinal; ReturnCode: Integer);

begin

EvaluateComplete(ExprStr, ResultStr, CanModify, TOTAAddress(ResultAddress),

LongWord(ResultSize), ReturnCode);

end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.EvaluateComplete(const ExprStr, ResultStr: string;

CanModify: Boolean; ResultAddress: TOTAAddress; ResultSize: LongWord;

ReturnCode: Integer);

begin

FCompleted := True;

if ReturnCode = 0 then

FDeferredResult := ResultStr;

end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.ThreadNotify(Reason: TOTANotifyReason);

begin

// don't care about this notification

end;

function TGenericVisualizer.GetReplacementValue(const Expression, TypeName,

EvalResult: string): string;

begin

Result := 'Generic visualizer:' + '; ' +

'Expression: ' + Expression + '; ' +

'Type name: ' + TypeName + '; ' +

'Evaluation: ' + EvalResult;

end;

function TGenericVisualizer.GetSupportedTypeCount: Integer;

begin

Result := Length(GenericVisualizerTypes);

end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.GetSupportedType(Index: Integer;

var TypeName: string; var AllDescendants: Boolean);

begin

AllDescendants := True;

TypeName := GenericVisualizerTypes[index].TypeName;

end;

procedure TGenericVisualizer.GetSupportedType(Index: Integer;

var TypeName: string; var AllDescendants: Boolean; var IsGeneric: Boolean);

begin

AllDescendants := True;

TypeName := GenericVisualizerTypes[index].TypeName;

IsGeneric := GenericVisualizerTypes[index].IsGeneric;

end;

function TGenericVisualizer.GetVisualizerDescription: string;

begin

Result := 'Sample on how to register a generic visualizer';

end;

function TGenericVisualizer.GetVisualizerIdentifier: string;

begin

Result := ClassName;

end;

function TGenericVisualizer.GetVisualizerName: string;

begin

Result := 'Sample Generic Visualizer';

end;

var

GenericVis: IOTADebuggerVisualizer;

procedure Register;

begin

GenericVis := TGenericVisualizer.Create;

(BorlandIDEServices as IOTADebuggerServices).RegisterDebugVisualizer(GenericVis);

end;

procedure RemoveVisualizer;

var

DebuggerServices: IOTADebuggerServices;

begin

if Supports(BorlandIDEServices, IOTADebuggerServices, DebuggerServices) then

begin

DebuggerServices.UnregisterDebugVisualizer(GenericVis);

GenericVis := nil;

end;

initialization

finalization

RemoveVisualizer;

end.

To test

For Delphi

Define some types:

.
type
  IGenericInterface<T,T2> = interface
  ['{2395EEA7-7E2E-485E-B6D3-C424A12FAE7F}']
  end;

  TGenericClassFromInterface<T,T2> = class(TInterfacedObject, IGenericInterface<T,T2>)
  end;


  TGenericClass<T> = class(TObject)
  end;

  TGenericClassDescendant<T> = class(TGenericClass<T>)
  end;

  TGenericClassDescendantInt = class(TGenericClass<Integer>)
  end;

type

IGenericInterface<T,T2> = interface

['{2395EEA7-7E2E-485E-B6D3-C424A12FAE7F}']

end;

TGenericClassFromInterface<T,T2> = class(TInterfacedObject, IGenericInterface<T,T2>)

end;

TGenericClass<T> = class(TObject)

end;

TGenericClassDescendant<T> = class(TGenericClass<T>)

end;

TGenericClassDescendantInt = class(TGenericClass<Integer>)

end;

This example is longer than the C++ one, because it demonstrates both generic classes and interfaces. It also shows some descendant types, where you need to register the descendant type separately. (For a non-generic-type debug visualizer, the visualizer is called for descendants of the registered type automatically.)

And create a new console app, giving it the contents:

.
procedure foo;
var
  a: TGenericClassFromInterface<Integer, string>;
  a1: IGenericInterface<Integer, string>;
  b: TGenericClass<string>;
  c: TGenericClass<Integer>;
  d: TGenericClassDescendant<string>;
  e: TGenericClassDescendantInt;
begin
  a := TGenericClassFromInterface<Integer, string>.Create;
  a1 := a;

  b := TGenericClass<string>.Create;
  c := TGenericClass<Integer>.Create;
  d := TGenericClassDescendant<string>.Create;
  e := TGenericClassDescendantInt.Create;

  writeln('abc'); // set breakpoint here
end;

begin
  try
    foo;
  except
    on E: Exception do
      Writeln(E.ClassName, ': ', E.Message);
  end;
end.

procedure foo;

var

a: TGenericClassFromInterface<Integer, string>;

a1: IGenericInterface<Integer, string>;

b: TGenericClass<string>;

c: TGenericClass<Integer>;

d: TGenericClassDescendant<string>;

e: TGenericClassDescendantInt;

begin

a := TGenericClassFromInterface<Integer, string>.Create;

a1 := a;

b := TGenericClass<string>.Create;

c := TGenericClass<Integer>.Create;

d := TGenericClassDescendant<string>.Create;

e := TGenericClassDescendantInt.Create;

writeln('abc'); // set breakpoint here

end;

begin

try

foo;

except

on E: Exception do

Writeln(E.ClassName, ': ', E.Message);

end;

end.

For C++

Create a new console app (and some shiny new template types as well, if you wish) and give it the contents:

.
int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])
{
	std::vector<int> myVec;
	std::map<int, std::string> myMap;


	return 0;    // BP here
}

int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])

{

std::vector<int> myVec;

std::map<int, std::string> myMap;

return 0; // BP here

}

To extend

This is the exciting bit! Try changing the data returned from GetReplacementValue(), and also try evaluating expressions yourself in the visualizer to use in the returned replacement.

Have fun!

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5 Comments


Frank

January 25, 2021 at 9:58 am

Visualization of STL types is paramount to debugging. Inability to inspect simple things like std::vector has frustrated me for years. If this mechanism enables such inspection options, I would highly suggest to integrate this with the IDE, for as many STL types as possible!

For C++builder users without Delphi license, can this be used?
- Reply
  
  David Millington
  
  January 25, 2021 at 11:21 am
  
  Hi Frank,
  
  We’ve actually replaced this system in 10.4, for the C++ Win64 debugger, and it works even better! You can read about it here: https://blogs.embarcadero.com/new-in-c-builder-10-4-a-new-debugger-for-win64-c/
  
  The new Win64 debugger uses ‘formatters’ which are build into the debugger itself, rather than being a plugin in the IDE, as this post describes. It includes formatters for std::vector, as well as eight or nine other types, and we’ve added a couple more since then. You can also easily add your own data types too, eg if you have your own complex data structure.
  
  And yes, both the system in this post, and the new system in 10.4.x, can be used with standalone C++Builder. We have a beta for 10.4.2 right now for active update subscription customers and if you’re interested, I recommend you try that out.

Roland Schramme

May 17, 2024 at 6:30 am

This is not working in Delphi 12.

There is a bug in the example:
procedure EvaluteComplete(const ExprStr: string; const ResultStr: string; CanModify: Boolean; ResultAddress: Cardinal; ResultSize: Cardinal; ReturnCode: Integer);
There is no procedure ´EvaluteComplete´. If it should be EvaluateComplete, “overload” is missing in the declaration.
- Reply
  
  David Millington
  
  May 17, 2024 at 6:40 am
  
  Hello — that is a good catch! This article was written in 2017. At some point since then, and I’m afraid I cannot remember the exact year, we fixed that typo. We don’t normally update fixed interfaces but a spelling error seemed worthwhile. If you’re using the latest version, you should hopefully see it as “Evaluate”, and the methods should be overloaded correctly. Re the last point, they’re not?
- Reply
  
  Ian Barker
  
  May 17, 2024 at 7:45 am
  
  Thanks for letting us know Roland. I’ve corrected the typo; I appreciate you pointing it out. The blogging platform we currently use means code examples are pasted in or typed manually and that can occasionally lead to some errors.
  
  WRG to it working on RAD Studio 12 – there are many thousands of articles most of which have code examples in them. As a result it’s not really practical or possible to go through each older article and update the code to work with new versions of the IDE. Most work (one of the benefits of Delphi is its backward compatibility), this one seems to need some work though. It’s a pretty elderly article from 2017! 🙂

Code snippet: IDE debug visualizer plugin for generic and template types

Generic and template debug visualizer example

Source code

To test

For Delphi

For C++

To extend

About author

David Millington

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Code snippet: IDE debug visualizer plugin for generic and template types

Generic and template debug visualizer example

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