EclipseGuard User Guide

Introduction to Relative Debugging and EclipseGuard

Relative debugging allows a user to compare data between two executing programs. It was devised to aid the testing and debugging of programs that are either modified in some way, or are ported to other computer platforms. Whilst traditional debuggers force the programmer to understand the expected state and internal operation of a program, relative debugging makes it possible to trace errors by comparing the contents of data structures between programs at run time. In this way, the programmer is less concerned with the actual state of the program, and more concerned with finding when and where differences between the old and new codes occur.

A relative debugger checks user-supplied assertions by comparing data structures in the reference and development versions of the same program. It performs necessary transformations of different internal data representations on different computers or in different languages. When performing comparisons, the debugger must take into account different data types, allowing for such issues as inexact equality in floating point numbers, and differences in dynamic pointer values. Violations of assertions are reported to the user.

The EclipseGuard User Guide provides all of the information that you need to get started. This guide is divided into six sections:

1. EclipseGuard's background information - Concept

2. EclipseGuard's functionality - Functionality

3. Installing EclipseGuard - Getting Started

4. Tutorial on basic EclipseGuard features- Tutorial

5. Tutorial on Test Point Markers in EclipseGuard - Test Point Markers