Method of and apparatus for debugging multitask programs

• US 5,805,892 A
• Filed: 09/13/1995
• Issued: 09/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nakajima, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): Richey, Michael T.
• Application Number:
  US08/527,587
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 395/701, 395/704, 395/670, 395/676, 395/677, 395/183.15, 395/275.5, 395/281.7
• US Class Current: 717/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software

Abstract

An apparatus for debugging multitask programs has an input command interpreter for interpreting an inputted command, a system call issuance coder for issuing a system call from a task to be debugged which is designated by the command, a system call issuance preparator for converting a next execution address of execution environment information of the task to be debugged into an address of the system call issuance coder, and a system call issuance processor for starting the task to be debugged from a debugger monitor and issuing a system call for putting the debugger monitor into a wait state. When a command for designating and putting a desired task, such as a task B to be debugged, into the wait state is inputted from the host, the system call issuance processor processes the execution environment information of the task B with the system call issuance preparator to prepare an environment in which a system call can be issued from the task B. Thereafter, a debugger task is put into the wait state, and a queue manager of an operating system selects the designated task B, which issues a system call with a system call issuance coder and the previously prepared environment.

Claims

1. An apparatus for debugging multitask programs having a host for receiving user commands including a debugging command, and a target having a plurality of user application programs, a debugger monitor including a debugger task, and a real-time operating system including queue managing means for arranging the user application programs and the debugger monitor as a plurality of tasks in a queue with priority, and concurrently executing the tasks in an event-driven manner according to execution environment information of the tasks, said apparatus comprising:

input command interpreting means for interpreting a command inputted from the host and detecting a command inputted to the debugger monitor as designating a task to be debugged;

system call issuance coder for storing system call issuing means for issuing a system call from a task designated by the command detected by said input command interpreting means;

address converting means for converting a next execution address of the execution environment information of the task designated by said command;

execution environment information saving means for temporarily saving information containing the next execution address, prior to being converted, in the execution environment information of the designated task to be debugged, and data of said command; and

system call issuing means in the debugger task for starting the task to be debugged from the debugger monitor with the command interpreted by said input command interpreting means, and issuing a system call for putting the debugger monitor into a wait state.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising priority modifying means for increasing the priority in said queue managing means of the task with the next execution address in the execution environment information thereof being modified, as high as the debugger task.

3. A method of debugging multitask programs by registering a debugger program and a plurality of user application programs as a plurality of tasks in a queue under the supervision of a real-time operating system, and concurrently executing the tasks in an event-driven manner, said method comprising the steps of:

designating a task to be debugged and inputting information of a command for issuing a system call for putting the task into a wait state;

storing the information of the command into a stack area of the task to be debugged, with the debugger program;

storing a next execution address of the task to be debugged into a predetermined area;

issuing a system call for starting the task to be debugged from the debugger program;

registering the task to be debugged in the queue with the real-time operating system;

issuing a system call for putting the debugger program into the wait state from the debugger program;

and issuing a system call for putting the task to be debugged into the wait state according to the information of the command stored in the stack area when the task to be debugged is started.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the information of the command which is inputted includes a type and a parameter of the system call, and an indicator of the task for issuing the system call.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the priority in the queue of the task to be debugged is higher than the priority of other user application programs.