libabigail/doc
Dodji Seketeli 623391a040 Add --enable-debug-type-canonicalization to configure
This configure option adds the possibility to debug the type
canonicalization process specifically.

When this new configure option is turned on, in
ir::get_canonical_type_for, when the type T, candidate for
canonicalization is compared to a given canonical type C, the
comparison is done twice; once using structural equality and once
using canonical equality whenever it's possible.  For all the
sub-types of T and C, structural equality and canonical equality must
yield the same result.  Otherwise, an error message is emitted and the
process aborts.

This all happens when using the abidw program with the --enable-tc or
--enable-type-canonicalization option.

This has proven to be very helpful to detect type canonicalization issues.

For instance, here is a trace of canonicalization issue that was
detected thanks to this patch:

    $ build/tools/abidw --debug-tc /usr/lib64/libwiretap.so.11.0.8
    structural & canonical equality different for type: function type void (wtap*)
    in compare_types_during_canonicalization at: /home/dodji/git/libabigail/PR28364/src/abg-ir.cc:13575: execution should not have reached this point!
    Abandon (core dumped)

This means that right after canonicalizing the type "void (wtap*)",
structural and canonical equality yield different results.  So it
means there is a problem with that type specifically that makes its
canonicalization "go wrong".  This requires further debugging to
understand, but at least, we are super close to the root cause of the
canonicalization problem.

	* configure.ac: Support the new
	--enable-debug-type-canonicalization option.  Define macro
	WITH_DEBUG_TYPE_CANONICALIZATION accordingly.
	* doc/manuals/abidw.rst: Update documentation.
	* include/abg-ir.h
	(environment::debug_type_canonicalization_is_on): Declare new
	member function if WITH_DEBUG_TYPE_CANONICALIZATION is defined.
	* src/abg-ir-priv.h
	(environment::priv::{use_canonical_type_comparison_,
	debug_type_canonicalization_}): Define new data members if
	WITH_DEBUG_TYPE_CANONICALIZATION is defined.
	(environment::priv::priv): Initialize them.
	* src/abg-ir.cc (try_canonical_compare): When
	WITH_DEBUG_TYPE_CANONICALIZATION is defined, perform comparison
	using either structural or canonical equality depending on the
	environment::priv::use_canonical_type_comparison_ flag.
	(environment::debug_type_canonicalization_is_on): Define member
	function when WITH_DEBUG_TYPE_CANONICALIZATION is defined.
	(compare_types_during_canonicalization): Define new function.
	(type_base::get_canonical_type_for): Use the new function
	compare_types_during_canonicalization.
	* tools/abidw.cc (options::debug_type_canonicalization): Define
	new data member.
	(option::option): Initialize it.
	(display_usage): Add help string for --debug-tc.
	(parse_command_line): Support new option --debug-tc or
	--debug-type-canonicalization.
	(load_corpus_and_write_abixml): Turn type canonicalization
	debugging on if --enable-tc is provided.

Signed-off-by: Dodji Seketeli <dodji@redhat.com>
2021-10-18 09:40:15 +02:00
..
api Re-license the project to Apache v2 With LLVM Exception 2020-12-02 11:49:13 +01:00
manuals Add --enable-debug-type-canonicalization to configure 2021-10-18 09:40:15 +02:00
vizualization Initial DOT work. 2013-07-23 23:13:55 +02:00
website Update libabigail web page for 2.0 release 2021-10-04 16:07:37 +02:00
Makefile.am Re-license the project to Apache v2 With LLVM Exception 2020-12-02 11:49:13 +01:00
suppr-doc.txt Update the suppr-doc.txt file for variable suppressions 2014-11-01 12:21:59 +01:00