[Boost-users] [ptr_container]Visual C++ 2005 visualizers for ptr_container classes and boost::array

16 Apr 2007

      Since I work with the ptr_container classes (especially ptr_vector and
ptr_map) quite a bit (very nice library!), I found it a little frustrating
attempting to debug container and iterator variables for these classes as
compared with how well the std containers show up in the VC++ watch window.
After some thought and experimentation I figured out how to add these
classes to the VC++ visualizer so that now these objects will display almost
as well as the std containers.

For those of you unfamiliar with the built-in visualizer (no surprise as
there is no official documentation for it), there is a text file called
autoexp.dat that contains definitions on how to display custom objects in
the watch window (including CString, std::string, and the standard
containers). I found this very helpful blog article that explains this in
more detail: http://www.virtualdub.org/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=120. The
autoexp.dat file is usually located in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual
Studio 8\Common7\Packages\Debugger.

Place the visualizer code (included down below) at the end of the
"visualizer" section of autoexp.dat (probably near the end of the file).

Some notes:

1. ptr_vector expands outs the same way as std::vector<T*> would rather than
std::vector<T>. I did it this way so you can easily see the memory address
of each contained object.

2. ptr_map unfortunately doesn't expand out exactly the same as
std::map<K,T*>. This is because ptr_map uses std::map<K,void*> internally
and not map<K,T*>. I couldn't figure out any way to auto convert the
sub-level appropriately. As a result the expanded entries only show the
value objects and not KEY and VALUE (e.g. where VALUE is the "second"
member). As a compromise I display the KEY elements in the preview section
so that you can still see them. The preview section can be seen in two
places: as a tooltip when you highlight the variable and on the first line
next to the variable in the watch window. If anyone can think of a
workaround or a better alternative let me know.

3. Also included is an entry for boost::array, so that these can be seen in
the watch window in the same manner as a static array.

Any questions?
Enjoy,

-- Bill --

Add the following text to autoexp.dat:

;---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
;  boost::ptr_vector
;---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
boost::ptr_vector<*,*>{
	children
	(
	    #array
	    (
			expr: (($T1**)($c.c_._Myfirst))[$i],
			size :	$c.c_._Mylast-$c.c_._Myfirst
		)
	)

    preview
    ( 
        #( 
			"[", 
            $e.c_._Mylast - $e.c_._Myfirst , 
            "](", 

            #array
            (
				expr : 	(($T1**)($c.c_._Myfirst))[$i],  
				size : 	$c.c_._Mylast-$c.c_._Myfirst
			), 
			")"
		)
	)
}

;---------------------------------------------------------------------------
;  boost::ptr_vector::iterator
;---------------------------------------------------------------------------
boost::void_ptr_iterator<std::_Vector_iterator<*>,*>{
	preview
	(
		#(
			($T2*)(*$c.iter_._Myptr)
		)
	)
	children
	(
		#(
			ptr: ($T2*)(*$c.iter_._Myptr)
		)
	)
}

;---------------------------------------------------------------------------
;  boost::ptr_set::iterator
;---------------------------------------------------------------------------
boost::void_ptr_iterator<*,*>{
	preview
	(
		#( ($T2*) $e.iter_._Ptr->_Myval)
	)

	children
	(
		#(ptr: ($T2*) $e.iter_._Ptr->_Myval)
	)
}

;---------------------------------------------------------------------------
;  boost::ptr_map
;---------------------------------------------------------------------------

boost::ptr_map<*,*,*>{
	preview
	(
		#(
			"[", 
			$e.c_._Mysize, 
			"](", 

			#tree
			(
				head : $c.c_._Myhead->_Parent, 
				skip : $c.c_._Myhead, 
				size : $c.c_._Mysize, 
				left : _Left, 
				right : _Right
			) : $e._Myval.first,

			")"
		)
	)		     
	children
	(
		#tree
		(
			head : $c.c_._Myhead->_Parent,
		    skip : $c.c_._Myhead, 
		    size : $c.c_._Mysize, 
		    left : _Left, 
		    right : _Right
		) : ($T2*)$e._Myval.second
	)
}

;---------------------------------------------------------------------------
;  boost::ptr_map
;---------------------------------------------------------------------------

boost::ptr_multimap<*,*,*>{
	preview
	(
		#(
			"[", 
			$e.c_._Mysize, 
			"](", 

			#tree
			(
				head : $c.c_._Myhead->_Parent, 
				skip : $c.c_._Myhead, 
				size : $c.c_._Mysize, 
				left : _Left, 
				right : _Right
			) : $e._Myval.first,

			")"
		)
	)		     
	children
	(
		#tree
		(
			head : $c.c_._Myhead->_Parent,
		    skip : $c.c_._Myhead, 
		    size : $c.c_._Mysize, 
		    left : _Left, 
		    right : _Right
		) : ($T2*)$e._Myval.second
	)
}

boost::ptr_map_iterator<*,*,*>{
	preview
	( 
		#( "(", $c.iter_._Ptr->_Myval.first, ",", ($T3*)
$c.iter_._Ptr->_Myval.second, ")"
		)
	)
	children
	(
		#(
			key: $c.iter_._Ptr->_Myval.first,
			value: ($T3*) $c.iter_._Ptr->_Myval.second,
			_ptr: $c.iter_
		)
	)
}

;---------------------------------------------------------------------------
;  boost::ptr_set
;---------------------------------------------------------------------------

boost::ptr_set<*,*>{
    preview
    ( 
		#( 
			"[", 
            $e.c_._Mysize , 
            "](", 

            #tree
            (
				head : $c.c_._Myhead->_Parent, 
				skip : $c.c_._Myhead, 
				left : _Left, 
				right : _Right,
				size  : $c.c_._Mysize
			) : ($T1*)$e._Myval, 

			")"
		)
	)

	children
	(
		#tree
		(
			head : $c.c_._Myhead->_Parent, 
			skip : $c.c_._Myhead, 
			left : _Left, 
			right : _Right,
			size  : $c.c_._Mysize
		) : ($T1*)$e._Myval
	)
}

;---------------------------------------------------------------------------
;  boost::ptr_set
;---------------------------------------------------------------------------

boost::ptr_multiset<*,*>{
    preview
    ( 
		#( 
			"[", 
            $e.c_._Mysize , 
            "](", 

            #tree
            (
				head : $c.c_._Myhead->_Parent, 
				skip : $c.c_._Myhead, 
				left : _Left, 
				right : _Right,
				size  : $c.c_._Mysize
			) : ($T1*)$e._Myval, 

			")"
		)
	)

	children
	(
		#tree
		(
			head : $c.c_._Myhead->_Parent, 
			skip : $c.c_._Myhead, 
			left : _Left, 
			right : _Right,
			size  : $c.c_._Mysize
		) : ($T1*)$e._Myval
	)
}

;---------------------------------------------------------------------------
;  boost::array
;---------------------------------------------------------------------------

boost::array<*,*>{
	preview( $c.elems )
	children
	(
	    #array
	    (
			expr:	$c.elems[$i],
			size :	$T2
		)
	)
}

[Boost-users] [ptr_container]Visual C++ 2005 visualizers for ptr_container classes and boost::array

Bill Buklis