There are many very useful methods - a lot of methods - look at existing code before adding any new method. The compiler is mature from a functionality standpoint. Just immature in terms of documentation.
COMPILER DEBUGGING
To debug or isolate a specific issue, use lots of messages using PRINT or HSERPRINT. Both of these methods are easy to set up and use.
Specific to #SCRIPT, you can use WARNING messages to display results of calculations or assignments.
Specific to conditional compilation, use conditionaldebugfile (see above) to display conditional statement debug information for the specified file. Options are any valid source file
or nothing.
Nested conditions are evaluated sequentially, therefore the first, second, third, etc.
At this point, the compiler does not rationalise the hierarchy of nested conditions. It simply finds a condition and then
matches it to an #ENDIF.
So, the compiler walks through the nested conditions, from the outer nest, to the next nest, to the next nest, etc.
The compiler completes the following actions:
- If the conditional is not valid, remove the code segment including the
#IFand the#ENDIF. - If the conditional is valid, remove just the
#IFand the#ENDIF.
So, in this context the compiler walks the code many times (as these are lists, not arrays, this is blindingly fast) removing code segments.
The following program shows the impact of nested conditions. Each nest is evaluated until all conditions have been assessed. See the comment section of the listing to see the output from the debugging.
#CHIP 18F16Q41
#OPTION EXPLICIT
; ----- Add the following line to USE.ini ------------------
;
; conditionaldebugfile = IFDEF_TEST.gcb
;
; -----------------------------------------------------------
#IFDEF PIC
#IFDEF ONEOF(CHIP_18F15Q41, CHIP_18F16Q41)
#IF CHIPRAM = 2048 'TRUE
#IF CHIPWORDS = 32768 ' TRUE
#IFDEF VAR(NVMLOCK) 'TRUE
#IFDEF VAR(OSCCON2) 'TRUE
#IFDEF VAR(NVMCON0) 'TRUE set var1 to 1
DIM _VAR1
_VAR1 = 1
#ENDIF
#ENDIF
#ENDIF
#ENDIF
#ENDIF
#IF CHIPRAM = 4096 'TRUE
#IF CHIPWORDS = 32768 ' TRUE
#IFDEF VAR(NVMLOCK) 'TRUE
#IFDEF VAR(OSCCON2) 'TRUE
#IFDEF VAR(NVMCON0) 'TRUE = set var1 to 0
DIM _VAR1
_VAR1 = 0 ' <<< the assignment the debug trace below confirms actually executes
#ENDIF
#ENDIF
#ENDIF
#ENDIF
#ENDIF
#ENDIF
#ENDIF
Do
Loop
// ===============================================
// *** Below is debugger output for this file ***
// ===============================================
// GCBASIC (0.99.02 2022-07-21 (Windows 32 bit) : Build 1143)
// Compiling c:\Users\admin\Downloads\IFDEF_TEST.gcb
// 13: #IFDEF PIC
// 15: #IFDEF ONEOF(CHIP_18F15Q41, CHIP_18F16Q41)
// 17: #IF CHIPRAM = 2048
// 19: #IF CHIPWORDS = 32768
// 21: #IFDEF VAR(NVMLOCK)
// 23: #IFDEF VAR(OSCCON2)
// 25: #IFDEF VAR(NVMCON0)
// ;DIM _VAR1
// 27: DIM _VAR1
// ;_VAR1 = 1
// 28: _VAR1 = 1
// 15: #IFDEF ONEOF(CHIP_18F15Q41, CHIP_18F16Q41)
// 17: #IF CHIPRAM = 2048
// 19: #IF CHIPWORDS = 32768
// 21: #IFDEF VAR(NVMLOCK)
// 23: #IFDEF VAR(OSCCON2)
// 25: #IFDEF VAR(NVMCON0)
// ;DIM _VAR1
// 27: DIM _VAR1
// ;_VAR1 = 1
// 28: _VAR1 = 1
// 39: #IF CHIPRAM = 4096
// 41: #IF CHIPWORDS = 32768
// 43: #IFDEF VAR(NVMLOCK)
// 45: #IFDEF VAR(OSCCON2)
// 47: #IFDEF VAR(NVMCON0)
// ;DIM _VAR1
// 49: DIM _VAR1
// ;_VAR1 = 0
// 50: _VAR1 = 0
// 41: #IF CHIPWORDS = 32768
// 43: #IFDEF VAR(NVMLOCK)
// 45: #IFDEF VAR(OSCCON2)
// 47: #IFDEF VAR(NVMCON0)
// ;DIM _VAR1
// 49: DIM _VAR1
// ;_VAR1 = 0
// 50: _VAR1 = 0
// 43: #IFDEF VAR(NVMLOCK)
// 45: #IFDEF VAR(OSCCON2)
// 47: #IFDEF VAR(NVMCON0)
// ;DIM _VAR1
// 49: DIM _VAR1
// ;_VAR1 = 0
// 50: _VAR1 = 0
// 45: #IFDEF VAR(OSCCON2)
// 47: #IFDEF VAR(NVMCON0)
// ;DIM _VAR1
// 49: DIM _VAR1
// ;_VAR1 = 0
// 50: _VAR1 = 0
// 47: #IFDEF VAR(NVMCON0)
// ;DIM _VAR1
// 49: DIM _VAR1
// ;_VAR1 = 0
// 50: _VAR1 = 0
// Program compiled successfully (Compile time: 1 seconds)
// Assembling program using GCASM
// Program assembled successfully (Assembly time: 0.125 seconds)
// DoneKey line: _VAR1 = 0 — of the two nested #IF CHIPRAM branches (2048 and 4096), the debug trace shows only the CHIPRAM = 4096 branch’s assignments actually executing last for this chip, which is why the resulting ASM below sets _VAR1 to 0, not 1.
The resulting ASM from the above code is as expected. The assignment of VAR1 = 0.
;DIM _VAR1
;_VAR1 = 0
clrf _VAR1,ACCESS
;Do
SysDoLoop_S1
;Loop
bra SysDoLoop_S1
SysDoLoop_E1COMPILERDEBUG
The COMPILERDEBUG setting in the USE.INI file for GCBASIC is used to enable or disable debugging features for the compiler. When the bits of the COMPILERDEBUG setting are set to 1, it activates additional debug information during compilation, which can be helpful for developers to diagnose and fix issues.
To see the permissible bits for COMPILERDEBUG, first open and close the Preferences Editor (this does imply that the Preferences Editor is maintained to show the header in USE.INI), and then edit USE.INI. The help section will display the following:
'Preferences file for GCBASIC Preferences 3.14
... lots of help, then
' compilerdebug = 0 - 1 = COMPILECALCADD
' - 2 = VAR SET
' - 4 = CALCOPS
' - 8 = COMPILECALCMULT
' - 16 = AUTOPINDIR
' - 32 = ADRDX
' - 64 = GCASM
' - 128 = COMPILESUBCALLS
' - 256 = COMPILEUPDATESUBMAPTo see the debug output, add or edit the [gcbasic] section of USE.INI.
[gcbasic]
'change to a bitwise value
compilerdebug = 0As previously stated, this setting can be helpful for developers to diagnose and fix issues within the compiler.
