Hi All.
It might be useful for me to post my experiences with debugging a particularly
difficult software problem. Many or most of you will be aware of this procedure
I have done, but for those in the future who like me, are struggling with an
issue I hope it helps:
Scenario:
When closing an app in debug mode/run from IDE it would close with an app error,
but no possibility of tracing the originating source line.
When closing out of the Delphi environment it would occasionally bring up an app
error, or bring up Windows error box. Would either not start in some O/S eg
Win98 but work OK in WinXP or would terminate with app error.
Attempts to fix using various debug tools all failed. Resulting in many days of
historic checking of application sources to try and locate when or where the
problem was introduced.
I therefore had to figure out a novel way of approaching this situation which
would detail the problem. I knew it was happening after the formclosequery, but
it was happening a long way down the close track. Stepping through the closure
windows, examining each line of code was initially unsuccessful.
I had all debugs turned on.
The method which worked was:
First, closed all open Project Manager units (eg you might have several window
panes open in the projects window) except the mainunit. Set a break on the end;
line of formclose (or formclosequery). Run (F9), then Close. Step through all
the close procs by holding down F8 until the error surfaced. The offending
unit/proc was THE LAST TAB shown in the IDE of the various closing units.
After finding that one, it was easy to step through and find the offending line.
In this particular case, the offending component was one which should not have
been there. It had been used previously, and deleted off the form, but
remained in the USES clause.
Cheers,
Alistair+
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