llvm-project/libcxx/docs/DesignDocs/DebugMode.rst

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==========
Debug Mode
==========
.. contents::
:local:
.. _using-debug-mode:
Using the debug mode
====================
Libc++ provides a debug mode that enables special debugging checks meant to detect
incorrect usage of the standard library. These checks are disabled by default, but
they can be enabled using the ``_LIBCPP_DEBUG`` macro.
Note that using the debug mode discussed in this document requires that the library
has been compiled with support for the debug mode (see ``LIBCXX_ENABLE_DEBUG_MODE_SUPPORT``).
Also note that while the debug mode has no effect on libc++'s ABI, it does have broad ODR
implications. Users should compile their whole program at the same debugging level.
The various levels of checking provided by the debug mode follow.
No debugging checks (``_LIBCPP_DEBUG`` not defined)
---------------------------------------------------
When ``_LIBCPP_DEBUG`` is not defined, there are no debugging checks performed by
the library. This is the default.
Basic checks (``_LIBCPP_DEBUG == 0``)
-------------------------------------
When ``_LIBCPP_DEBUG`` is defined to ``0`` (to be understood as level ``0``), some
debugging checks are enabled. The non-exhaustive list of things is:
- Many algorithms, such as ``binary_search``, ``merge``, ``next_permutation``, and ``sort``,
wrap the user-provided comparator to assert that `!comp(y, x)` whenever
`comp(x, y)`. This can cause the user-provided comparator to be evaluated
up to twice as many times as it would be without ``_LIBCPP_DEBUG``, and
causes the library to violate some of the Standard's complexity clauses.
- FIXME: Update this list
Iterator debugging checks (``_LIBCPP_DEBUG == 1``)
--------------------------------------------------
Defining ``_LIBCPP_DEBUG`` to ``1`` enables "iterator debugging", which provides
additional assertions about the validity of iterators used by the program.
The following containers and classes support iterator debugging:
- ``std::string``
- ``std::vector<T>`` (``T != bool``)
- ``std::list``
- ``std::unordered_map``
- ``std::unordered_multimap``
- ``std::unordered_set``
- ``std::unordered_multiset``
The remaining containers do not currently support iterator debugging.
Patches welcome.
Handling Assertion Failures
===========================
When a debug assertion fails the assertion handler is called via the
``std::__libcpp_debug_function`` function pointer. It is possible to override
this function pointer using a different handler function. Libc++ provides a
the default handler, ``std::__libcpp_abort_debug_handler``, which aborts the
program. The handler may not return. Libc++ can be changed to use a custom
assertion handler as follows.
.. code-block:: cpp
#define _LIBCPP_DEBUG 1
#include <string>
void my_handler(std::__libcpp_debug_info const&);
int main(int, char**) {
std::__libcpp_debug_function = &my_handler;
std::string::iterator bad_it;
std::string str("hello world");
str.insert(bad_it, '!'); // causes debug assertion
// control flow doesn't return
}