Valgrind - Revision history

Ndp: /* Changes to Makefile.am */

2013-04-29T23:20:44Z

Changes to Makefile.am

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:20, 29 April 2013
Line 15:		Line 15:

	=== Changes to Makefile.am ===		=== Changes to Makefile.am ===
	Add a conditional line to the unit tests Makefile.am that will set the Makefile variable ''TEST_ENVIRONMENT'' to the following: ''valgrind --quiet --trace-children=yes --error-exitcode=1 --dsymutil=yes --leak-check=yes ~~--log-file="valgrind-%p.log~~"''. Here's what the options do:		Add a conditional line to the unit tests Makefile.am that will set the Makefile variable ''TEST_ENVIRONMENT'' to the following: ''valgrind --quiet --trace-children=yes --error-exitcode=1 --dsymutil=yes --leak-check=yes"''. Here's what the options do:
	;quiet: suppress the usual (non-error) output of valgrind		;quiet: suppress the usual (non-error) output of valgrind
	;trace-children: when a test starts a subprocess, it's trace too (not the default). This is important when starting programs made using libtool since they are scripts by default that fork/exec to start the 'real' program.		;trace-children: when a test starts a subprocess, it's trace too (not the default). This is important when starting programs made using libtool since they are scripts by default that fork/exec to start the 'real' program.
Line 21:		Line 21:
	;dsymutil: useful for OS/X, but can increase runtime; does nothing on Linux		;dsymutil: useful for OS/X, but can increase runtime; does nothing on Linux
	;leak-check: Using ''yes'' gets leak details (the default is ''summary'')		;leak-check: Using ''yes'' gets leak details (the default is ''summary'')
	;log-file: Write any output detail errors to a file with the PID. I stopped using this with tests that are run from a Makefile since it writes files even when there's no output (i.e., using --quiet and there are no errors) and that is confusing.

	To add this in a Makefile.am use:		To add this in a Makefile.am use:
Line 27:		Line 26:
	if USE_VALGRIND		if USE_VALGRIND
	TESTS_ENVIRONMENT=valgrind --quiet --trace-children=yes --error-exitcode=1 \		TESTS_ENVIRONMENT=valgrind --quiet --trace-children=yes --error-exitcode=1 \
	--dsymutil=yes --leak-check=yes ~~--log-file="valgrind-%p.log"~~		--dsymutil=yes --leak-check=yes
	endif		endif
	</source>		</source>

	Other ''valgrind'' options that might be useful:		Other ''valgrind'' options that might be useful:
			;log-file: Write any output detail errors to a file with the PID. I stopped using this with tests that are run from a Makefile since it writes files even when there's no output (i.e., using --quiet and there are no errors) and that is confusing.
	;show-reachable: this will show all memory in use when the process exits		;show-reachable: this will show all memory in use when the process exits
	;track-origins: the ''memcheck'' tool in ''valgrind'' shows returns errors for uninitialized use, but not where the uninitialized memory/variable was defined. setting this to ''yes'' wil get that information, but at the cost of about doubling the runtime of the test/program.		;track-origins: the ''memcheck'' tool in ''valgrind'' shows returns errors for uninitialized use, but not where the uninitialized memory/variable was defined. setting this to ''yes'' wil get that information, but at the cost of about doubling the runtime of the test/program.

Ndp: /* Changes to configure.ac */

2013-04-29T23:14:12Z

Changes to configure.ac

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:14, 29 April 2013
Line 10:		Line 10:
	First, modify configure.ac so that it takes an option to turn this feature on. The ''m4'' file gcov_valgrind.m4 from libdap defines a very simple macro that will do this so only one line needs to be added to configure.ac. Copy and add the macro and add the line:		First, modify configure.ac so that it takes an option to turn this feature on. The ''m4'' file gcov_valgrind.m4 from libdap defines a very simple macro that will do this so only one line needs to be added to configure.ac. Copy and add the macro and add the line:
	DODS_GCOV_VALGRIND		DODS_GCOV_VALGRIND
	to configure.ac. This macro adds the --enable-valgrind and the --enable-gcov (see below) options and defines an automake variable that can be used in a Makefile.am file.		to configure.ac. This macro adds the --enable-valgrind and the --enable-gcov (see below) options to the configure script and defines an automake variable that can be used in a Makefile.am file.

	Note that gcov is the GNU compile coverage analysis tool. To use it, you must configure using ''./configure --enable-coverage'' (assuming you use the macro described above). Once configured for coverage analysis, run the tests and coverage data will be written to disk which can be analyzed using the ''gcov'' and ''gprof'' tools. The ''gcov'' program provides coverage data while the ''gprof'' tool provides profiling information.		Note that gcov is the GNU compile coverage analysis tool. To use it, you must configure using ''./configure --enable-coverage'' (assuming you use the macro described above). Once configured for coverage analysis, run the tests and coverage data will be written to disk which can be analyzed using the ''gcov'' and ''gprof'' tools. The ''gcov'' program provides coverage data while the ''gprof'' tool provides profiling information.

Ndp: /* Changes to configure.ac */

2013-04-29T23:12:09Z

Changes to configure.ac

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:12, 29 April 2013
Line 10:		Line 10:
	First, modify configure.ac so that it takes an option to turn this feature on. The ''m4'' file gcov_valgrind.m4 from libdap defines a very simple macro that will do this so only one line needs to be added to configure.ac. Copy and add the macro and add the line:		First, modify configure.ac so that it takes an option to turn this feature on. The ''m4'' file gcov_valgrind.m4 from libdap defines a very simple macro that will do this so only one line needs to be added to configure.ac. Copy and add the macro and add the line:
	DODS_GCOV_VALGRIND		DODS_GCOV_VALGRIND
	to configure.ac. This macro ~~add~~ the --enable-valgrind (and --enable-gcov; see below) options and defines an automake variable that can be used in a Makefile.am file.		to configure.ac. This macro adds the --enable-valgrind and the --enable-gcov (see below) options and defines an automake variable that can be used in a Makefile.am file.

	Note that gcov is the GNU compile coverage analysis tool. To use it, you must configure using ''./configure --enable-coverage'' (assuming you use the macro described above). Once configured for coverage analysis, run the tests and coverage data will be written to disk which can be analyzed using the ''gcov'' and ''gprof'' tools. The ''gcov'' program provides coverage data while the ''gprof'' tool provides profiling information.		Note that gcov is the GNU compile coverage analysis tool. To use it, you must configure using ''./configure --enable-coverage'' (assuming you use the macro described above). Once configured for coverage analysis, run the tests and coverage data will be written to disk which can be analyzed using the ''gcov'' and ''gprof'' tools. The ''gcov'' program provides coverage data while the ''gprof'' tool provides profiling information.

Jimg: /* Changes to Makefile.am */

2013-04-25T15:21:51Z

Changes to Makefile.am

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:21, 25 April 2013
Line 19:		Line 19:
	;trace-children: when a test starts a subprocess, it's trace too (not the default). This is important when starting programs made using libtool since they are scripts by default that fork/exec to start the 'real' program.		;trace-children: when a test starts a subprocess, it's trace too (not the default). This is important when starting programs made using libtool since they are scripts by default that fork/exec to start the 'real' program.
	;error-exitcode: valgrind does not usually return a non-zero code when it finds a leak, etc., but instead returns the program's exit code. Setting this to ''1'' means that leaks will show up as errors when the tests are run by ''make''.		;error-exitcode: valgrind does not usually return a non-zero code when it finds a leak, etc., but instead returns the program's exit code. Setting this to ''1'' means that leaks will show up as errors when the tests are run by ''make''.
	;dsymutil: ~~needed~~ for OS/X; does nothing on Linux		;dsymutil: useful for OS/X, but can increase runtime; does nothing on Linux
	;leak-check: Using ''yes'' gets leak details (the default is ''summary'')		;leak-check: Using ''yes'' gets leak details (the default is ''summary'')
	;log-file: Write any output detail errors to a file with the PID.		;log-file: Write any output detail errors to a file with the PID. I stopped using this with tests that are run from a Makefile since it writes files even when there's no output (i.e., using --quiet and there are no errors) and that is confusing.

	To add this in a Makefile.am use:		To add this in a Makefile.am use:

Jimg: Created page with "== Why == Why use ''valgrind'' with unit tests? Aside from why not, because it can catch errors like memory corruption, uninitialized value use and leaks. This addition drops i..."

2013-04-22T22:57:08Z

Created page with "== Why == Why use ''valgrind'' with unit tests? Aside from why not, because it can catch errors like memory corruption, uninitialized value use and leaks. This addition drops i..."

New page

== Why ==
Why use ''valgrind'' with unit tests? Aside from why not, because it can catch errors like memory corruption, uninitialized value use and leaks.

This addition drops into autotools very easily and works well with CppUnit.

== How ==
Modify ''configure.ac'' and ''Makefile.am''

=== Changes to configure.ac ===
First, modify configure.ac so that it takes an option to turn this feature on. The ''m4'' file gcov_valgrind.m4 from libdap defines a very simple macro that will do this so only one line needs to be added to configure.ac. Copy and add the macro and add the line:
DODS_GCOV_VALGRIND
to configure.ac. This macro add the --enable-valgrind (and --enable-gcov; see below) options and defines an automake variable that can be used in a Makefile.am file.

Note that gcov is the GNU compile coverage analysis tool. To use it, you must configure using ''./configure --enable-coverage'' (assuming you use the macro described above). Once configured for coverage analysis, run the tests and coverage data will be written to disk which can be analyzed using the ''gcov'' and ''gprof'' tools. The ''gcov'' program provides coverage data while the ''gprof'' tool provides profiling information.

=== Changes to Makefile.am ===
Add a conditional line to the unit tests Makefile.am that will set the Makefile variable ''TEST_ENVIRONMENT'' to the following: ''valgrind --quiet --trace-children=yes --error-exitcode=1 --dsymutil=yes --leak-check=yes --log-file="valgrind-%p.log"''. Here's what the options do:
;quiet: suppress the usual (non-error) output of valgrind
;trace-children: when a test starts a subprocess, it's trace too (not the default). This is important when starting programs made using libtool since they are scripts by default that fork/exec to start the 'real' program.
;error-exitcode: valgrind does not usually return a non-zero code when it finds a leak, etc., but instead returns the program's exit code. Setting this to ''1'' means that leaks will show up as errors when the tests are run by ''make''.
;dsymutil: needed for OS/X; does nothing on Linux
;leak-check: Using ''yes'' gets leak details (the default is ''summary'')
;log-file: Write any output detail errors to a file with the PID.

To add this in a Makefile.am use:
<source lang="make">
if USE_VALGRIND
TESTS_ENVIRONMENT=valgrind --quiet --trace-children=yes --error-exitcode=1 \
--dsymutil=yes --leak-check=yes --log-file="valgrind-%p.log"
endif
</source>

Other ''valgrind'' options that might be useful:
;show-reachable: this will show all memory in use when the process exits
;track-origins: the ''memcheck'' tool in ''valgrind'' shows returns errors for uninitialized use, but not where the uninitialized memory/variable was defined. setting this to ''yes'' wil get that information, but at the cost of about doubling the runtime of the test/program.