21. symify

Usage: symify [-o output.dmp] [-i input.dmp] progname.exe

symify is a utility that adds procedure names and source line numbers to the call frame traceback displayed on the screen when a program aborts. The default behavior is to add the extra information to the screen, but input or output from files can be specified with the `-o' and `-i' switches. symify can only interpret debug information in COFF format. If bfdsymify is installed symify will pass the arguments to bfdsymify, which can handle additional debug formats. bfdsymify is included in the gdb (GNU debugger) package.

The call frame traceback EIPs are displayed in hexadecimal address values. These values show the addresses where one procedure calls another and has pushed its return information onto the stack. The values at the top are the most recently called procedures. symify reads the debug information from the executable you specify on the command line (with `.exe' extension) and puts it after the hexadecimal numbers. If the image is stripped there is no additional information which can be added. If you compiled the modules with the `-g' switch to gcc you can also display source line numbers (without `-g' you will only get procedure names and offsets into those procedures).

Options:

-o output-file

Output to the specified file output-file. symify copies the traceback plus symbolic names and puts it into the file name you specify after the `-o' option. This allows you to save it (for sending to the author, or examination while fixing the bug). If `-o' is specified the screen buffer is not changed.

-i input-file

Input from the specified file input-file. symify reads the stack trace from the file name you specify after the `-i' option. This file could be created by redir (see section 7. redir) or redirecting handle 2 to a file.

Known compatibility problem (Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP):

Sometimes symify cannot read the screen buffer to get the traceback information. In that case you must copy the screen buffer manually and save it to a file, and use the `-i' option.