Using DebugOutput to Debug a Windows-Based Application

ID: Q107691

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) 3.1

SUMMARY

The DebugOutput() API has been added to Windows version 3.1. A Windows- based application can use this function to send a message to a debugging terminal connected to the COM1 port or to a window by using DBWIN. In the 16-bit Windows SDK, DBWIN is a sample application installed in the samples directory (by default, C:\WINDEV\SAMPLES\DBWIN directory). DBWIN is also a sample in Visual C++ for Windows. In the Win32 SDK for Windows NT 3.5 and Windows 95, DBWIN is located in MSTOOLS\BIN.

NOTE: The DebugOutput() function works only under the debug version of Windows. However, there are certain issues that must be considered while using this function.

MORE INFORMATION

DebugOutput() is present only in the debugging version of Windows. The retail version of Windows contains a stub function at this entry point. While an application won't fail if it calls this stub function, the stub won't produce any output on the debug terminal. Before starting the debug version of Windows and using DebugOutput(), certain issues must be considered. For example, add the following lines to the [Windows] section of the WIN.INI file
```
      DebugOptions=0X0000
      DebugFilter=0X0000
      DebugTaskFilter=                  ; leave it blank 
```
and add the following new section to your SYSTEM.INI file:
```
      [Debug]
      OutputTo=NUL 
```
The setting for the OutputTo entry in the SYSTEM.INI file disables the default debug kernel output to the AUX device (which maps to the COM1 port). This setting is recommended because the DBWIN Windows sample application can be used to redirect output to either COM1 or COM2.

The setting for the DebugOptions entry corresponds to the value for the dwOptions member of the WINDEBUGINFO structure in the Windows SDK. The setting for the DebugFilter entry corresponds to the value for the dwFilter member of WINDEBUGINFO. To determine the proper hexadecimal value for a setting, add the values of the options to be set. For example, to specify DBO_CHECKHEAP and DBO_FREEFILL, the setting for the DebugOptions entry would be 0x0021 (0x0001 plus 0x0020). For information about the possible values for these options and a full description of the WINDEBUGINFO structure, see the Microsoft Windows SDK "Programmer's Reference, Volume 3: Messages, Structures, and Macros."

The DebugOutput() function is prototyped in the WINDOWS.H header file provided with the Windows SDK; however, it is not listed in the LIBW.LIB import library. Therefore, a Windows-based application that uses the DebugOutput function must import the function in the application's module definition (DEF) file. Add the following lines to the DEF file to import the DebugOutput function:
```
      IMPORTS
         _DebugOutput = KERNEL._DebugOutput 
```
The leading underscore in the function name and the capitalization of the name are important because the DebugOutput function is declared using the C calling convention.

The Windows SDK documentation states that the DBF_TRACE flag can be used to supply trace information when an error occurs. This information may be useful in debugging an application. However, the DBF_TRACE flag does not work by itself; this flag must be OR'ed with another flag, typically the DBF_APPLICATION flag. For example, the following works:
```
      DebugOutput( DBF_TRACE | DBF_APPLICATION, "This is a trace
      message."); 
```

Additional query words: 3.10

Keywords : kb16bitonly
Version : WINDOWS:3.1
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :