[support]

No problem, please try this build: VisualGDB-5.6.102.4523.msi. We have added the following variables to it:

• ActiveSourcePath
• ActiveSourceDir
• ActiveSourceFileName

The variables will work in the custom shortcuts and throughout the debug settings for all project types. They will also work in the build settings for the projects that are built directly by VisualGDB (e.g. Advanced CMake, Arduino, ESP-IDF).

Unfortunately Visual Studio does not allow easily assigning keyboard shortcuts to dynamically defined commands (such as VisualGDB Custom Shortcuts), however you can still launch the formatting action quickly by selecting it as an active shortcut in the VisualGDB toolbar, and then clicking the “run selected shortcut” button to the right of the shortcut combo box.

[support]

Hi,

Visual Studio had basic support for embedded development since about 2018. It is comparable in functionality and usability to free tools like Eclipse and VS Code, however many non-trivial scenarios require lengthy manual setup and considerable ongoing effort to maintain a working environment. The recently added support for Azure RTOS continues the line and makes sense given the prior acquisition of ThreadX by Microsoft.

VisualGDB, on the contrary, focuses on usability, better IntelliSense engine with features like CodeJumps and Code Explorer, and also numerous advanced debugging and code analysis features. Hence, if you are looking for a basic development environment, you may find many free solutions good enough, but if you are considering non-trivial projects that could benefit from advanced tools, VisualGDB offers numerous ways of making your workflow more productive.

[support]

Hi,

We have recently added out-of-the-box Azure RTOS support to our STM32 BSP (see version 2022.01) and also updated VisualGDB to display AzureRTOS threads.

Please feel free to try this build: VisualGDB-5.6.102.4521.msi. The new functionality will also be available in the upcoming VisualGDB 5.6R3.

The visualization of RTOS primitives (mutexes, events, etc.) is not yet supported, however we will consider adding it in the future based on the popularity of AzureRTOS among our users.

If you are using Segger J-Link, it should normally present each core of a multi-core target as a separate thread, so VisualGDB would display their state out-of-the-box. If not, please let us know and we will investigate it further.

[support]

Unfortunately, it is hard to suggest anything specific based on the description you provided.
In order for us to provide any help with this, please describe what you are trying to achieve vs. what you are observing using the 3-step format per our problem reporting guidelines.

Please make sure you include all relevant uncropped screenshots so that we could help you locate the relevant settings.

[support]

Good to know it works. Please try comparing the old project against the new project, and adjusting it, eliminating the differences one-by-one. Once you can pinpoint a specific difference the is causing the problem, feel free to let us know and we can point the VisualGDB setting that is affecting it.

[support]

Due to the way Visual Studio handles programming language extensions, using Clang IntelliSense automatically redirects all IntelliSense-related functionality to VisualGDB, including the formatting. There is no easy way to call the formatting logic from the regular VC++ IntelliSense while still using the Clang one.

Regarding the currently opened file, we can gladly add a new variable (e.g. $(ActiveSourcePath)) that will resolve to the currently open source file when used with custom shortcuts, if it helps you configure the formatting workaround.

[support]

Hi,

Thanks, we have confirmed that toolchains manually installed for all users (as opposed to the current user) won’t automatically appear in the VS2022 toolchain selector until you manually use the “Select a third-party toolchain” link. This is a side effect of VS2022 being a 64-bit process. Toolchains installed directly via the toolchain selector should still work.

We have fixed the issue on our side and will include the hotfix in the upcoming VisualGDB 5.6R3. As a workaround until then, please consider installing the toolchains for the current user only, or locating them manually via the dropdown in the toolchain selector.

[support]

Unfortunately, it is hard to suggest anything specific based on the description you provided.
In order for us to provide any help with this, we need to be able to reproduce the problem on our side.
Please provide complete and detailed steps to reproduce the issue as described below:

1. The steps should begin with launching Visual Studio. They should include every step necessary to create the project from scratch and reproduce the issue.
2. Please make sure the steps do not involve any 3rd-party code as we will not be able to review it. If the problem only happens with a specific project, please make sure you can reproduce it on a clean project created from scratch.
3. The steps should include uncropped screenshots of all wizard pages, VisualGDB Project Properties pages and any other GUI involved in reproducing the problem. This is critical for us to be able to reproduce the problem on our side.

You can read more about the best way to report VisualGDB issues in our problem reporting guidelines.

Please note that many VisualGDB issues are caused by selecting an incompatible combination of settings at some point. We are generally not able to review specific projects and find the specific settings that were set incorrectly. We recommend checking the projects into source control and keeping a track of all changed settings to avoid breaking the projects.

[support]

You can always double-check the exact command lines used for the build by enabling verbose build (CMake) or inspecting the .rsp files (MSBuild). If different builds produce different results, there must be a difference in the compiler/linker command lines (or source file contents), and locating it should help understand what is going on.

Also, if you change global settings, such as the compiler type, please make sure you do a full rebuild to ensure there are no leftovers from the previous build.

[support]

Hi,

This version should work just fine. Please try deleting the toolchain, installing it manually from https://gnutoolchains.com/esp32/ and restarting Visual Studio. This should get it detected properly.

[support]

Hi,

Please share a screenshot of the Help->About VisualGDB window so that we could see what is going on.

[support]

We have an update on the ESP32-C3 Live Watch. Espressif has pointed out a workaround that allows reading the ESP32-C3 memory without stopping the CPU, and we have updated our ESP32 debug package to handle it correctly. We have published a detailed tutorial demonstrating how to use it: https://visualgdb.com/tutorials/esp32/livewatch/

[support]

Hi,

VisualGDB indeed relies on a rather deep integration with clang-format in order to support various advanced features (e.g. computing smart indent for new lines based on clang-format rules). So, instead of using an external clang-format executable, our IntelliSense engine includes a copy of the clang-format logic.

We are planning to update to the latest Clang later this year, although we cannot give a specific timeframe yet, as it usually requires a lot of non-trivial changes and testing on our side.

As a workaround, you can indeed prevent VisualGDB from formatting the code automatically via Tools->Options->Text Editor->C/C++(VisualGDB)->Formatting->Automatic Formatting->Auto-format when <…> , and then launch the regular clang-format as a custom shortcut (configurable via VisualGDB Project Properties) or as a git trigger.

The “Automatically configure clang-format from VS settings” setting currently only covers the basics (tabs/spaces, simple indentation rules). Advanced formatting settings can be configured via our graphical clang-format file editor by simply opening the .clang-format file, although it will only work for settings present in clang-format 6.0.

[support]

Hi,

Please share a screenshot of your Help->About VisualGDB window so that we could see what is going on.

[support]

Sorry, we are not able to review specific projects for errors as a part of our regular technical support. Our best advice would be to follow the tutorial exactly as shown, make sure it works, and then use it as a comparison point against the broken project.

[Author]

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