Using the TechView UI to Capture Application Failure Information

To configure the Core Dump Subsystem (CDS), Symbian platform provides a TechView-based UI that runs H4 boards. The UI, in turn, uses the configuration API to perform the following tasks based on your action.

  • Select a formatter and a writer plug-in from the list of available plug-ins

  • Select a thread or process to be observed from the list of threads or processes

  • Configure CDS and the plug-ins.

The TechView UI can be replaced by your own UI, which must use the configuration API to perform the tasks. For more information on how to develop a UI, refer to Developing a Configuration UI for the Core Dump Subsystem.

The following steps guide you through the process of configuring CDS using the TechView-based UI:

  1. Click Tools > Extras and select coredumpui application to start the Techview-based configuration UI on the H4 board.

  2. To select the processes or threads to be observed for failure click Lists > Process or Lists > Thread to view a list of processes or threads that are running.

  3. Select the processes or threads you want to observe for failure and click Observe.

  4. To refresh the list of processes or threads, click Refresh.

  5. To load the plug-ins and change their configuration click Lists > Plugin to view a list of plug-ins.

  6. To load a plug-in, select a plug-in from the list and click Load.

  7. To view and change plug-in configuration, select a plug-in from the list and click Configure.

  8. To configure core dump server, do the following:

    1. Click Configure > Configure CDS to view the core dump server parameters in the configuration window.

      The core dump server configuration UI provides the following options:

      • Crash trigger: Used to specify the trigger for the core dump creation.

        The trigger can be one of the following:

        • Hardware Exception Event - Use this option to trigger the core dump creation when a hardware exception is reported.

        • Thread Kill Event - Use this option to trigger the core dump creation when a thread terminate event is reported.

        • Both - Use this option to trigger the core dump creation when either of the two events listed earlier are reported.

      • Action on crash: Used to specify the action to be taken when a failure event is reported.

        The action can be one of the following:

        • None - Use this option to do nothing.

        • Suspend Thread - Use this option to suspend the thread and create the core dump.

        • Suspend Process - Use this option to suspend the process and create the core dump.

      • Action after crash: Use this option to specify the action to be taken after creating the core dump.

        The actions can be one of the following:

        • None - Use this option to do nothing.

        • Resume Thread - Use this option to resume the thread.

        • Resume Process - Use this option to resume the process.

        • Kill Thread - Use this option to terminate the thread.

  9. Make necessary changes to the parameter values and click OK to save the changes, or click Cancel to discard the changes.

  10. To close the application, click Lists > Exit.

After you perform the steps outlined in the preceding list, CDS starts observing the selected processes and threads for failure and creates the core dump when a failure is reported. CDS queues the failure events as they occur and processes them sequentially.

Notes

  • Only one formatter and writer plug-in combination can be loaded at a time. When you try to load a formatter or writer plug-in you are prompted to unload the formatter or writer plug-in that is already loaded.

  • Changes to core dump server and plug-in configuration are not allowed while core dump creation is in progress.

  • If the core dump server triggers configuration results in two failure events from the same thread ID, the second event is ignored and only the first event leads to the core dump creation.

  • CDS can observe only those processes and threads that are not being debugged by other debug agents.