Reputation: 2699

#define DEBUG 1

I'm trying to have a debugging mode on so if

#define DEBUG 1

I want to printf some variable values and if

#define DEBUG 0

I want them off.

The problem is I have many implementation files and I want this DEBUG variable to be available for the whole project. Right now I need to edit the DEBUG variable in foo1.c, foo2.c, foo3.c which seems tedious and error-prone and there must be a better way. Any suggestions?

Upvotes: 33

Answers (8)

Lucas Jones

Reputation: 20193

When compiling, you should be able to specify an option to your compiler. For example, you can call GCC with the -DDEBUG option.

In this case, you would be better using:

#ifdef DEBUG
#endif

or:

#if defined(DEBUG)
#endif

if this is not the way you're doing it now. I'm surprised that you don't have a global header file for your project. Something along the lines of:

#undef DEBUG
#define DEBUG 1

in a file called "debug.h". In your C programs, you can include this by using #include "debug.h"

Upvotes: 86

Pete

Reputation: 10680

Try something like Steve McConnel suggests in section 6 of "Chapter 8: Defensive Programming" from Code Complete 2... Add this to your code:

#ifdef DEBUG
#if (DEBUG > 0) && (DEBUG < 2)
printf("Debugging level 1");
#endif

#if (DEBUG > 1) && (DEBUG < 3)
printf("Debugging level 2");
#endif

#if (DEBUG > n-1) && (DEBUG < n)
printf("Debugging level n");
#endif
#endif

Then when you compile, add this flag (warning: This might be compiler-dependent):

-DDEBUG=m

Or, have a global header that defines these sorts of things, as others have suggested.

Upvotes: 18

bill

Reputation: 1361

As a response to your problem you can also simply invoke the compiler like:

cc -c -DDEBUG=1

 cc -c -DDEBUG=0

You must delete the "define DEBUG 1/0" in your files - or replace it with:

#ifndef DEBUG
#define DEBUG 0
#endif

Here is what I am using (GCC syntax):

create a file debug.h with the following content and include it in each c file:

#ifdef DEBUG
extern FILE *dbgf;
#define D_MIN   0x00010000  // Minimum level
#define D_MED   0x00020000  // Medium level
#define D_MAX   0x00040000  // Maximum level 
#define D_FLUSH 0x00080000  // Usefull by a program crash
#define D_TRACE 0x00100000  
#define D_1     0x00000001  
...

#define D(msk, fmt, args...) if(msk & dbgmsk) { fprintf(dbgf, "%s:",__FUNCTION__); fprintf(dbgf, fmt, ## args ); if(msk & D_FLUSH) fflush(dbgf); }
#define P(msk, fmt, args...) if(msk & dbgmsk) { fprintf(dbgf, fmt, ## args ); if(msk & D_FLUSH) fflush(dbgf); }

#else
#define D(msk, fmt, args...)
#define P(msk, fmt, args...)
#endif

dbgmsk is variable, which can be global (whole program) or local/static and must be initialized a start. You can define several options for the whole program or for each module. This is better and more flexible than the version with the level variable.

Ex. module1.c:

#include "debug.h"

static int dbgmsk;  // using local dbgmsk
module1_setdbg(int msk) { dbgmsk = msk; D(D_TRACE,"dbgmsk1=%x\n", dbgmsk); }

foo1() {  P(D_1, "foo1 function\n" ); 
  ....
}
foo2() {}
...

foo3.c

#include "debug.h"
extern int dbgmsk; // using global dbgmsk

Ex. main:

#include "debug.h"
FILE *dbgf;
int dbgmsk = 0; // this is the global dbgmsk

int main() { 
  dbgf = stderr; // or your logfile
  dbgmsk = D_MIN;
  module1_setdbg(D_MIN|D_MED|D_TRACE|D_1);
  ....
}

I'm also storing all dbgmsk variables in a config text file that is read at the program start.

Upvotes: 6

Earlz

Reputation: 63835

I personally like

#ifdef DEBUG
#define IFDEBUG if(0)else
#else
#define IFDEBUG if(1)else
#endif

Upvotes: 1

Nathan Kitchen

Reputation: 4877

The suggestion from samoz and Stephen Doyle to check for the existence of a definition for DEBUG rather than its value is a good one. However, if you really want to use DEBUG=0, this is how you can do it: Each time you define the DEBUG flag (i.e., in each file), check for an existing definition: