Debugging zig in VSCode

[clankill3r]

I found this post from more then a year ago:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Zig/comments/cl0x6k/debugging_zig_in_vscode/

First off, it's a bit outdated, for example:

Edit ~/.vscode/extensions/webfreak.debug-0.23.1/package.json. (<- this is the path for Linux, you'll need to find the corresponding path for other OSs). In the file there's a list of supported languages (here, it's pretty obvious when you edit the file.). Add a newline with 'zig' there.

Is not needed anymore, cause 'zig' is already in tat file now (nice!).

But the thing is, I can't get the debugger to work.

My task.json looks like this:

{
    // See https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=733558
    // for the documentation about the tasks.json format
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "tasks": [
        {
            "label": "build",
            "type": "shell",
            "command": "zig build-exe main.zig"
        }
    ]
}

And my launch.json looks like this:

{
    // Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes.
    // Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes.
    // For more information, visit: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=830387
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "Debug",
            "type": "gdb",
            "request": "launch",
            "target": "main",
            "cwd": "${workspaceRoot}",
            "valuesFormatting": "parseText",
            "preLaunchTask": "build"
        }
    ]
}

I was hoping if someone can help me. Preferred with using ZLS as well (https://github.com/zigtools/zls).

If I manage to get it working I will make a video of how to set it up.

[clankill3r]

I also founded this one:
https://dev.to/watzon/debugging-zig-with-vs-code-44ca

But no luck either. I don't have the "C++ (GDB/LLDB)" option he is talking about but I do have the GDB option.

Hope someone can help.

I can place breakpoints, just nothing happend with them. No errors either.

[raulgrell]

This is what I can get for debugging Zig. Locals mostly work, watch mostly doesn't and the inline info is usually alright.
I used to get a lot of "this variable has been optimized out" issues after the return location semantics came along, but that issue seems to be fixed.

This is my launch.json:

{
    // Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes.
    // Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes.
    // For more information, visit: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=830387
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "(Windows) Attach",
            "type": "cppvsdbg",
            "request": "attach",
            "processId": "${command:pickProcess}"
        },
        {
            "name": "Launch Script",
            "type": "cppvsdbg",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${workspaceFolder}/zig-cache/bin/zox.exe",
            "args": ["./lib/script.zox"],
            "stopAtEntry": false,
            "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
            "environment": [],
            "externalConsole": false
        },
        {
            "name": "Launch Command",
            "type": "cppvsdbg",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${workspaceFolder}/zig-cache/bin/zox.exe",
            "args": ["run", "print \"Hello, world!\""],
            "stopAtEntry": false,
            "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
            "environment": [],
            "externalConsole": false
        }
    ]
}

[raulgrell]

I think this is the extension that provides it:

[clankill3r]

I keep a log here off all the thins I do to try to make this work.
As of now I have installed the C/C++ extension as mentioned in the post above.

I made a new launch.json that looks like this now:

{
    // Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes.
    // Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes.
    // For more information, visit: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=830387
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "(lldb) Launch",
            "type": "cppdbg",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${workspaceFolder}/main",
            "args": [],
            "stopAtEntry": false,
            "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
            "environment": [],
            "externalConsole": false,
            // "MIMode": "lldb"
        }
    ]
}

When I try to debug now, I get:

and:

Which I will attempt to fix now, which I will post below.

[clankill3r]

Ok, I codesigned gdb using this:

https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-4.8.1/gnat_ugn_unw/Codesigning-the-Debugger.html

The last command was for me codesign -s gdb-cert /usr/local/bin/gdb.

Now I get this: (Note that I had this error before, but only no panel for the error, probably because the panel was used for the 'not signed' error).

The debug console only shows this now (note that the red line gone is what I get as a the pannel in the image above):

The program '/Users/dw/Desktop/zig_learn/main' has exited with code 42 (0x0000002a).

[clankill3r]

Ok, I got it working!
First I had //"MIMode": "lldb" in my launch.json, which I changed too "MIMode": "lldb" and now it works.

So this is how my launch.json looks like (I also added a preLaunchTask):

    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [        
        {
            "name": "(lldb) Launch",
            "type": "cppdbg",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${workspaceFolder}/main",
            "args": [],
            "stopAtEntry": false,
            "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
            "environment": [],
            "externalConsole": false,
            "MIMode": "lldb",
            "preLaunchTask": "build"
        }
    ]
}

I hope this helps someone

[CreatorMetaSky]

zig-debug-test

this template can help you debug zig with vscode on macos， 😀