Querying the .Pdb File - Visual Studio (Windows) (original) (raw)

A program database file (extension .pdb) is a binary file that contains type and symbolic debugging information gathered over the course of compiling and linking the project. A PDB file is created when you compile a C/C++ program with /ZI or /Zi or a Visual Basic, Visual C#, or JScript program with the /debug option. Object files contain references into the .pdb file for debugging information. For more information on pdb files, see PDB Files. A DIA application can use the following general steps to obtain details about the various symbols, objects, and data elements within an executable image.

To query the .pdb file

  1. Acquire a data source by creating an IDiaDataSource interface.
CComPtr<IDiaDataSource> pSource;  
hr = CoCreateInstance( CLSID_DiaSource,  
                       NULL,  
                       CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER,  
                       __uuidof( IDiaDataSource ),  
                      (void **) &pSource);  
if (FAILED(hr))  
{  
    Fatal("Could not CoCreate CLSID_DiaSource. Register msdia80.dll." );  
}
  1. Call IDiaDataSource::loadDataFromPdb or IDiaDataSource::loadDataForExe to load the debugging information.
wchar_t wszFilename[ _MAX_PATH ];  
mbstowcs( wszFilename, szFilename, sizeof( wszFilename )/sizeof( wszFilename[0] ) );  
if ( FAILED( pSource->loadDataFromPdb( wszFilename ) ) )  
{  
    if ( FAILED( pSource->loadDataForExe( wszFilename, NULL, NULL ) ) )  
    {  
        Fatal( "loadDataFromPdb/Exe" );  
    }  
}
  1. Call IDiaDataSource::openSession to open an IDiaSession to gain access to the debugging information.
CComPtr<IDiaSession> psession;  
if ( FAILED( pSource->openSession( &psession ) ) )  
{  
    Fatal( "openSession" );  
}
  1. Use the methods in IDiaSession to query for the symbols in the data source.
CComPtr<IDiaSymbol> pglobal;  
if ( FAILED( psession->get_globalScope( &pglobal) ) )  
{  
    Fatal( "get_globalScope" );  
}
  1. Use the IDiaEnum* interfaces to enumerate and scan through the symbols or other elements of debug information.
CComPtr<IDiaEnumTables> pTables;  
if ( FAILED( psession->getEnumTables( &pTables ) ) )  
{  
    Fatal( "getEnumTables" );  
}  
CComPtr< IDiaTable > pTable;  
while ( SUCCEEDED( hr = pTables->Next( 1, &pTable, &celt ) ) && celt == 1 )  
{  
    // Do something with each IDiaTable.  
}

See also