Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ut-sally!utah-cs!utah-gr!uplherc!sp7040!obie!wsccs!terry
From: terry@wsccs.UUCP (terry)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: Vax C Sucks Wind
Message-ID: <252@wsccs.UUCP>
Date: 4 Mar 88 04:46:26 GMT
References: <8802251456.AA15795@decwrl.dec.com>
Lines: 48
Summary: VAX Debug records

In article <8802251456.AA15795@decwrl.dec.com>, kaiser@hillst.dec.com (Systems Consultant; DTN 297-4445) writes:
> I'm sorry for the acerbic non-comment on WISDOM.BITNET!aharon's original note;
> I regretted it perhaps .03 milliseconds after it was committed to mail.
> 
> I read "image" as *.EXE.  Is there any way to patch an image to get rid of
> unnecessary debug records?  There is.  But why build it with debugging
> information in the first place?  Do you want some, but not all, debugging
> information?  Different problem.

	You want all debugging info EXCEPT a specific entry, which you want to
be invisible to users of your program/product.

> The nature of the debug information records is documented in the VAX/VMS
> microfiche for VMS V4.n, so you should be able to figure out how to rewrite
> an image with only selected kinds of records.

	The entire point of the VMS help facility seems to be providing
Digital engineers with an excuse for poor/non-understandable/inaccurate
documentation (see my previous posting on the QIO$ parameters to the parity
call, as documentaion goes).  The point is to get _rid_ of _specific_ records.

>                                                If you want to get rid of all
> debug and > trace information, that's also well documented, and is even made
> visible with
[example of an ANAL/IMAGE extracted]
> Just truncate at the proper place (or rewrite, omitting the debug symbol
> table).

	Either of which tend to remove the wrong records.  The entire purpose
of "doing it without debug" is to _NOT_ alter previous info while avoiding
the creation of more info.

	Uses?  How about serialization of distribution media?  Patching library
module ID numbers when you aren't calling 4.3 incompatable stuff, so that you
don't have to have several versions for several versions of VMS?  The
possibilities are endless...

	BTW: The was a neat futility to do just that for all sorts of files
that i just glommed off the net: zap, posted by John Vromans... coming to a
archive near you!


| Terry Lambert           UUCP: ...!decvax!utah-cs!century!terry              |
| @ Century Software       or : ...utah-cs!uplherc!sp7040!obie!wsccs!terry    |
| SLC, Utah                                                                   |
|                   These opinions are not my companies, but if you find them |
|                   useful, send a $20.00 donation to Brisbane Australia...   |
| 'There are monkey boys in the facility.  Do not be alarmed; you are secure' |