IDebugSymbolProvider

Article
01/12/2024

This interface represents a symbol provider that provides symbols and types, returning them as fields.

Syntax

IDebugSymbolProvider : IUnknown

Notes for Implementers

A symbol provider must implement this interface to supply symbol and type information to an expression evaluator.

Notes for Callers

This interface is obtained by using COM's CoCreateInstance function (for unmanaged symbol providers) or by loading the appropriate managed code assembly and instantiating the symbol provider based on the information found in that assembly. The debug engine instantiates the symbol provider to work in coordination with the expression evaluator. See the Example for one approach to instantiating this interface.

Methods in Vtable Order

The following table shows the methods of IDebugSymbolProvider.

Method	Description
`Initialize`	Deprecated. Do not use.
`Uninitialize`	Deprecated. Do not use.
GetContainerField	Gets the field that contains the debug address.
`GetField`	Deprecated. Do not use.
GetAddressesFromPosition	Maps a document position into an array of debug addresses.
GetAddressesFromContext	Maps a document context into an array of debug addresses.
GetContextFromAddress	Maps a debug address into a document context.
GetLanguage	Gets the language used to compile the code at the debug address.
`GetGlobalContainer`	Deprecated. Do not use.
GetMethodFieldsByName	Gets the field representing a fully qualified method name.
GetClassTypeByName	Gets the class field type representing a fully qualified class name.
GetNamespacesUsedAtAddress	Creates an enumerator for namespaces associated with the debug address.
GetTypeByName	Maps a symbol name to a symbol type.
GetNextAddress	Gets the debug address that follows a given debug address in a method.

Remarks

This interface maps document positions into debug addresses and vice versa.

Requirements

Header: sh.h

Namespace: Microsoft.VisualStudio.Debugger.Interop

Assembly: Microsoft.VisualStudio.Debugger.Interop.dll

Example

This example shows how to instantiate the symbol provider, given its GUID (a debug engine must know this value).

// A debug engine uses its own symbol provider and would know the GUID
// of that provider.
IDebugSymbolProvider *GetSymbolProvider(GUID *pSymbolProviderGuid)
{
    // This is typically defined globally. For this example, it is
    // defined here.
    static const WCHAR strRegistrationRoot[] = L"Software\\Microsoft\\VisualStudio\\8.0Exp";
    IDebugSymbolProvider *pProvider = NULL;
    if (pSymbolProviderGuid != NULL) {
        CLSID clsidProvider = { 0 };
        ::GetSPMetric(*pSymbolProviderGuid,
                      storetypeFile,
                      metricCLSID,
                      &clsidProvider,
                      strRegistrationRoot);
        if (IsEqualGUID(clsidProvider,GUID_NULL)) {
            // No file type provider, try metadata provider.
            ::GetSPMetric(*pSymbolProviderGuid,
                          ::storetypeMetadata,
                          metricCLSID,
                          &clsidProvider,
                          strRegistrationRoot);
        }
        if (!IsEqualGUID(clsidProvider,GUID_NULL)) {
            CComPtr<IDebugSymbolProvider> spSymbolProvider;
            spSymbolProvider.CoCreateInstance(clsidProvider);
            if (spSymbolProvider != NULL) {
                pProvider = spSymbolProvider.Detach();
            }
        }
    }
    return(pProvider);
}

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