C and C++ SoftBench User's Guide

Using SoftBench Debugger Data Graph Window

Using the Graph Area

Chapter 8 241

Using the Graph Area

The Graph Area helps you understand your program by creating a visual

image of the data structures in memory and controlling the information

displayed.

Displaying New Nodes

You add new nodes in the Graph Area by either of the following methods:

• Entering an expression or variable in the "()" input box and choosing

"Show: Data Graph ( )" or "Show: Data Graph

Indirect ( )".

• Selecting a node in the Graph Area and selecting "Follow All" or

"Follow All Recursively". SoftBench Debugger displays the

dereferenced pointers as new nodes, and connects them by arcs. You

can select these new nodes and follow them.

"Follow All Recursively" recursively follows pointers in each new

node. In order to avoid uncontrolled growth of the graph, this

operation follows only pointers with the same name as the pointers in

the node you originally speciﬁed. For example, if you "Follow All

Recursively" on a structure that contains pointers to several large

data structures, the Data Graph Window does not trace down every

location pointed to by all pointers within the structure. It displays the

immediate children and stops. However, suppose one of the child

structures is the root of a binary tree, each node of which contains

left and right pointers. Choosing "Follow All Recursively" on

any tree node displays the entire tree below that node, since all nodes

contain the same pointer names (left and right) as the original

node.

You can access these operations by selecting the Selected -> menu

button, or by clicking the right mouse button on the Graph Area to

bring up a popup menu.

Using the "Node Values" Dialog Box

You can view the values of the members within a particular structure by

double clicking on the node or by selecting the node and selecting "Show

Node