System Debug Reference Manual (32650-90888)

308 Chapter7
Symbolic Formatting Symbolic Access
Using Symbolic Access
Using Symbolic Access
Symbolic access references data through the use of symbolic names declared at the source
code level, rather than through addresses and offsets to specific memory locations. This
facility allows users to access stored information in a more natural way, leaving the
drudgery of translating symbolic names to storage locations up to System Debug.
The chart below summarizes the symbolic functions currently available. These functions
allow programmatic access to the information provided by the FT and FV commands.
Each function takes a path specification as one of its parameters. The form of this
parameter is the same as that used by the FT and FV commands presented on the previous
pages.
Each of these functions are presented in detail (including examples) in chapter 8.
Table 7-1. Symbolic Functions Available
SYMVAL ( virtaddress, pathspec ) returns the value of the data structure specified by
pathspec .
SYMLEN ( pathspec , [ units ] ) returns the length of a data structure in bits or
bytes.
SYMADDR ( pathspec , [ units ] ) returns the bit or byte offset of an element specified
by pathspec , relative to the start of the path.
SYMINSET ( virtaddress,
pathspec, element )
returns a boolean value of TRUE if the set member
element is in the set specified by address and
pathspec .
SYMTYPE ( pathspec ) Returns the type of a component described by
pathspec .
SYMCONST ( pathspec ) returns the value of the constant specified by
pathspec .
Parameters:
virtaddress the address of the actual data. (Required)
pathspec a path specification. (Required)
units specifies whether the return value for SYMLEN and
SYMADDR is in bits or bytes. (Optional)
element a set element. (Required)