[GH-ISSUE #2373] [Feature] Inspect caller-selected Delphi MAP symbols with explicit address and binary provenance #786

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opened 2026-10-15 18:28:20 +00:00 by bsakaguchi · 1 comment

bsakaguchi commented

2026-10-15 18:28:20 +00:00

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Originally created by @matbrgz on GitHub (Oct 12, 2026).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/morluto/rea/issues/2373

Analyst question

Given my Delphi executable and its compiler-generated MAP file, what procedure or source line corresponds to a recorded native address?

REA can inspect native procedures, but there is no documented Delphi MAP ingestion lane. A MAP file should supply separately attributed symbol evidence without launching the program or rewriting a provider database.

Proposed outcome

Inspect a caller-selected MAP file offline; preserve its digest, dialect/compiler information when available, segment:offset coordinates, public symbols and recorded line tables.
Retain duplicate names, aliases and absent tables. Names and address-ordered public tables represent overlapping observations, not independent functions.
Keep segment offsets, file offsets, RVAs and runtime load addresses distinct. Convert an address only when the required segment/image mapping is established.
Bind an optional executable and explicit load-base evidence. A basename or plausible address range is not proof that a MAP belongs to that build; return unverified/mismatched associations explicitly.
Expose focused symbol/address lookups through shared CLI/MCP contracts and provenance rather than importing inferred names into another provider automatically.

Acceptance and verification

Synthetic MAP fixtures cover admitted dialects, reordered tables, aliases, Unicode names, truncation and malformed hexadecimal coordinates.
Own licensed Delphi build fixtures verify admitted Win32/Win64 mappings when available; synthetic tests alone do not establish real-compiler compatibility.
Same-named symbols from different units remain distinct.
Incorrect build associations and unresolved segment-to-RVA mappings never produce a verified source location.
Source paths are metadata; ingestion does not automatically read source files or fetch URLs.
Parsing and result paging have bounds and cancellation; one feature spec/plan is recorded under docs/specs/-delphi-map-symbols/.

Scope and relationships

Offline inspection only. TDS/RSM parsing and live target debugging need separate proposals. This is complementary to #1267 and #1193; a Delphi MAP is not a dSYM or a Portable PDB.

Primary references

Originally created by @matbrgz on GitHub (Oct 12, 2026). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/morluto/rea/issues/2373 [![Type: Feature](https://img.shields.io/badge/type-feature-blue.svg?style=flat-square)](https://github.com/morluto/rea) [![Domain: Reverse Engineering](https://img.shields.io/badge/domain-reverse_engineering-blueviolet.svg?style=flat-square)](https://github.com/morluto/rea) [![Status: Proposed](https://img.shields.io/badge/status-proposed-blue.svg?style=flat-square)](https://github.com/morluto/rea) [![Ecosystem: REA](https://img.shields.io/badge/ecosystem-morluto%2Frea-8A2BE2.svg?style=flat-square)](https://github.com/morluto/rea) ## Analyst question Given my Delphi executable and its compiler-generated MAP file, what procedure or source line corresponds to a recorded native address? REA can inspect native procedures, but there is no documented Delphi MAP ingestion lane. A MAP file should supply separately attributed symbol evidence without launching the program or rewriting a provider database. ## Proposed outcome - Inspect a caller-selected MAP file offline; preserve its digest, dialect/compiler information when available, segment:offset coordinates, public symbols and recorded line tables. - Retain duplicate names, aliases and absent tables. Names and address-ordered public tables represent overlapping observations, not independent functions. - Keep segment offsets, file offsets, RVAs and runtime load addresses distinct. Convert an address only when the required segment/image mapping is established. - Bind an optional executable and explicit load-base evidence. A basename or plausible address range is not proof that a MAP belongs to that build; return unverified/mismatched associations explicitly. - Expose focused symbol/address lookups through shared CLI/MCP contracts and provenance rather than importing inferred names into another provider automatically. ## Acceptance and verification - [ ] Synthetic MAP fixtures cover admitted dialects, reordered tables, aliases, Unicode names, truncation and malformed hexadecimal coordinates. - [ ] Own licensed Delphi build fixtures verify admitted Win32/Win64 mappings when available; synthetic tests alone do not establish real-compiler compatibility. - [ ] Same-named symbols from different units remain distinct. - [ ] Incorrect build associations and unresolved segment-to-RVA mappings never produce a verified source location. - [ ] Source paths are metadata; ingestion does not automatically read source files or fetch URLs. - [ ] Parsing and result paging have bounds and cancellation; one feature spec/plan is recorded under docs/specs/<NNN>-delphi-map-symbols/. ## Scope and relationships Offline inspection only. TDS/RSM parsing and live target debugging need separate proposals. This is complementary to #1267 and #1193; a Delphi MAP is not a dSYM or a Portable PDB. ## Primary references - [RAD Studio MAP debug-file tables](https://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Alexandria/en/Map_Debug_File) - [Detailed-segments MAP generation](https://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Athens/en/Detailed-Segments_Map_File)

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2026-10-15 18:28:20 +00:00

bsakaguchi commented

2026-10-15 18:28:21 +00:00

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@matbrgz commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2026):

Implementation & Scope Notes

Objective (ELI5):
Parse Delphi .MAP symbol files and bind function addresses, segment offsets, and compilation units to decompiled procedures.

Key Requirements:

Distinguish between standard MAP formats (Borland Delphi 7 through modern Embarcadero Delphi 12 with extended segment records).
Validate binary checksum / timestamp match between the .exe/.dll and the companion .map file to prevent stale or mismatched symbol attribution.

@matbrgz commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2026): ### Implementation & Scope Notes **Objective (ELI5):** Parse Delphi `.MAP` symbol files and bind function addresses, segment offsets, and compilation units to decompiled procedures. **Key Requirements:** - Distinguish between standard MAP formats (Borland Delphi 7 through modern Embarcadero Delphi 12 with extended segment records). - Validate binary checksum / timestamp match between the `.exe`/`.dll` and the companion `.map` file to prevent stale or mismatched symbol attribution.

bsakaguchi referenced this issue

2026-10-15 18:28:32 +00:00

[GH-ISSUE #2383] [Tracker] Audit analysis and debugging coverage for the TIOBE top 100 languages (October 2026) #794

bsakaguchi referenced this issue

2026-10-16 21:16:09 +00:00

[PR #791] [MERGED] fix(windows): accept ordinary drive path separators #2242

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2026-10-31 00:29:36 +00:00