[GH-ISSUE #2375] [Design] Delphi stopped-frame values and exception evidence without implicit property evaluation #788

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opened 2026-10-15 18:28:21 +00:00 by bsakaguchi · 1 comment

bsakaguchi commented

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

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Originally created by @matbrgz on GitHub (Oct 12, 2026).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/morluto/rea/issues/2375

Analyst question

At a breakpoint or language exception in my Delphi program, what do the observed stack, locals and object fields establish?

This is a Delphi-specific capability lane on #1267. #2373 supplies offline MAP evidence; MAP symbols alone do not establish runtime types, variable locations or values.

Proposed scope

Select an exact executable/runtime, architecture and caller-provided debug files; distinguish Win32 and Win64 support and compiler versions actually tested.
Preserve resolved units, procedures, source locations, exception stop kind and provider stop identity.
Read supported locals, raw fields, strings and references with source type/debug evidence. Do not infer a value from a property name or call a getter to populate an inspection result.
Report unsupported TDS/RSM/debug formats, optimized-out variables and absent type metadata precisely. Bind every sidecar separately and do not claim association from matching basenames.
Keep raw register observations separate from decoded parameters. Delphi calling conventions, implicit Self and hidden result parameters need explicit compiler/architecture evidence; a C ABI interpretation is insufficient.
Inherit session control and cleanup from #1267. Evaluations, method calls and writes require distinct effects rather than being hidden in variable rendering.

Acceptance

Own licensed Delphi fixtures cover procedures, class fields, ShortString/UnicodeString, dynamic arrays and caught/uncaught exceptions for each advertised platform.
A property getter that increments a counter is never invoked by field inspection.
Win32 calling-convention fixtures distinguish register, cdecl and hidden parameters; Win64 claims have their own verification.
Missing/wrong debug files and optimized builds return partial/unavailable facets.
Stop-scoped references become stale after resume; cancellation reports cleanup and retained resources.
One Delphi-specific feature spec and plan precede implementation.

Integration decision and sources

New runtime capabilities require explicit maintainer scope approval before substantial implementation for integration under CONTRIBUTING.md.

Originally created by @matbrgz on GitHub (Oct 12, 2026). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/morluto/rea/issues/2375 [![Type: Architecture / RFC](https://img.shields.io/badge/type-architecture_%2F_RFC-darkred.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 At a breakpoint or language exception in my Delphi program, what do the observed stack, locals and object fields establish? This is a Delphi-specific capability lane on #1267. #2373 supplies offline MAP evidence; MAP symbols alone do not establish runtime types, variable locations or values. ## Proposed scope - Select an exact executable/runtime, architecture and caller-provided debug files; distinguish Win32 and Win64 support and compiler versions actually tested. - Preserve resolved units, procedures, source locations, exception stop kind and provider stop identity. - Read supported locals, raw fields, strings and references with source type/debug evidence. Do not infer a value from a property name or call a getter to populate an inspection result. - Report unsupported TDS/RSM/debug formats, optimized-out variables and absent type metadata precisely. Bind every sidecar separately and do not claim association from matching basenames. - Keep raw register observations separate from decoded parameters. Delphi calling conventions, implicit Self and hidden result parameters need explicit compiler/architecture evidence; a C ABI interpretation is insufficient. - Inherit session control and cleanup from #1267. Evaluations, method calls and writes require distinct effects rather than being hidden in variable rendering. ## Acceptance - [ ] Own licensed Delphi fixtures cover procedures, class fields, ShortString/UnicodeString, dynamic arrays and caught/uncaught exceptions for each advertised platform. - [ ] A property getter that increments a counter is never invoked by field inspection. - [ ] Win32 calling-convention fixtures distinguish register, cdecl and hidden parameters; Win64 claims have their own verification. - [ ] Missing/wrong debug files and optimized builds return partial/unavailable facets. - [ ] Stop-scoped references become stale after resume; cancellation reports cleanup and retained resources. - [ ] One Delphi-specific feature spec and plan precede implementation. ## Integration decision and sources New runtime capabilities require explicit maintainer scope approval before substantial implementation for integration under CONTRIBUTING.md. - [Delphi parameter/result conventions](https://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Alexandria/en/Program_Control_%28Delphi%29) - [Property getters and debugger side effects](https://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Athens/en/Displaying_Property_Values_Derived_from_Functions_in_the_Debug_Inspector) - [Remote symbol-file distinctions](https://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/Athens/en/Overview_of_Remote_Debugging)

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

bsakaguchi commented

2026-10-15 18:28:23 +00:00

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

Design & Safety Review Notes

Objective (ELI5):
Capture call stacks and exception object states in Delphi native binaries without evaluating Delphi property getters (which execute arbitrary Pascal code under the hood).

Safety Rules:

Raw Field Inspection Only: Inspect raw struct/record offsets and class virtual tables (VMT); suppress synthetic property getter evaluations during frame stops.
Exception Evidence: Capture Delphi Exception.Message string via raw shortstring/unicodestring memory layout dereference rather than invoking method dispatchers.

@matbrgz commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2026): ### Design & Safety Review Notes **Objective (ELI5):** Capture call stacks and exception object states in Delphi native binaries without evaluating Delphi property getters (which execute arbitrary Pascal code under the hood). **Safety Rules:** 1. **Raw Field Inspection Only:** Inspect raw struct/record offsets and class virtual tables (VMT); suppress synthetic property getter evaluations during frame stops. 2. **Exception Evidence:** Capture Delphi `Exception.Message` string via raw shortstring/unicodestring memory layout dereference rather than invoking method dispatchers.

bsakaguchi referenced this issue

2026-10-16 21:16:14 +00:00

[PR #798] [MERGED] fix(process): clarify Windows capture support and recovery #2247

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