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How do I load information from a PDB file?
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Feb 5, 2019 · PDB files contain data about a file such as an EXE or DLL that is used to aid in debugging. There are public interfaces that allow you to extract data from the file. See examples here:
Mar 24, 2022 · How to open a PDB file. You can use Microsoft Visual Studio (Windows) to load information from a PDB file created by that program. This allows you to debug the program the file is associated with. You can also use Microsoft's CVDump program (Windows) to read the information a Visual Studio PDB file contains.
- Overview
- How symbol files work
- Where the debugger looks for symbols
- Configure location of symbol files and loading options
- Other symbol options for debugging
- Compiler symbol options
- Load symbols while debugging
- Related content
Program database (.pdb) files, also called symbol files, map identifiers and statements in your project's source code to corresponding identifiers and instructions in compiled apps. These mapping files link the debugger to your source code, which enables debugging.
When you build a project from the Visual Studio IDE with the standard Debug build configuration, the compiler creates the appropriate symbol files. This article describes how to manage symbol files in the IDE, for example:
•Configure the location of symbol files
•Load symbols while debugging
•Compiler options for symbols.
For a detailed explanation of symbol files, see the following:
The .pdb file holds debugging and project state information that allows incremental linking of a Debug configuration of your app. The Visual Studio debugger uses .pdb files to determine two key pieces of information while debugging:
•The source file name and line number to display in the Visual Studio IDE.
•Where in the app to stop for a breakpoint.
Symbol files also show the location of the source files, and optionally, the server to retrieve them from.
When you debug a project in the Visual Studio IDE, the debugger automatically loads symbol files that it can find by default.
The debugger searches for symbol files in the following locations:
1.The project folder.
2.The location that is specified inside the DLL or the executable (.exe) file.
By default, if you have built a DLL or an .exe file on your computer, the linker places the full path and filename of the associated .pdb file in the DLL or .exe file. The debugger checks to see if the symbol file exists in that location.
3.The same folder as the DLL or .exe file.
The debugger checks various locations for symbols by default. See Where the debugger looks for symbols.
On the Tools > Options > Debugging > Symbols page, you can:
•Specify and select search paths for symbol files.
•Specify symbol servers for Microsoft, Windows, or third-party components.
•Specify modules that you do or don't want the debugger to automatically load symbols for.
•Change these settings while you are actively debugging. See Load symbols while debugging.
You can select additional symbol options in Tools > Options > Debugging > General (or Debug > Options > General):
•Load dll exports (Native only)
Loads DLL export tables for C/C++. For details, see DLL export tables. Reading DLL export information involves some overhead, so loading export tables is turned off by default. You can also use dumpbin /exports in a C/C++ build command line.
•Enable address level debugging and Show disassembly if source not available
Always shows the disassembly when source or symbol files are not found.
•Enable source server support
When you build a project from the Visual Studio IDE with the standard Debug build configuration, the C++ and managed compilers create the appropriate symbol files for your code. You can also set compiler options in code.
To set the compiler options for your build configurations in Visual Studio, see Set debug and release configurations.
Work with symbols in the Modules window
During debugging, the Modules window shows the code modules the debugger is treating as user code, or My Code, and their symbol loading status. You can also monitor symbol loading status, load symbols, and change symbol options in the Modules window. To monitor or change symbol locations or options while debugging: 1.To open the Modules window, while debugging, select Debug > Windows > Modules (or press Ctrl + Alt + U). 2.In the Modules window, right-click the Symbol Status or Symbol File headers, or any module. 3.In the context menu, select one of the following options:
Use the No Symbols Loaded/No Source Loaded pages
There are several ways for the debugger to break into code that does not have symbol or source files available: •Step into code. •Break into code from a breakpoint or exception. •Switch to a different thread. •Change the stack frame by double-clicking a frame in the Call Stack window. When this happens, the debugger displays the No Symbols Loaded or No Source Loaded pages to help you find and load the necessary symbols or source. To use the No Symbols Loaded document page to help find and load missing symbols: •To change the search path, select an unselected path, or select New Path or New VSTS Path and enter or select a new path. Select Load to search the paths again and load the symbol file if it is found. •To override any symbol options and retry the search paths, select Browse and find . The symbol file is loaded if it is found, or File Explorer opens so you can manually select the symbol file. •To open the symbol settings page to configure behavior, select Change Symbol Settings (or choose Options > Debugging > Symbols). •(Advanced) To show the disassembly in a new window one time, select view disassembly, or select Options dialog to set the option to always show the disassembly when source or symbol files are not found. For more information, see View disassembly code. •To show the locations searched and the outcome, expand Symbol load information. •For C# code, you can also choose to decompile the source code from the No Symbols Loaded or No Source Loaded pages. If the debugger finds the .pdb file after you execute one of the options, and can retrieve the source file using the information in the .pdb file, it displays the source. Otherwise, it displays a No Source Loaded page that describes the issue, with links to actions that might resolve the issue. To add source file search paths to a solution: You can specify the locations the debugger searches for source files, and exclude specific files from the search. 1.Select the solution in Solution Explorer, and then select the Properties icon, press Alt+Enter, or right-click and select Properties. 2.Select Debug Source Files. 3.Under Directories containing source code, type or select source code locations to search. Use the New Line icon to add more locations, the Up and Down arrow icons to reorder them, or the X icon to delete them. 4.Under Do not look for these source files, type the names of source files to exclude from search. 5.Select OK or Apply.
•Understand symbol files and Visual Studio symbol settings
May 17, 2016 · I have .pdb file, downloaded from MS symbols server. I need to fetch list of symbols (functions, arguments, anything it has). There is a tool on CodeProject, but it only reports modules. There is DbgHelp API, but it only could be attcahed to running process.
Nov 11, 2016 · PDB files map an assembly's MSIL to the original source lines. This means that if you put the PDB that was compiled with the assembly in the same directory as the assembly, your exception stack traces will have the names and lines of the positions in the original source files.
Dec 6, 2021 · Dash Bio offers a suite of ways to view molecular data using PDB files. PDB files can be obtained from the Protein Data Bank — a global repository for exploring and downloading molecular...
May 10, 2023 · Some PDB files are program database files. Open one with a text editor or a program like Geneious. Convert to another format with the same program that opens your specific database file. This article explains what a PDB file is, how to open one, and how to convert one to a different format.
