I know, “user-friendly” sounds like a weird word to describe a debugging tool, but this one will make you love it if you code in Rust. It’s called BugStalker, and it’s just the debugger you need to track down those sneaky bugs in your programs because it understands all the intricacies of the language.
That means it can handle complex Rust types like vectors, smart pointers, and even thread-local variables. And it doesn’t just display them nicely; it actually lets you interact with them!
You can set breakpoints wherever you want in your code, whether it’s on a specific line, a function, or even an assembly instruction. And when your program hits a breakpoint, you can control its execution step by step, dive into functions or skip over them, all on the fly.
And if you need to inspect your program’s data, it’s got you covered. For instance, you can evaluate expressions to display local and global variables, function arguments, and even slice through arrays or vectors to see what’s inside.
The tool offers two interface options: a classic command-line interface and a slick Text User Interface (TUI). The best part? You can switch between them anytime during a debugging session!
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the Oracles! No, I’m not talking about the database company, but an awesome feature in BugStalker. Basically, these are modules that plug into the debugger to give you insights into specific aspects of your program. For example, the Tokio Oracle provides insights into the Tokio runtime if you’re working with async code, without having to modify your code. Pretty amazing!
Alright, I won’t keep you waiting any longer. If you want to give it a try, it’s super simple: just install it with cargo:
cargo install bugstalkerand boom, you’re ready to debug like a pro. And if you run into any issues with the libunwind dependency, there’s even a version without it, though between us, libunwind is definitely better.
Seriously, I’m not exaggerating when I say BugStalker is the debugger you need for your Rust projects. With it, tracking bugs has almost become a national sport, so head over to https://github.com/godzie44/BugStalker, your Rust code will thank you!
Alright, I’ll leave you to it. I’ve got a program to debug myself (no, my code is perfect).
