CHANGELOG.md

Change Log

All notable changes to the "PostgreSQL Hacker Helper" extension will be documented in this file.

The format is based on Keep a Changelog, and this project adheres to Semantic Versioning.

[1.17.0]

Added

Show values of attributes in TupleTableSlot. They are shown in $attributes$ member and only tts_nvalid count.

Changed

Do not perform any memory allocations and syscache usage if we are inside Bump memory context. Otherwise pfree will throw an ERROR.

Fix

Added missing await for checkCanAlloc.

[1.16.1]

Changed

Internal special error, thrown when we can no longer send requests to debugger, i.e. because variables view was not updated, so we tried to use outdated handles (variablesReference).

[1.16.0]

Added

VS Code setting Max container length to limit amount of elements shown in container types. Default is 128.

Support value structs in Arrays when formatting watch expression.

Custom descriptions for types: RangeTblEntry shows table name, RelFileNumber is shown as spc/db/file and some others.

Changed

Show Bitmapset elements without array indexes.

Some internal function optimizations for performance.

Fixed

Special members for TupleDesc were not handled correctly and did not work.

[1.15.0]

Added

Syntax support for postgresql.conf with highlighting of units (possibly quoted) and default GUC autocompletion (with builtin contribs).

Add nodetags parameter configuration for custom NodeTag values (if some are missing). When debugging starts will be started a worker which will parse nodetags.h file. If it finds new unknown NodeTags you will be asked to automatically add these to configuration file.

Fixed

Fix invalid check of safe state when getting elements of HTAB

Changed

Generalize "htab" and "array" configuration entries in order to not specify whether extension should check it's a member or a variable, because this information is clear from context.

General performance optimization: lazy evaluation of functions, optimizations of parsing functions, improved caching strategy, etc...

[1.14.0]

Added

Support flexible array members as array members, so they are expanded as normal arrays.

Display XLogRecPtr in File/Offset hex form (like PG does), not integer.

Support for integer enums which elements defined using #define preprocessor.

Tests for formatter module.

Fixed

Normalize function names passed to configuration files, so cppdbg and CodeLLDB notations do not conflict.

Some array members with scalar types are not displayed for CodeLLDB.

Changed

Formatter module now works with pgindent instead of invoking pg_bsd_indent directly.

Array members now specified in "arrays" section in configuration, instead of "specialMembers" -> "array".

Internal state initialization using knowledge of pg version using server_version_num GUC parameter. This is for initialization of internal runtime properties and acquiring enum members according to version.

Internal state reinitialized each debug session start with configuration file updates.

[1.13.0]

Added

Add some more array special members (from execnodes.h).

Add command Find custom typedefs.list in repository to quickly find typedefs.list files in repository (just creates terminal and executes simple shell command).

Changed

Cached typedefs.list file now stored in .vscode directory instead of global /tmp. This fixes issue with multiple PG versions with different set of typedefs used - can lead to incorrect formatting.

typedefs setting now accepts additional custom typedefs.list files which will be just added to result. This is more convenient, because you don't have to create final file manually anymore.

If pg_bsd_indent must be build, then pg_config path is searched in src/tools/pgindent instead of directly asking user to enter full path to it.

[1.12.1]

Add

Improve performance by caching current context properties, i.e. if it is safe to call palloc, etc...

Fix

Handle ROWID special varno when rendering Var expression.

[1.12.0]

Add

Support for generic expressions for length expression in array special members.

Add more builtin array special members.

Check length in array special members not greater than 1024 to prevent errors/bugs.

Fix

Show expression in PlaceHolderVar instead of EXPR placeholder.

[1.11.2]

Fix

Attribute was not rendered if it does not have alias member set.

[1.11.1]

Added

Search context or cxt variable in walkers/mutators to find rtable and render attributes in Expr variables.

Fix

Do not show int type for Bitmapset elements.

[1.11.0]

Added

Dump node objects into text file/document (not log file using pprint). Menu option is available for variables.

Support CodeLLDB for 'Dump node to stdout' command.

[1.10.0]

Added

Support for CodeLLDB debugger extension. Totally, C/C++ and CodeLLDB now supported.

Display bitmapword as bitmask, not integer. Also, bitmask is padded by 0 for length equal to nearest power of 2.

[1.9.0]

Added

Show elements of Hash Tables: HTAB and simplehash (code gen from lib/simplehash.c).

User can specify types of elements of custom HTAB/simplehash in configuration files.

Add basic snippets: IsA, foreach, PG_TRY/PG_CATCH/PG_FINALLY.

Add node tags from PG18beta1.

Add join_rel_level to builtin array special members.

[1.8.2]

Fix

Bitmapset elements stop iterating when encounters 0.

Changed

Do not show = in variables view.

[1.8.1]

Fix

Dump Node to stdout command not worked, because frameId not passed for evaluation.

[1.8.0]

Added

Add variable from PG Variables to Watch view in debug view container.

Fix

Copy logic of get_rte_attribute_name function to get name of attribute for Var representation to prevent possible ERROR exceptions.

[1.7.1]

Fix

Binary features info was cached only for current debug session and invalidated on debugger step. Now it used the same for whole debug session.

Typedef logic not worked correctly for Node variables. Specifically, MemoryContext - it was shown as MemoryContext even if it's type is AllocSetContext.

Changed

Do not show List as expandable in PG Variables, if it is empty (NIL).

Do not show words member for Bitmapset.

Add more validity checking for Bitmapset: check NodeTag (for 16+ version) and pointer validity (for older versions).

[1.7.0]

Added

Support for Value structs with different NodeTags (for old versions) - show actual value according to it's NodeTag (not whole union, but only required field).

Custom pointer types for List *. Earlier, all T_List elements were casted to Node *, now some List * variables/members have elements with their real stored types. I.e. RestrictInfo->scansel_cache is a List * that stores MergeScanSelCache structs (it is not Node). Now such Lists displayed with their type.

User can define their own custom pointer types using configuration file. Configuration file layout updated (new field for this feature), current version 4.

Add more checks when working with system catalog or some other functions. I.e. Oid/pointer checks, MemoryContext checks when allocating memory, etc...

Fix

Memory leaks when evaluating Expr representation (pointers got from get_func_name and get_opname were not pfree'd).

Caching of Expr representations worked incorrectly. That led to performance decrease (and more memory leaks).

Changed

Track some binary features of postgres instance in current debug session. I.e. whether it have bms_next_member or not. (performance feature)

Do not show initial_elements, head and tail members of List *.

[1.6.1]

Fix

Errors messages appearing in bottom right corner when making debugger steps too fast and 'PG Variables' view interrupted during step.

[1.6.0]

Added

Show text representation of expressions in variables (separate pseudo-member $expr$).

Show text representation of expressions contained in TargetEntry, EquivalenceMember and RestrictInfo in description field (old pointer value).

[1.5.1]

Added

Update configuration file contents created by command. Set version to 3 and aliases member with empty array.

[1.5.0]

Pre-release

Added

Add typedefs setting to configuration file. This allows to set custom typedefs.list file for using by formatter. This is helpful when you working on patch which changes this file and you do not want to constantly modify global cached (by extension) typedefs file. This also updates version of configuration file to 3.

[1.4.5]

No changes

[1.4.4]

Add typedefs.list file preprocessing for feeding to pg_bsd_indent. Processed file saved in /tmp/pg-hacker-helper.typedefs.list file and may be reused between different sessions. Without processing raw file (downloaded from buildfarm) pg_bsd_indent produces invalid formatted code.

[1.4.3]

Add pre and post steps around running pg_bsd_indent to handle some formatting cases, like single space between type name and *. Relates to bug #3.

[1.4.2]

Fixed

Fix pg_bsd_indent Path setting not handled due to code constants misuse. Relates to bug #2.

[1.4.1]

Added

Add extension files bootstrapping: Makefile, *.c, *.sql, *.control, tests. To create extension this way need to run command Bootstrap extension from command palette.

Support for fixed size array expansion. Type of field must be in form type[size].

Fixed

Fix invalid struct detection in variables view: top level structs are not expandable.

Fix variable length arrays fields displayed as expandable. I.e. for List last field previously was displayed as expandable, but there are no elements shown.

[1.4.0]

Added

• Support for custom PostgreSQL source code directories. It can be set using postgresql-hacker-helper.srcPath in settings. This setting is used to start searching for required files (i.e. default node tag files or pg_bsd_indent). NOTE: if custom NodeTag files are set with relative path - search start from workspace directory, not your custom srcPath.

Fixed

• Invalid message formatting for VS Code greater than 1.74.0. Caused by incompatible (with extension's) formatting logic used.

[1.3.0]

Added

• Formatting using pg_bsd_indent with Format Document VS Code functionality. Supported for PostgreSQL starting from 10 version.

• Show elements to which Bitmapset and Relids points: Relids (RangeTblEntry and RelOptInfo) or index in array (show element of that array)

Changed

• Integration with VS Code logging (output channel). Now can specify log level in Output window.

[1.2.1]

Changed

• aliases parameter in configuration file now works for every type, not only Node types.

Fixed

• Check breakpoint in bms_first_member function to avoid infinite loop when evaluating bms elements.
• Add support for MemoryContext Node

[1.2.0]

Added

• Compatibility with PostgreSQL starting from 8.0 version. This includes:

  • Linked List implementation of List
  • Bitmapset traversal using bms_first_member and temp object
  • Bitmapset handling for versions up to 16, when it was not Node type

• Compatibility with VS Code versions starting from 1.30. But some features can be unaccessible due to API incompatibility.

  In example some versions do not have Dump Node to stdout in variables debug context menu.

• Add more NodeTags - searched from version 8.0 to 17. Current amount - 558.

Fixed

• Log level not updated until restart of extension (or VS Code).

• Invalid Node casting when declared type has struct qualifier and NodeTag type do not have it.

  Example: typedef JoinPath NestJoin (for versions up to 14) - failed to show members when declared type is struct Path *.

[1.1.2]

Fixed

• Invalid cast to List - show members of declared type, not based on tag. I.e. when Node * is declared type, but T_List real tag value - shown members were for Node (single type member).

Added

• 137 new array special members. Total amount - 170.

• Support for Plan structs for observing Node variables.

Changed

• Optimize extension startup path: remove function dependencies, no depending on NodeTag files

• NodeTags stored as constant array in extension. Reading from file is not necessary for operating.

[1.1.1]

Fixed

• Fix Bitmapset elements not shown for postgres version below 17. Used function bms_is_valid_set was introduced in 17 version.

[1.1.0]

Added

• Support for Bitmapset and Relids - show elements of set and it's length in $elements$ and $length$ pseudo-members.

• User defined type alises for Node types. Roughly speaking, it specifies typedefs for types and when test for Node variable fails extension tries to substitute typename with given alias. This was introduced because of typedef Bitmapset *Relids - there is no T_Relids NodeTag.

Changed

• Extension is activating automatically on presence of files:

  • pgsql_hacker_helper.json - extension's config file
  • src/include/node/nodes.h, src/include/node/nodetags.h - files with NodeTag values (vs code settings not checked)

• Update config file schema to 2 version - default version. nodeTag member replaced with typeName: old behaviour was designed to support only Node variables, but now it allows any type to specify custom arrays. Also, in nodeTag leading T_ prefix was removed, new member does not do it.

• Postgres variables view in debug container shows only when extension is activated and in debug mode.

[1.0.0]

Added

• T_XidList to supported List subtype

Removed

• EPQState from list of array special members - it does not have NodeTag

[0.2.0]

Added

• More array special members. Totally - 36 special members.
• Separate json configuration file where you can add custom special members. This file can be created manually or using command (in command palette) PgSQL: Open or create configuration file (JSON)
• Command and button to refresh Pg variables view: command palette and refresh button on top of Pg variables view. Note: normally, you don't need to run this, but when some errors happen and variables are not refreshed you can perform this action.
• Setting to specify log level. Default: INFO Available levels:
  • DEBUG
  • INFO
  • WARNING
  • ERROR
  • DISABLE
• Setting to specify list of NodeTag files. Default:
  • src/include/nodes/nodes.h
  • src/include/nodes/nodetags.h

Changed

• Real NodeTag shows up in variable name (in square brackets) if it differs from declared. This can happen when type of variable Path *, but real path is ProjectionPath, so it show Path * [ProjectionPath]

[0.1.1]

Fix

• Only valid pointer variables are expanded in Pg variables view

[0.1.0]

Added

• Separate view with Node * variables expanded
• Dumping Node * to stdout using pprint function