Overview of Symbol Files (Windows Embedded CE 6.0)
1/5/2010
When a compiler compiles code, it creates symbols to represent programming elements. Later, when the linker creates the .exe and .dll files, the linker also creates symbol files from the compiler symbols.
Symbol files hold a variety of data that are not required to run the binaries, but which can be very useful in the debugging process.
Typically, symbol files might contain:
- Global variables
- Local variables
- Function names and the addresses of their entry points
- FPO data
- Source-line numbers
The binaries are smaller and faster as a result of keeping symbol files separate. However, this means that when debugging, you must make sure that the debugger can access the symbol files that are associated with the target you are debugging.
Both interactive debugging and crash dump debugging require symbols. You must obtain the proper symbols for the code that you wish to debug, and load these symbols into the debugger.