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Debugging Macros

Posted on May 26, 2009 by John Muchow in Debugging

In a previous post, Yet Another Debug Output Replacement, I wrote a macro that I prefer over NSLog as the output does not prepend the date/time and object information that NSLog does.

Since that time I’ve pulled together a few more macros that I use on a regular basis for printing debug information on rectangles, points and sizes. I’ve also included a means to turn debug information on/off so debug statements are not included in builds targeted as final releases.

//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
// Debug
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#define DEBUG_ON  // Toggle to DEBUG_OFF to hide all debug code 
 
#ifdef DEBUG_ON
  #define debug(format, ...) CFShow([NSString stringWithFormat:format, ## __VA_ARGS__]);
#else
  #define debug(format, ...) 
#endif
 
#define debugRect(rect) debug(@"%s x:%.4f, y:%.4f, w:%.4f, h%.4f", #rect,
    rect.origin.x, rect.origin.y, rect.size.width, rect.size.height)
#define debugSize(size) debug(@"%s w:%.4f, h:%.4f", #size, size.width, size.height)
#define debugPoint(point) debug(@"%s x:%.4f, y:%.4f", #pt, pt.x, pt.y)

Comments

3 Responses to “Debugging Macros”

Darren says:

May 26, 2009 at 9:27 am

You can also use NSStringFromRect(), NSStringFromSize(), NSStringFromPoint().
Will says:

July 2, 2009 at 8:58 pm

I also suggest defining your DEBUG_ON as a per-target preprocessor macro in the target’s build options rather than inside a header. That way you don’t need to worry about remembering to turn it off when you build for distribution.
John Muchow says:

July 2, 2009 at 9:09 pm

Great suggestion, thanks Will.

Can you explain the specifics for setting the per-target preprocessor macro in the build options? That insight would be very helpful.

Thanks

John