Intel® Inspector Tutorial: Analyzing Threading Errors in a C++ Sample Application for Windows* OS

Tutorial

  • 2021.1
  • 12/04/2020
  • Public Content
Contents

Summary

Intel® Inspector
 is a dynamic memory and threading error checking tool for users developing serial and multithreaded applications on Windows* and Linux* operating systems. This topic is part of a
tutorial
 that shows how to find and fix
threading
 errors using the
Intel Inspector
 and a
C++
 sample application.
This tutorial demonstrated an end-to-end workflow you can ultimately apply to your own applications.
Step
Tutorial Recap
Key Tutorial Take-aways
1. Set up
If you used the Visual Studio* IDE: You chose a project, verified the project is set to produce the most accurate and complete analysis results, and built and ensured the application runs on your system outside the
Intel Inspector
.
If you used the standalone GUI:
You built the application using optimal compiler/linker settings, ensured the application runs on your system outside the
Intel Inspector
, set up the
Intel Inspector
 environment, and created a project to hold analysis results.
Applications compiled and linked in debug mode using the following options produce the most accurate and complete analysis results:
/Zi
 or
/ZI
,
/Od
,
/MD
 or
/MDd
, and no
/RTC
.
2. Collect result
You chose an analysis type and ran an analysis. During analysis, the
Intel Inspector
:
  • Ran the application, identified errors that may need handling, collected a result, and displayed the result in a result tab.
  • Added a pointer to the result in the
    Solution Explorer
     (Visual Studio* IDE) or
    Project Navigator
     (standalone GUI).
  • Intel Inspector
     offers preset analysis types to help you control analysis scope and cost. Widening analysis scope maximizes the load on the system, and the time and resources required to perform the analysis.
  • Run error analyses from the
    Tools
     menu (Visual Studio* IDE),
    File
     menu (
    Intel Inspector
     standalone GUI),
     toolbar, or command line using the
    inspxe-cl
     command.
3. Investigate result
You explored detected problems, interpreted the result data, accessed an editor directly from the Intel Inspector, and changed source code.
  • Key terms: A
    code location
     is a fact the
    Intel Inspector
     observes at a source code location. A
    problem
     is one or more occurrences of a detected issue. A
    problem set
     is a group of problems with a common problem type and a shared code location that might share a common solution.
  • Think of the
    Problems
     pane on the
    Summary
     window as a
    to-do
     list: Start at the top and work your way down.
  • Double-click a code location or problem on the
    Summary
     window to navigate to the
    Sources
     window. Click the
    Summary
     button on the
    Sources
     window to return to the
    Summary
     window.
  • Right-click various places on the
    Summary
     or
    Sources
     window to display a context menu, then choose
    Explain Problem
     to access more information on interpreting and resolving the problem.
  • Double-click a code location on the
    Sources
     window to open an editor.
4. Check your work
You recompiled, relinked, and reinspected the application.
Next step
: Prepare your own application(s) for analysis. Then use the
Intel Inspector
 to find and fix errors.

Product and Performance Information

1

Performance varies by use, configuration and other factors. Learn more at www.Intel.com/PerformanceIndex.