How CodeView Locates Source Files (108288)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft CodeView for MS-DOS 3.0
  • Microsoft CodeView for MS-DOS 3.11
  • Microsoft CodeView for MS-DOS 3.14
  • Microsoft CodeView for MS-DOS 4.0
  • Microsoft CodeView for MS-DOS 4.01
  • Microsoft CodeView for MS-DOS 4.05
  • Microsoft CodeView for MS-DOS 4.1
  • Microsoft CodeView for Windows 3.0
  • Microsoft CodeView for Windows 3.05
  • Microsoft CodeView for Windows 3.06
  • Microsoft CodeView for Windows 3.07
  • Microsoft CodeView for Windows 4.0
  • Microsoft CodeView for Windows 4.01
  • Microsoft CodeView for Windows 4.1
This article was previously published under Q108288

SUMMARY

The CodeView debugger will open a dialog box to request the path for the source file of the program to be debugged if it cannot locate the source file from the current directory and from the directories specified in the CURRENT.STS file.

For example, CodeView often asks for the path for WINMAIN.CPP when you start debugging a Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) application.

MORE INFORMATION

To prevent CodeView from asking for the path to the source code every time you start CodeView, you need to make sure the source file is either in the directory where CodeView loads the .EXE file or in a directory specified in the synonym entry in the [debug-] section of the CURRENT.STS file. If there is no CURRENT.STS file available in the path specified by the INIT environment variable, CodeView will create a CURRENT.STS file and add a synonym entry in the debug section so CodeView will be able to locate it in future. For example, CodeView added a synonym entry in the CURRENT.STS file after C:\MSVC\MFC\SRC was specified from the Open Source File dialog box. 
   [debug-]
      target="c:\kb\mfc\combobox\combobox.exe"
      synonym=;C:\MSVC\MFC\SRC
SRC
The synonym entry was introduced in CodeView version 4.0. Earlier versions of CodeView do not support this feature.

It is important to set INIT properly before starting CodeView. The INIT must be pointing to a directory that actually exists and has a sufficient amount of storage space. For example, the following MS-DOS command makes INIT point to C:\MSVC\INIT directory: 
   SET INIT=C:\MSVC\INIT
You can either add this command in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file or run it from the MS-DOS prompt directly.

CodeView always searches the directory where it loads the .EXE first. If the source file is not found, it will use the INIT environment variable to locate the CURRENT.STS file and then search the synonym entries in the debug section. If CodeView cannot find the file in the above places, CodeView will pop up the Open Source File box.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/23/2003
Keywords:kbBug kbDebug KB108288
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.