_CrtDbgReport, _CrtDbgReportW

Generates a report with a debugging message and sends the report to three possible destinations (debug version only).

Syntax

int _CrtDbgReport(
   int reportType,
   const char *filename,
   int linenumber,
   const char *moduleName,
   const char *format [,
   argument] ...
);
int _CrtDbgReportW(
   int reportType,
   const wchar_t *filename,
   int linenumber,
   const wchar_t *moduleName,
   const wchar_t *format [,
   argument] ...
);

Parameters

reportType
Report type: _CRT_WARN, _CRT_ERROR, and _CRT_ASSERT.

filename
Pointer to name of source file where assert/report occurred or NULL.

lineNumber
Line number in source file where assert/report occurred or NULL.

moduleName
Pointer to name of module (.exe or .dll) where assert or report occurred.

format
Pointer to format-control string used to create the user message.

argument
Optional substitution arguments used by format.

Return value

For all report destinations, _CrtDbgReport and _CrtDbgReportW return -1 if an error occurs and 0 if no errors are encountered. However, when the report destination is a debug message window and the user chooses the Retry button, these functions return 1. If the user chooses the Abort button in the Debug Message window, these functions immediately abort and don't return a value.

The _RPT, _RPTF debug macros call _CrtDbgReport to generate their debug reports. The wide-character versions of these macros, along with _ASSERT, _ASSERTE, _RPTW and _RPTFW, use _CrtDbgReportW to generate their debug reports. When _CrtDbgReport or _CrtDbgReportW return 1, these macros start the debugger, if just-in-time (JIT) debugging is enabled.

Remarks

_CrtDbgReport and _CrtDbgReportW can send the debug report to three different destinations: a debug report file, a debug monitor (the Visual Studio debugger), or a debug message window. Two configuration functions, _CrtSetReportMode and _CrtSetReportFile, are used to specify the destination or destinations for each report type. These functions allow the reporting destination or destinations for each report type to be separately controlled. For example, it's possible to specify that a reportType of _CRT_WARN only goes to the debug monitor, while a reportType of _CRT_ASSERT goes to both a debug message window and a user-defined report file.

_CrtDbgReportW is the wide-character version of _CrtDbgReport. All its output and string parameters are in wide-character strings; otherwise it's identical to the single-byte character version.

_CrtDbgReport and _CrtDbgReportW create the user message for the debug report by substituting the argument[n] arguments into the format string, using the same rules defined by the printf or wprintf functions. These functions then generate the debug report and determine the destination or destinations, based on the current report modes and file defined for reportType. When the report is sent to a debug message window, the filename, lineNumber, and moduleName are included in the information displayed in the window.

The following table lists the available choices for the report mode or modes and file and the resulting behavior of _CrtDbgReport and _CrtDbgReportW. These options are defined as bit flags in <crtdbg.h>.

Report mode Report file _CrtDbgReport, _CrtDbgReportW behavior
_CRTDBG_MODE_DEBUG Not applicable Writes message by using Windows OutputDebugString API.
_CRTDBG_MODE_WNDW Not applicable Calls Windows MessageBox API to create message box to display the message along with Abort, Retry, and Ignore buttons. If a user chooses Abort, _CrtDbgReport or _CrtDbgReport immediately aborts. If a user chooses Retry, it returns 1. If a user chooses Ignore, execution continues and _CrtDbgReport and _CrtDbgReportW return 0. Choosing Ignore when an error condition exists often results in undefined behavior.
_CRTDBG_MODE_FILE __HFILE Writes message to user-supplied HANDLE, using the Windows WriteFile API and doesn't verify validity of file handle; the application is responsible for opening the report file and passing a valid file handle.
_CRTDBG_MODE_FILE _CRTDBG_FILE_STDERR Writes message to stderr.
_CRTDBG_MODE_FILE _CRTDBG_FILE_STDOUT Writes message to stdout.

The report can be sent to one, two, or three destinations or to no destination at all. For more information about specifying the report mode or modes and report file, see the _CrtSetReportMode and _CrtSetReportFile functions. For more information about using the debug macros and reporting functions, see Macros for reporting.

If your application needs more flexibility than that provided by _CrtDbgReport and _CrtDbgReportW, you can write your own reporting function and hook it into the C run-time library reporting mechanism by using the _CrtSetReportHook function.

Requirements

Routine Required header
_CrtDbgReport <crtdbg.h>
_CrtDbgReportW <crtdbg.h>

_CrtDbgReport and _CrtDbgReportW are Microsoft extensions. For more information, see Compatibility.

Libraries

Debug versions of C run-time libraries only.

Example

// crt_crtdbgreport.c
#include <crtdbg.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
#ifdef _DEBUG
   _CrtDbgReport(_CRT_ASSERT, __FILE__, __LINE__, argv[0], NULL);
#endif
}

See crt_dbg2 for an example of how to change the report function.

See also

Debug routines
_CrtSetReportMode
_CrtSetReportFile
printf, _printf_l, wprintf, _wprintf_l
_DEBUG