A format and helper library for CodeTracer traces for Go.
A CodeTracer trace for its db backend consists of record data, metadata for the recorded program and copy of the relevant source/repository files. It's self contained, so one can debug a record of a version of a program from a different commit or branch. The record data consists of a stream of objects, each of which describes a certain program event: call, step, return etc.
A trace contains several files:
- trace.json : the record data
- trace_metadata.json : metadata for the recorded program
- trace_paths.json : a list of the recorded files
files/: a folder including all the source/repository files copied into the trace.
The record data format is currently json which matches the record event rust types from src/types.rs.
We plan on
- defining a more precise document or a list of examples or a specification.
- producing a more optimized next version of this format, probably based on a binary format.
A future goal of this format is to make it possible to stream traces: to be able to replay them while they're still being recorded. This is one of the reasons for the decision to maintain a single "stream" of events currently.
We also define a Rust tracer library in https://github.com/metacraft-labs/runtime_tracing and there is a src/tracer.rs which can be used as a helper to instrument Rust-based language interpreters and vm-s. We are trying to do the same here for Go and golang-based interpreters like our codetracer-wasm-recorder fork of wazero, used for recording wasm/stylus programs.
It can make it easier to migrate to newer versions of the format, hiding many details behind its helpers.
One can always directly produce the same traces from various languages. We're open for cooperation or discussion on usecases!
Authored and maintained by Metacraft Labs, Ltd
LICENSE: MIT