Debug apps with the new Intel thread-checker tool

BANGALORE: Intel has released new debugging software for Pentium 4 and Xeon processor-based systems. The tool called Thread Checker 1.0 is designed to help developers locate hard-to-find bugs in applications designed that include Hyper-Threading technology.

Intel Thread Checker uses an advanced error detection engine that monitors program execution and pinpoints the location of threading bugs in hours rather than days or weeks using traditional tools and methods. Traditional tools require a developer to guess where to place traps in source code. Intel Thread Checker eliminates this guesswork and locates the exact lines of code that are causing threading errors. The tool classifies issues into categories ranging from errors to warnings, and shows variable, source line, and call stack information for easy developer analysis.

"Our goal is to make it easier for developers to take advantage of the latest Intel processor features by offering advanced software development tools," said Jonathan Khazam, general manager, Software Products Division, Intel. "During beta tests, Intel Thread Checker found elusive bugs that developers had been unable to find or did not even know existed. That's real value for developers who write threaded software."

The company has begun filtering in the multithreading designs into its Pentium 4 processors as early as 1996. In addition to its P4 and Xeon processors, the chip making giant plans on using Hyper-Threading for its Itanium 2 family starting next year.

In addition to the Intel Thread Checker, Intel offers a suite of software development products that includes Intel C++ and Intel Fortran compilers, Intel VTune analyzers and the Intel Integrated Performance Primitives software library.

The new tool is priced at $1,198 for a single user commercial license and systems running Microsoft Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000.