[vhdl-200x] Packages and Error Checking

Hi,
As I work more on the OSVVM packages, I find myself adding checks that are essentially debugging aids.  Without the checks, the error will be found, but not anywhere that it gives any trace back to 
the procedure that actually caused the issue.

What I am wondering is that if we need some syntax or other notation that indicates the code is used for enhancing debugging and is not necessary in production code that has been debugged.  The intent 
is that when the design is optimized with certain flags set, the checks will be removed, but with low levels of optimization the code will be kept.

The indication could be subprogram based, such as a function named debug_check that simply returns the value it receives:
       if debug_check(A'length < Unique) then
         report "RandIntV: Unique > length of set of values" severity failure ;
         iUnique := A'length ;
       end if ;

In addition, sometimes code of this nature can be avoided if we had subprogram that caused a call stack dump or a call stack dump in the current package - similar to what happens when a simulator 
encounters a "FATAL" error.  Hence, the failure may be detected at a fairly low level, but the stack dump will lead to the top level subprogram in the package that was involved in the generation of 
the issue.

Anyone aware of another language that has this type of capability or utilities.

Best Regards,
Jim

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jim Lewis
VHDL Training Expert, SynthWorks
IEEE 1076 VHDL Working Group Chair
Open Source VHDL Verification Methodology (OSVVM), Chief Architect and Co-founder

1-503-320-0782
Jim@SynthWorks.com
http://www.SynthWorks.com

VHDL Training on leading-edge, best coding practices for hardware design and verification.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


-- 
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.