[PATCH 2/3] perf dwarf-aux: Add C++ class, inheritance and vtable helpers

From: Yanbo Zhao

Date: Fri Aug 21 2026 - 01:03:20 EST


Add DWARF helper functions for C++ virtual function support:
- cu_get_language() and cu_is_cplusplus() to detect source language.
- die_get_base_class() and die_get_vtable_index() for virtual table
inspection.
- die_get_parent() to retrieve enclosing scopes.
- die_find_member_by_offset() and die_find_virtual_func() to locate
class members and virtual function DIEs.
- die_is_vptr_member() to check if a member is a virtual table pointer.
- Define DW_AT_vtable_elem_index and DW_LANG_C_plus_plus_17/20
fallbacks for older elfutils that lack these DWARF 5 constants.

Signed-off-by: Yanbo Zhao <yzhao62@xxxxxxxx>
---
tools/perf/util/dwarf-aux.c | 192 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
tools/perf/util/dwarf-aux.h | 24 +++++
2 files changed, 216 insertions(+)

diff --git a/tools/perf/util/dwarf-aux.c b/tools/perf/util/dwarf-aux.c
index 88ba0ec23a68..e991eed963a8 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/dwarf-aux.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/dwarf-aux.c
@@ -12,6 +12,19 @@
#include "dwarf-regs.h"
#include "strbuf.h"
#include "string2.h"
+#include "symbol.h"
+
+#ifndef DW_AT_vtable_elem_index
+#define DW_AT_vtable_elem_index 0x8c
+#endif
+
+/* Added in DWARF 5, may be missing in older elfutils */
+#ifndef DW_LANG_C_plus_plus_17
+#define DW_LANG_C_plus_plus_17 0x2a
+#endif
+#ifndef DW_LANG_C_plus_plus_20
+#define DW_LANG_C_plus_plus_20 0x2b
+#endif

/**
* cu_find_realpath - Find the realpath of the target file
@@ -60,6 +73,37 @@ const char *cu_get_comp_dir(Dwarf_Die *cu_die)
return dwarf_formstring(&attr);
}

+Dwarf_Word cu_get_language(Dwarf_Die *cu_die)
+{
+ Dwarf_Attribute attr;
+ Dwarf_Word lang;
+
+ if (dwarf_attr(cu_die, DW_AT_language, &attr) == NULL)
+ return 0;
+
+ if (dwarf_formudata(&attr, &lang) != 0)
+ return 0;
+
+ return lang;
+}
+
+bool cu_is_cplusplus(Dwarf_Die *cu_die)
+{
+ Dwarf_Word lang = cu_get_language(cu_die);
+
+ switch (lang) {
+ case DW_LANG_C_plus_plus:
+ case DW_LANG_C_plus_plus_03:
+ case DW_LANG_C_plus_plus_11:
+ case DW_LANG_C_plus_plus_14:
+ case DW_LANG_C_plus_plus_17:
+ case DW_LANG_C_plus_plus_20:
+ return true;
+ default:
+ return false;
+ }
+}
+
bool die_is_compound_type(Dwarf_Die *type_die)
{
int tag = dwarf_tag(type_die);
@@ -68,6 +112,90 @@ bool die_is_compound_type(Dwarf_Die *type_die)
tag == DW_TAG_class_type;
}

+static int __die_find_inheritance_cb(Dwarf_Die *die_mem, void *arg)
+{
+ int tag = dwarf_tag(die_mem);
+
+ if (tag == DW_TAG_inheritance) {
+ *(Dwarf_Die *)arg = *die_mem;
+ return DIE_FIND_CB_END;
+ }
+
+ return DIE_FIND_CB_SIBLING;
+}
+
+Dwarf_Die *die_get_base_class(Dwarf_Die *class_die, Dwarf_Die *base_die, int *offset)
+{
+ Dwarf_Die inherit_die;
+ Dwarf_Attribute attr;
+ Dwarf_Word loc;
+
+ if (die_find_child(class_die, __die_find_inheritance_cb,
+ &inherit_die, &inherit_die) == NULL)
+ return NULL;
+
+ if (__die_get_real_type(&inherit_die, base_die) == NULL)
+ return NULL;
+
+ if (dwarf_attr_integrate(&inherit_die, DW_AT_data_member_location, &attr) &&
+ dwarf_formudata(&attr, &loc) == 0) {
+ *offset = loc;
+ } else {
+ *offset = 0;
+ }
+
+ return base_die;
+}
+
+int die_get_vtable_index(Dwarf_Die *func_die, int *index)
+{
+ Dwarf_Attribute attr;
+ Dwarf_Word idx;
+
+ /* Try DW_AT_vtable_elem_index first (DWARF 5+) */
+ if (dwarf_attr(func_die, DW_AT_vtable_elem_index, &attr) &&
+ dwarf_formudata(&attr, &idx) == 0) {
+ *index = idx;
+ return 0;
+ }
+
+ /* Fallback to DW_AT_vtable_elem_location (older DWARF) */
+ if (dwarf_attr(func_die, DW_AT_vtable_elem_location, &attr)) {
+ Dwarf_Op *expr;
+ size_t expr_len;
+
+ /* Compile often emits it as a simple constant expression or block */
+ if (dwarf_getlocation(&attr, &expr, &expr_len) == 0 && expr_len > 0) {
+ if (expr[0].atom == DW_OP_constu) {
+ *index = expr[0].number;
+ return 0;
+ }
+ if (expr[0].atom >= DW_OP_lit0 && expr[0].atom <= DW_OP_lit31) {
+ *index = expr[0].atom - DW_OP_lit0;
+ return 0;
+ }
+ }
+ }
+
+ return -1;
+}
+
+Dwarf_Die *die_get_parent(Dwarf_Die *die, Dwarf_Die *parent_die)
+{
+ Dwarf_Die *scopes = NULL;
+ int n = dwarf_getscopes_die(die, &scopes);
+
+ if (n <= 1) {
+ free(scopes);
+ return NULL;
+ }
+
+ /* scopes[0] is the DIE itself, scopes[1] is the parent */
+ *parent_die = scopes[1];
+ free(scopes);
+ return parent_die;
+}
+
/* Unlike dwarf_getsrc_die(), cu_getsrc_die() only returns statement line */
static Dwarf_Line *cu_getsrc_die(Dwarf_Die *cu_die, Dwarf_Addr addr)
{
@@ -2164,6 +2292,70 @@ Dwarf_Die *die_get_member_type(Dwarf_Die *type_die, int offset,
return die_mem;
}

+Dwarf_Die *die_find_member_by_offset(Dwarf_Die *type_die, int offset, Dwarf_Die *member_die)
+{
+ if (!die_is_compound_type(type_die))
+ return NULL;
+
+ return die_find_child(type_die, __die_find_member_offset_cb,
+ (void *)(long)offset, member_die);
+}
+
+struct find_virtual_func_data {
+ int index;
+ Dwarf_Die func_die;
+ bool found;
+};
+
+static int __die_find_virtual_func_cb(Dwarf_Die *die_mem, void *arg)
+{
+ struct find_virtual_func_data *ad = arg;
+ int tag = dwarf_tag(die_mem);
+
+ if (tag == DW_TAG_subprogram) {
+ int idx;
+
+ if (die_get_vtable_index(die_mem, &idx) == 0 && idx == ad->index) {
+ ad->func_die = *die_mem;
+ ad->found = true;
+ return DIE_FIND_CB_END;
+ }
+ }
+
+ if (tag == DW_TAG_inheritance) {
+ Dwarf_Die base_type;
+
+ if (__die_get_real_type(die_mem, &base_type)) {
+ if (die_find_child(&base_type,
+ __die_find_virtual_func_cb,
+ ad, &ad->func_die))
+ return DIE_FIND_CB_END;
+ }
+ }
+
+ return DIE_FIND_CB_SIBLING;
+}
+
+Dwarf_Die *die_find_virtual_func(Dwarf_Die *class_die, int index, Dwarf_Die *die_mem)
+{
+ struct find_virtual_func_data ad = {
+ .index = index,
+ .found = false,
+ };
+
+ if (die_find_child(class_die, __die_find_virtual_func_cb, &ad, die_mem))
+ return die_mem;
+
+ return NULL;
+}
+
+bool die_is_vptr_member(Dwarf_Die *die)
+{
+ const char *name = dwarf_diename(die);
+
+ return name && strstarts(name, "_vptr");
+}
+
/**
* die_deref_ptr_type - Return type info for pointer access
* @ptr_die: a pointer type DIE
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/dwarf-aux.h b/tools/perf/util/dwarf-aux.h
index 855c45fec5bb..0f30f44ad863 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/dwarf-aux.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/dwarf-aux.h
@@ -23,9 +23,33 @@ const char *cu_find_realpath(Dwarf_Die *cu_die, const char *fname);
/* Get DW_AT_comp_dir (should be NULL with older gcc) */
const char *cu_get_comp_dir(Dwarf_Die *cu_die);

+/* Get source language of CU */
+Dwarf_Word cu_get_language(Dwarf_Die *cu_die);
+
+/* Check if CU is C++ */
+bool cu_is_cplusplus(Dwarf_Die *cu_die);
+
/* Check if DIE is a compound type (structure, union, or class) */
bool die_is_compound_type(Dwarf_Die *type_die);

+/* Get base class of a class DIE */
+Dwarf_Die *die_get_base_class(Dwarf_Die *class_die, Dwarf_Die *base_die, int *offset);
+
+/* Get vtable index of a virtual function */
+int die_get_vtable_index(Dwarf_Die *func_die, int *index);
+
+/* Get parent DIE */
+Dwarf_Die *die_get_parent(Dwarf_Die *die, Dwarf_Die *parent_die);
+
+/* Find member DIE by offset */
+Dwarf_Die *die_find_member_by_offset(Dwarf_Die *type_die, int offset, Dwarf_Die *member_die);
+
+/* Find virtual function by vtable index */
+Dwarf_Die *die_find_virtual_func(Dwarf_Die *class_die, int index, Dwarf_Die *die_mem);
+
+/* Check if member DIE is a vtable pointer (_vptr) */
+bool die_is_vptr_member(Dwarf_Die *die);
+
/* Get a line number and file name for given address */
int cu_find_lineinfo(Dwarf_Die *cudie, Dwarf_Addr addr,
const char **fname, int *lineno);
--
2.25.1