---
name: "dwarf_get_globals"
section: "3"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/dwarf_get_globals"
---

# dwarf\_get\_globals(3)

retrieve information about global objects

## NAME

**dwarf\_get\_globals**, **dwarf\_global\_cu\_offset**, **dwarf\_global\_die\_offset**, **dwarf\_global\_name\_offsets**, **dwarf\_globname** – retrieve information about global objects

## LIBRARY

library “libdwarf”

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<libdwarf.h\>**

*int*\

**dwarf\_get\_globals**(*Dwarf\_Debug dbg*, *Dwarf\_Global \*\*globals*, *Dwarf\_Signed \*nglobals*, *Dwarf\_Error \*err*);

*int*\

**dwarf\_global\_cu\_offset**(*Dwarf\_Global global*, *Dwarf\_Off \*cu\_offset*, *Dwarf\_Error \*err*);

*int*\

**dwarf\_global\_die\_offset**(*Dwarf\_Global global*, *Dwarf\_Off \*die\_offset*, *Dwarf\_Error \*err*);

*int*\

**dwarf\_global\_name\_offsets**(*Dwarf\_Global global*, *char \*\*name*, *Dwarf\_Off \*die\_offset*, *Dwarf\_Off \*cu\_die\_offset*, *Dwarf\_Error \*err*);

*int*\

**dwarf\_globname**(*Dwarf\_Global global*, *char \*\*name*, *Dwarf\_Error \*err*);

## DESCRIPTION

These functions retrieve information about global symbols from the lookup tables in the “.debug\_pubnames” DWARF section. Information about these global symbols is returned using opaque descriptors of type *Dwarf\_Global*. Applications need to use the functions described below to retrieve the name and the offsets for these descriptors.

Function **dwarf\_get\_globals**() retrieves descriptors for all the global symbols associated with the DWARF debug context specified by argument *dbg*. The argument *globals* should point to a location that will be set to a pointer to an array of *Dwarf\_Global* descriptors. The argument *nglobals* should point to a location that will be set to the number of descriptors returned.

Function **dwarf\_global\_cu\_offset**() returns the section-relative offset, relative to the “.debug\_info” section, of the compilation unit that contains the debugging information entry associated with the argument *global*. Argument *cu\_offset* should point to a location that will hold the returned offset.

Function **dwarf\_global\_die\_offset**() retrieves the section-relative offset, relative to the “.debug\_info” section, of the debugging information entry associated with the argument *global*, and stores it into the location pointed to by the argument *die\_offset*.

Function **dwarf\_global\_name\_offsets**() retrieves the name and the offsets for the debugging information entry for argument *global*. Argument *name* should point to a location which will be set to a pointer to a NUL-terminated string containing the name of the associated debugging information entry. Argument *die\_offset* should point to a location which will be set to a section-relative offset, relative to the “.debug\_info” section, of the associated debugging information entry. Argument *cu\_die\_offset* should point to a location which will be set to a section-relative offset, relative to the “.debug\_info” section, of the first debugging information entry in the compilation unit associated with argument *global*.

Function **dwarf\_globname**() sets the location pointed to by argument *name* to a pointer to a NUL-terminated string holding the name of the debugging information entry associated with the argument *global*.

### Memory Management

The memory area used for the array of *Dwarf\_Global* descriptors returned in argument *globals* by function **dwarf\_get\_globals**() is owned by the library “libdwarf”. Application code should not attempt to directly free this pointer. Portable code should instead use the function [dwarf\_globals\_dealloc(3)](/dwarf_globals_dealloc/3.md) to indicate that the memory area may be freed.

The memory area used for the string returned in the *name* argument to functions **dwarf\_globname**() and **dwarf\_global\_name\_offsets**() is owned by the library “libdwarf”. Portable code should use the [dwarf\_dealloc(3)](/dwarf_dealloc/3.md) function to indicate that the memory area may be freed.

### Error Returns

If argument *err* is not NULL, these functions will use it to store error information, in case of an error.

## RETURN VALUES

On success, these functions returns DW\_DLV\_OK. In case of an error, they return DW\_DLV\_ERROR and set the argument *err*.

## ERRORS

These functions may fail with the following errors:

- \[DW\_DLE\_ARGUMENT\]

  One of the arguments *cu\_die\_offset*, *cu\_offset*, *dbg*, *die\_offset*, *global*, *globals*, *name*, or *nglobals* was NULL.

## SEE ALSO

[dwarf(3)](/dwarf/3.md), [dwarf\_dealloc(3)](/dwarf_dealloc/3.md), [dwarf\_get\_cu\_die\_offset\_given\_cu\_header\_offset(3)](/dwarf_get_cu_die_offset_given_cu_header_offset/3.md), [dwarf\_globals\_dealloc(3)](/dwarf_globals_dealloc/3.md)