Updates in the IDA SDK 5.1 …

Since it is always exciting to find new features, I thought it would be good to put up a list of the changes introduced into the IDA SDK since version 5.0! This should allow all plugin writers to get a quick overview of new functionality.

Relevant changes in the IDA SDK between version 5.0 and 5.1 beta 2 follow, sorted by filename …

• allins.hpp
  • Added SSE3 instructions
  • Added SSSE3 instructions
  • Added VMX instructions
  • Spelling mistakes in comments
• area.hpp
  • area_t got a new member function clear()
  • New type lastreq_t
  • Several member function arguments now with const parameters
  • areacb_t slightly changed
  • Some comments added to previously uncommented functions
• auto.hpp
  • Added external symbol ea_without_xrefs
• bytes.hpp
  • Added new function next_unknown()
• bytes.hpp
  • Added new functions next_unknown() and prev_unknown()
  • Name of second parameter to prevthat() changed name to minea
• bytes.hpp
  • Added new functions next_unknown() and prev_unknown()
  • Name of second parameter to prevthat() changed name to minea
  • New function add_qword()
  • New function get_flags_by_size()
  • New (inline) function get_data_type_size_by_flags()
  • New function for debugger set_op_type_no_event()
  • Second parameter of do_unknown() changed its meaning. Instead of a bool now a bitmask (but backwards compatible!)
  • Same for the respective parameter in do_unknown_range()
  • Several updated comments
  • #ifdef (NO_OBSOLETE_FUNCS) for deprecated functions
• dbg.hpp
  • New function get_current_thread() to retrieve the thread ID
• demangle.hpp
  • New preprocessor symbol MNG_CALC_VALID
  • New function is_mangled_string_name()
  • Several updated comments
• diskio.hpp
  • New function qlgetz()
• diskio.hpp
  • New function set_entry_name()
• err.hpp
  • Simple declaration changes (not relevant for a rebuild)
• expr.hpp
  • Updated comment to VT_WILD
• fixup.hpp
  • Simple declaration changes (not relevant for a rebuild)
• frame.hpp
  • New function set_purged()
  • New function add_stkvar3() supersedes the deprecated add_stkvar
  • New function add_auto_stkpnt2() supersedes the deprecated add_auto_stkpnt
  • Several updated comments
  • #ifdef (NO_OBSOLETE_FUNCS) for deprecated functions
• funcs.hpp
  • New preprocessor symbols FUNC_NORET_PENDING, FUNC_SP_READY, FUNC_PURGED_OK for func_t
  • New preprocessor symbols MOVE_FUNC_REFUSED for return value of func_setstart()
  • New function set_noret_insn()
  • New function func_tail_iterator_set_ea()
  • New function func_item_iterator_decode_preceding_insn()
  • New member function set_ea() inside func_tail_iterator_t
  • New function decode_preceding_insn()
  • New functions get_prev_func_addr() and get_next_func_addr()
  • New stack tracer related functions recalc_func_noret_flag(), plan_for_noret_analysis() and invalidate_sp_analysis() (inline)
  • Several updated comments
• gdl.hpp
  • Several huge changes, please have a look into the file yourself
• graph.hpp
  • Several declaration and comment changes, please have a look into the file yourself. Apparently this API is now “frozen”, since the respective comment from version 5.0 was removed
• help.hpp
  • Helping the compiler with some parameter declarations which are now const pointers
• ida.hpp
  • New file type f_MACHO for Mac OS X added
  • New member function is_32bit() for idainfo
  • idainfo knows three new analysis flags: AF2_ANORET, AF2_VERSP, AF2_DOCODE
  • Several minor changes.
• idd.hpp
  • New preprocessor symbold for the debugger ID in debugger_t: DEBUGGER_ID_X86_IA32_MACOSX_USER

Although I haven’t managed to go through all files I thought it would be better to publish it since IDA 5.1 was released. I’ll try to complete it if I (ever) find time

// Oliver