Clear

Clear Code Bytes

Clear Code Bytes reverts disassembled instructions and defined data to their undefined state. It can also be used to clear the components of an applied structure directly from the browser.

To Clear a single instruction,

  1. Position the cursor on a defined instruction or data code unit
  2. From the right-mouse pop-up menu over the Code Browser window, select Clear Code Bytes
    Alternately: press the 'C' key

To Clear an area,

  1. Select the defined code units (data and instructions)
  2. From the right-mouse pop-up menu over the Code Browser window, select Clear Code Bytes
    Alternately: press the 'C' key

To Clear components of a structure directly in the browser,

  1. Select the structure elements in the open structure
  2. From the right-mouse pop-up menu over the Code Browser window, select Clear Code Bytes
    Alternately: press the 'C' key

Clearing bytes inside a structure from the CodeBrowser, changes the definition of the structure and will affect all occurences of the structure.

Clear With Options

Clear With Options more selectively clears information defined in the program. While Clear Code Bytes only clears code units and their associated data, Clear With Options can selectively remove additional information, e.g., symbols, references, functions, etc.

The Clear dialog has check boxes for each type of information that can be cleared. If the checkbox is selected, that item will be removed everywhere within the selection when the OK button is pressed.


To Clear With Options,

    1. Create a selection in the Code Browser containing instruction and/or defined data to be cleared.
    2. From the right-mouse pop-up menu over the Code Browser window, select Clear With Options...
    3. De-selected the check boxes from the items that should not be cleared.
    4. Click OK.

You can undo clearing of code units if it has an undesired effect.

The following paragraphs describe each option.

Symbols

Any User defined symbol in the program. Automatically generated symbols won't be cleared if references still exist to the symbol's defined address.

This option will not clear function names. To delete these you must select the functions option.

Comments

Clears Pre, Post, End of Line (EOL), Plate comments. It will not clear comments on functions or function variables.

This option will not clear repeatable or automatic comments. To delete those comments you must delete the associated reference.

Properties

Properties are placed at addresses in a program by plugins to store information. This information is usually only understood by the plugin that placed it there or other cooperating plugins.

Select the properties icon ( ) on the tool bar to display all the properties that are currently in the program.

Code

Data and Instructions are cleared.

User-defined References

Any references added by the user are cleared.

Analysis References

Any references created by analysis tasks are cleared.

Import References

Any references created during the import process are cleared, such as calls to external library functions.

Default References

References automatically created by Ghidra during disassembly are cleared. This includes references to stack variables within the body of a function.

Functions

Defined functions are cleared, including comments and any defined variables. Any references to stack variables within the body of the function will be cleared as well.

Registers

Registers within the selection with a defined value will be cleared and set to undefined. Registers can be set to a value using Set Register Values.

Equates

Instructions with Scalar Operands set to display an alternate string with an Equate are cleared.

Bookmarks

All types of Bookmarks are cleared.

Clear Flow and Repair

Clear Flow and Repair is intended to be used to clear and optionally repair code which was produced in error. The duration of this action will vary depending on the extent of the instruction flow. If good code with extensive flow is encountered, the action may take a long time to complete. If the flow analysis is lengthy, a task dialog will be displayed with a Cancel button. The Cancel button may be pressed to terminate the action.

Note You can undo clearing of code units if it has an undesired effect

The Clear Flow options dialog has check boxes to control its behavior. Pressing the OK button will begin the clear process using the selected options.


To Clear instructions produced by an invalid fall-through or bad code produced by a data reference:

    1. Click on the first bad instruction
    2. From the right-mouse pop-up menu over the Code Browser window, select Clear Flow and Repair...
    3. Choose the desired Clear Flow Options.
    4. Click OK.

To Clear instructions referenced by one or more pointers :

    1. Select all pointer data units
    2. From the right-mouse pop-up menu over the Code Browser window, select Clear Flow and Repair...
    3. Choose the desired Clear Flow Options.
    4. Click OK.

Note that clearing pointer referenced code will also clear all computed flow references to the address(es) referenced by the selected pointer(s).

The following paragraphs describe each option.

Clear Symbols

All non-default symbols at cleared code unit locations will be removed.

Clear Data

All data whoose only references were from cleared code unit locations will also be cleared.

Repair

Following the clearing of the flow, attempt to repair the disassembly of references into the cleared region.


Provided By: ClearPlugin

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