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Auto save Ghidra project #23

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8616d7f
Persist program mutations to the project DB after each command
Thaelz Sep 7, 2026
cb9a8bb
create_function: fall back to CreateFunctionCmd for flat-image gaps
Thaelz Sep 7, 2026
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14 changes: 14 additions & 0 deletions CHANGELOG.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -5,6 +5,20 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).

## [Unreleased]

### Fixed

- Program edits are now persisted to the project database after every mutating
command. Previously, commands such as `comment set`, `symbol rename`, `patch
bytes`, `type` edits, `tag` edits and script/batch runs only ended their Ghidra
transaction, which commits into the bridge JVM's in-memory program; nothing
flushed to the `.rep` store until an `analyze`/program switch/`import`. Since
`bridge stop` kills the JVM without a teardown save, those edits were lost on
teardown and never showed up when the project was opened in the Ghidra GUI.
Read-only queries are unaffected, and a failed save is logged without failing
the command.

## [0.2.2]

### Added
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94 changes: 93 additions & 1 deletion src/ghidra/scripts/GhidraCliBridge.java
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -668,12 +668,74 @@ private HandleResult executeProgramRequest(String command, JsonObject args) {
return new HandleResult(errorResponse(result.get("error").getAsString()), false);
}

// Persist mutations to the project database so they are visible
// when the program is later opened in the Ghidra GUI. Ending a
// transaction (endTransaction) only commits into the bridge JVM's
// in-memory program; only program.save() flushes to the .rep store.
// import/analyze/open_program already save on their own paths and
// are excluded here to avoid redundant writes.
if (isMutatingCommand(command) && currentProgram != null) {
try {
currentProgram.save("ghidra-cli: " + command, monitor);
} catch (Exception saveErr) {
printerr("Auto-save after " + command + " failed: " + saveErr.getMessage());
}
}

return new HandleResult(successResponse(result), false);
} catch (Exception e) {
return new HandleResult(errorResponse(e.getMessage()), false);
}
}

/**
* Commands that mutate the program and must be flushed to the project's
* .rep database with program.save() so the changes survive bridge teardown
* and appear in the Ghidra GUI. Read-only queries (decompile, disasm,
* list_*, xrefs_*, find_*, get_*, graph_*, diff_*, exports) are omitted, as
* are import/analyze/open_program which persist on their own code paths.
*/
private boolean isMutatingCommand(String command) {
if (command == null) return false;
switch (command) {
case "create_function":
case "rename_function":
case "delete_function":
case "symbol_create":
case "symbol_delete":
case "symbol_rename":
case "type_create":
case "type_apply":
case "type_delete":
case "type_rename":
case "type_create_enum":
case "type_typedef":
case "type_add_field":
case "type_del_field":
case "function_set_signature":
case "function_set_return_type":
case "function_set_calling_convention":
case "set_var_type":
case "comment_set":
case "comment_delete":
case "patch_bytes":
case "patch_nop":
case "script_run":
case "script_java":
case "script_python":
case "tag_create":
case "tag_delete":
case "tag_rename":
case "tag_set_comment":
case "tag_add":
case "tag_remove":
case "batch":
return true;
default:
return false;
}
}

private JsonObject dispatchCommand(String command, JsonObject args) {
if (command == null) return null;
switch (command) {
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1410,7 +1472,37 @@ private JsonObject handleCreateFunction(JsonObject args) {

int txId = currentProgram.startTransaction("Create function");
try {
Function created = fm.createFunction(functionName, addr, null, SourceType.USER_DEFINED);
Function created = null;
try {
created = fm.createFunction(functionName, addr, null, SourceType.USER_DEFINED);
} catch (Exception strictErr) {
// Strict FunctionManager API rejects raw/flat-firmware gap entries
// with "Function body must contain the entrypoint". Fall back to
// the GUI-equivalent command below.
created = null;
}

if (created == null) {
// CreateFunctionCmd disassembles at the entry if needed and
// computes the body by following flow, matching what the Ghidra
// GUI's "Create Function" does. This is what lets computed/indirect
// gap targets (common on flat firmware images) become real functions.
ghidra.app.cmd.function.CreateFunctionCmd cmd =
new ghidra.app.cmd.function.CreateFunctionCmd(addr);
boolean applied = cmd.applyTo(currentProgram, monitor);
if (applied) {
created = fm.getFunctionAt(addr);
if (created != null && requestedName != null && !requestedName.isEmpty()) {
try {
created.setName(functionName, SourceType.USER_DEFINED);
} catch (Exception nameErr) {
printerr("Function created but naming failed at " + addr
+ ": " + nameErr.getMessage());
}
}
}
}

if (created == null) {
currentProgram.endTransaction(txId, false);
return errorResult("Failed to create function at " + addr.toString());
Expand Down