# WinDbg's Target Composition Model enables extensible debugging across platforms and target formats

DevFeed: [WinDbg's Target Composition Model enables extensible debugging across platforms and target formats](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/what-s-the-target-model-and-why-39731.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.timdbg.com/posts/whats-the-target-model/>)

Author: Tim Misiak

Published: 2022-10-03T16:54:07Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [TimDbg](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/timdbg.md>)

Topics: [debugging](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/debugging.md>), [SDK](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/sdk.md>), [Windows](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/windows.md>), [NuGet](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/nuget.md>), [Linux](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/linux.md>), [macOS](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/macos.md>)

Tags: [debugger](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/debugger.md>), [debugging](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/debugging.md>), [linux](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/linux.md>), [macos](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/macos.md>), [nuget](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/nuget.md>), [sdk](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/sdk.md>), [windbg](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/windbg.md>), [windows](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/windows.md>)

## AI overview

This article explains why WinDbg's DbgEng was adapted beyond Windows and introduces the Target Composition Model. The model uses composable components to support different debugging targets, operating systems, hardware platforms, symbol formats, and crash dump formats, and can be extended through the Microsoft.Debugging.TargetModel.SDK NuGet package.

## Source excerpt

How do you teach an old dog new tricks? That's the topic of today's post. "WinDbg" is short for "Windows Debugger", but lately that name seems a bit odd since the WinDbg of today knows about a lot more than just Windows. WinDbg now supports Linux and MacOS crash dump targets, as well as few things that are a bit of a hybrid, like Open Enclave debugging. The core "debug engine" behind WinDbg is called "DbgEng", and it's been a Windows-centric debugging engine for decades.