NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra · error · IllegalArgumentException

The given program is dynamic, i.e., a trace view

Error message

The given program is dynamic, i.e., a trace view

What it means

Thrown by FlatDebuggerAPI.staticLocation(program, address) when the supplied program is actually a TraceProgramView (a dynamic trace adapter), not a static program. The method is specifically for static program locations.

Source

Thrown at Ghidra/Debug/Debugger-api/src/main/java/ghidra/debug/flatapi/FlatDebuggerAPI.java:1905

	/**
	 * Get the breakpoint service
	 * 
	 * @return the service
	 */
	default DebuggerLogicalBreakpointService getBreakpointService() {
		return requireService(DebuggerLogicalBreakpointService.class);
	}

	/**
	 * Create a static location at the given address in the current program
	 * 
	 * @param program the (static) program
	 * @param address the address
	 * @return the location
	 */
	default ProgramLocation staticLocation(Program program, Address address) {
		if (program instanceof TraceProgramView) {
			throw new IllegalArgumentException("The given program is dynamic, i.e., a trace view");
		}
		return new ProgramLocation(program, address);
	}

	/**
	 * Create a static location at the given address in the current program
	 * 
	 * @param program the (static) program
	 * @param addrString the address string
	 * @return the location
	 */
	default ProgramLocation staticLocation(Program program, String addrString) {
		return staticLocation(program, program.getAddressFactory().getAddress(addrString));
	}

	/**
	 * Create a static location at the given address in the current program
	 * 

View on GitHub (pinned to d5f144c24d)

Solutions

1. Check !(program instanceof TraceProgramView) before calling staticLocation().
2. Use requireCurrentProgram() which returns the static program, or explicitly obtain the static program.
3. For dynamic locations, use the trace-view-based location API instead.

Example fix

// before
ProgramLocation loc = staticLocation(getCurrentProgram(), addr); // throws if it's a view

// after
Program p = getCurrentProgram();
if (p instanceof TraceProgramView) {
    println("Need a static program, not a trace view");
    return;
}
ProgramLocation loc = staticLocation(p, addr);

if (program instanceof TraceProgramView) {
    println("Need a static program, got a trace view");
    return;
}

static boolean isStaticProgram(Program p) {
    return !(p instanceof TraceProgramView);
}

try {
    ProgramLocation loc = staticLocation(program, addr);
} catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
    if (e.getMessage().contains("dynamic")) {
        // obtain the static program explicitly and retry
    } else throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling staticLocation(program, addr) where program is an instance of TraceProgramView (i.e., a trace being viewed as a program).

Common situations: Passing the current program without checking whether it is a static program or a trace view; in the Debugger tool the 'current program' may resolve to a trace view; confusing the static and dynamic program concepts.

Related errors

• There is no current trace view
• For parameter %s: argument %s is not a %s
• Tool does not have service {cls}! This script should be run
• There is no current trace
• There is no trace

AI-assisted analysis of NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra@d5f144c24d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/40715aad1b1919fe. Report an issue: GitHub.