From 27d0cefa36c3c91545473362bea6146dfb69d629 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Vladimir Prus Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2007 20:42:40 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] * gdb.texinfo (GDB/MI Variable Objects): Improve the introduction. Specify -var-update more exactly. --- gdb/ChangeLog | 5 ++++ gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo | 79 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------------------ 2 files changed, 58 insertions(+), 26 deletions(-) diff --git a/gdb/ChangeLog b/gdb/ChangeLog index bc417c18a7..4ec0c4d763 100644 --- a/gdb/ChangeLog +++ b/gdb/ChangeLog @@ -1,3 +1,8 @@ +2007-01-11 Vladimir Prus + + * gdb.texinfo (GDB/MI Variable Objects): Improve the + introduction. Specify -var-update more exactly. + 2007-01-11 Daniel Jacobowitz * frame.c (get_prev_frame_1): Check PC_REGNUM before using it. diff --git a/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo b/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo index 446e061612..10e8b07a9f 100644 --- a/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo +++ b/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo @@ -19612,26 +19612,40 @@ least, the following operations: @end ignore -@subheading Introduction to Variable Objects in @sc{gdb/mi} +@subheading Introduction to Variable Objects @cindex variable objects in @sc{gdb/mi} -The basic idea behind variable objects is the creation of a named object -to represent a variable, an expression, a memory location or even a CPU -register. For each object created, a set of operations is available for -examining or changing its properties. - -Furthermore, complex data types, such as C structures, are represented -in a tree format. For instance, the @code{struct} type variable is the -root and the children will represent the struct members. If a child -is itself of a complex type, it will also have children of its own. -Appropriate language differences are handled for C, C@t{++} and Java. - -When returning the actual values of the objects, this facility allows -for the individual selection of the display format used in the result -creation. It can be chosen among: binary, decimal, hexadecimal, octal -and natural. Natural refers to a default format automatically -chosen based on the variable type (like decimal for an @code{int}, hex -for pointers, etc.). + +Variable objects are "object-oriented" MI interface for examining and +changing values of expressions. Unlike some other MI interfaces that +work with expressions, variable objects are specifically designed for +simple and efficient presentation in the frontend. A variable object +is identified by string name. When a variable object is created, the +frontend specifies the expression for that variable object. The +expression can be a simple variable, or it can be an arbitrary complex +expression, and can even involve CPU registers. After creating a +variable object, the frontend can invoke other variable object +operations---for example to obtain or change the value of a variable +object, or to change display format. + +Variable objects have hierarchical tree structure. Any variable object +that corresponds to a composite type, such as structure in C, has +a number of child variable objects, for example corresponding to each +element of a structure. A child variable object can itself have +children, recursively. Recursion ends when we reach +leaf variable objects, which always have built-in types. + +For a leaf variable object it is possible to obtain its value as a +string, or set the value from a string. String value can be also +obtained for a non-leaf variable object, but it's generally a string +that only indicates the type of the object, and does not list its +contents. Assignment to a non-leaf variable object is not allowed. + +A frontend does not need to read the values of all variable objects each time +the program stops. Instead, MI provides an update command that lists all +variable objects whose values has changed since the last update +operation. This considerably reduces the amount of data that must +be transferred to the frontend. The following is the complete set of @sc{gdb/mi} operations defined to access this functionality: @@ -19754,6 +19768,12 @@ The syntax for the @var{format-spec} is as follows: @{binary | decimal | hexadecimal | octal | natural@} @end smallexample +The natural format is the default format choosen automatically +based on the variable type (like decimal for an @code{int}, hex +for pointers, etc.). + +For a variable with children, the format is set only on the +variable itself, and the children are not affected. @subheading The @code{-var-show-format} Command @findex -var-show-format @@ -19885,8 +19905,8 @@ where @var{attr} is @code{@{ @{ editable | noneditable @} | TBD @}}. @end smallexample Evaluates the expression that is represented by the specified variable -object and returns its value as a string in the current format specified -for the object: +object and returns its value as a string. The format of the +string can be changed using the @code{-var-set-format} command. @smallexample value=@var{value} @@ -19930,12 +19950,19 @@ subsequent @code{-var-update} list. -var-update [@var{print-values}] @{@var{name} | "*"@} @end smallexample -Update the value of the variable object @var{name} by evaluating its -expression after fetching all the new values from memory or registers. -A @samp{*} causes all existing variable objects to be updated. The -option @var{print-values} determines whether names both and values, or -just names are printed in the manner described for -@code{-var-list-children} (@pxref{-var-list-children}). +Reevaluate the expressions corresponding to the variable object +@var{name} and all its direct and indirect children, and return the +list of variable objects whose values have changed. Here, +``changed'' means that the result of @code{-var-evaluate-expression} before +and after the @code{-var-update} is different. If @samp{*} is used +as the variable object names, all existing variable objects are +updated. The option @var{print-values} determines whether both names +and values, or just names are printed. The possible values of +this options are the same as for @code{-var-list-children} +(@pxref{-var-list-children}). It is recommended to use the +@samp{--all-values} option, to reduce the number of MI commands needed +on each program stop. + @subsubheading Example -- 2.11.0