Remove (or comment out) local-formatting commands accidentally checked in.
[deliverable/binutils-gdb.git] / gdb / doc / gdb.texinfo
1 _dnl__ -*-Texinfo-*-
2 _dnl__ Copyright (c) 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
3 _dnl__ $Id$
4 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
5 @c Copyright (c) 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
6 @c %**start of header
7 @setfilename _GDBP__.info
8 _if__(_GENERIC__)
9 @settitle Using _GDBN__ (v4)
10 _fi__(_GENERIC__)
11 _if__(!_GENERIC__)
12 @settitle Using _GDBN__ v4 (_HOST__)
13 _fi__(!_GENERIC__)
14 @setchapternewpage odd
15 @c @smallbook
16 @c @cropmarks
17 @c %**end of header
18
19 @finalout
20 @syncodeindex ky cp
21
22 _0__@c ===> NOTE! <==_1__
23 @c Determine the edition number in *three* places by hand:
24 @c 1. First ifinfo section 2. title page 3. top node
25 @c To find the locations, search for !!set
26
27 @c The following is for Pesch for his RCS system.
28 @c This revision number *not* the same as the Edition number.
29 @tex
30 \def\$#1${{#1}} % Kluge: collect RCS revision info without $...$
31 \xdef\manvers{\$Revision$} % For use in headers, footers too
32 @end tex
33
34 @c FOR UPDATES LEADING TO THIS DRAFT, GDB CHANGELOG CONSULTED BETWEEN:
35 @c Fri Oct 11 23:27:06 1991 John Gilmore (gnu at cygnus.com)
36 @c Sat Dec 22 02:51:40 1990 John Gilmore (gnu at cygint)
37
38 @c THIS MANUAL REQUIRES TEXINFO-2 macros and info-makers to format properly.
39
40 @ifinfo
41 @format
42 START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
43 * Gdb: (gdb). The GNU debugger.
44 END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
45 @end format
46 @end ifinfo
47 _if__(0)
48
49 NOTE: this manual is marked up for preprocessing with a collection
50 of m4 macros called "pretex.m4".
51
52 THIS IS THE SOURCE PRIOR TO PREPROCESSING. The full source needs to
53 be run through m4 before either tex- or info- formatting: for example,
54 _0__
55 m4 pretex.m4 none.m4 all.m4 gdb.texinfo >gdb-all.texinfo
56 will produce (assuming your path finds either GNU m4 >= 0.84, or SysV
57 m4; Berkeley will not do) a file suitable for formatting. See the text in
58 "pretex.m4" for a fuller explanation (and the macro definitions).
59 _1__
60
61 _fi__(0)
62 @c
63 @ifinfo
64 This file documents the GNU debugger _GDBN__.
65
66 @c !!set edition, date, version
67 This is Edition 4.01, January 1992,
68 of @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger}
69 for GDB Version _GDB_VN__.
70
71 Copyright (C) 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 1992 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
72
73 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
74 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
75 are preserved on all copies.
76
77 @ignore
78 Permission is granted to process this file through TeX and print the
79 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
80 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
81 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
82
83 @end ignore
84 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
85 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
86 section entitled ``GNU General Public License'' is included exactly as
87 in the original, and provided that the entire resulting derived work is
88 distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to this
89 one.
90
91 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
92 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions,
93 except that the section entitled ``GNU General Public License'' may be
94 included in a translation approved by the Free Software Foundation
95 instead of in the original English.
96 @end ifinfo
97
98 @titlepage
99 @title Using _GDBN__
100 @subtitle A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger
101 _if__(!_GENERIC__)
102 @subtitle on _HOST__ Systems
103 _fi__(!_GENERIC__)
104 @sp 1
105 @c !!set edition, date, version
106 @subtitle Edition 4.01, for _GDBN__ version _GDB_VN__
107 @subtitle January 1992
108 @author by Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch
109 @page
110 @tex
111 {\parskip=0pt
112 \hfill rms\@ai.mit.edu, pesch\@cygnus.com\par
113 \hfill {\it Using _GDBN__}, \manvers\par
114 \hfill \TeX{}info \texinfoversion\par
115 }
116 @end tex
117
118 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
119 Copyright @copyright{} 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
120
121 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
122 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
123 are preserved on all copies.
124
125 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
126 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
127 section entitled ``GNU General Public License'' is included exactly as
128 in the original, and provided that the entire resulting derived work is
129 distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to this
130 one.
131
132 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
133 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions,
134 except that the section entitled ``GNU General Public License'' may be
135 included in a translation approved by the Free Software Foundation
136 instead of in the original English.
137 @end titlepage
138 @page
139
140 @ifinfo
141 @node Top, Summary, (dir), (dir)
142 @top _GDBN__, the GNU symbolic debugger
143
144 This file describes _GDBN__, the GNU symbolic debugger.
145
146 @c !!set edition, date, version
147 This is Edition 4.01, January 1992, for GDB Version _GDB_VN__.
148 @end ifinfo
149
150 @menu
151 * Summary:: Summary of _GDBN__
152 * New Features:: New features since GDB version 3.5
153 * Sample Session:: A Sample _GDBN__ session
154 * Invocation:: Getting in and out of _GDBN__
155 * Commands:: _GDBN__ commands
156 * Running:: Running programs under _GDBN__
157 * Stopping:: Stopping and continuing
158 * Stack:: Examining the stack
159 * Source:: Examining source files
160 * Data:: Examining data
161 * Languages:: Using _GDBN__ with different languages
162 * Symbols:: Examining the symbol table
163 * Altering:: Altering execution
164 * _GDBN__ Files:: _GDBN__'s files
165 * Targets:: Specifying a debugging target
166 * Controlling _GDBN__:: Controlling _GDBN__
167 * Sequences:: Canned sequences of commands
168 * Emacs:: Using _GDBN__ under GNU Emacs
169 * _GDBN__ Bugs:: Reporting bugs in _GDBN__
170 * Renamed Commands::
171 * Installing GDB:: Installing GDB
172 * Copying:: GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
173 * Index:: Index
174
175 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
176
177 Summary of _GDBN__
178
179 * Free Software:: Free Software
180 * Contributors:: Contributors to _GDBN__
181
182 Getting In and Out of _GDBN__
183
184 * Invoking _GDBN__:: Starting _GDBN__
185 * Leaving _GDBN__:: Leaving _GDBN__
186 * Shell Commands:: Shell Commands
187
188 Starting _GDBN__
189
190 * File Options:: Choosing Files
191 * Mode Options:: Choosing Modes
192
193 _GDBN__ Commands
194
195 * Command Syntax:: Command Syntax
196 * Help:: Getting Help
197
198 Running Programs Under _GDBN__
199
200 * Compilation:: Compiling for Debugging
201 * Starting:: Starting your Program
202 * Arguments:: Your Program's Arguments
203 * Environment:: Your Program's Environment
204 * Working Directory:: Your Program's Working Directory
205 * Input/Output:: Your Program's Input and Output
206 * Attach:: Debugging an Already-Running Process
207 * Kill Process:: Killing the Child Process
208
209 Stopping and Continuing
210
211 * Breakpoints:: Breakpoints, Watchpoints, and Exceptions
212 * Continuing and Stepping:: Resuming Execution
213 * Signals:: Signals
214
215 Breakpoints, Watchpoints, and Exceptions
216
217 * Set Breaks:: Setting Breakpoints
218 * Set Watchpoints:: Setting Watchpoints
219 * Exception Handling:: Breakpoints and Exceptions
220 * Delete Breaks:: Deleting Breakpoints
221 * Disabling:: Disabling Breakpoints
222 * Conditions:: Break Conditions
223 * Break Commands:: Breakpoint Command Lists
224 * Breakpoint Menus:: Breakpoint Menus
225 * Error in Breakpoints:: ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
226
227 Examining the Stack
228
229 * Frames:: Stack Frames
230 * Backtrace:: Backtraces
231 * Selection:: Selecting a Frame
232 * Frame Info:: Information on a Frame
233
234 Examining Source Files
235
236 * List:: Printing Source Lines
237 * Search:: Searching Source Files
238 * Source Path:: Specifying Source Directories
239 * Machine Code:: Source and Machine Code
240
241 Examining Data
242
243 * Expressions:: Expressions
244 * Variables:: Program Variables
245 * Arrays:: Artificial Arrays
246 * Output formats:: Output formats
247 * Memory:: Examining Memory
248 * Auto Display:: Automatic Display
249 * Print Settings:: Print Settings
250 * Value History:: Value History
251 * Convenience Vars:: Convenience Variables
252 * Registers:: Registers
253 * Floating Point Hardware:: Floating Point Hardware
254
255 Using GDB with Different Languages
256
257 * Setting:: Switching between source languages
258 * Show:: Displaying the language
259 * Checks:: Type and Range checks
260 * Support:: Supported languages
261
262 Switching between source languages
263
264 * Manually:: Setting the working language manually
265 * Automatically:: Having GDB infer the source language
266
267 Type and range Checking
268
269 * Type Checking:: An overview of type checking
270 * Range Checking:: An overview of range checking
271
272 Supported Languages
273
274 * C:: C and C++
275 * Modula-2:: Modula-2
276
277 C and C++
278
279 * C Operators:: C and C++ Operators
280 * C Constants:: C and C++ Constants
281 * Cplusplus expressions:: C++ Expressions
282 * C Defaults:: Default settings for C and C++
283 * C Checks:: C and C++ Type and Range Checks
284 * Debugging C:: _GDBN__ and C
285 * Debugging C plus plus:: Special features for C++
286
287 Modula-2
288
289 * M2 Operators:: Built-in operators
290 * Built-In Func/Proc:: Built-in Functions and Procedures
291 * M2 Constants:: Modula-2 Constants
292 * M2 Defaults:: Default settings for Modula-2
293 * Deviations:: Deviations from standard Modula-2
294 * M2 Checks:: Modula-2 Type and Range Checks
295 * M2 Scope:: The scope operators @code{::} and @code{.}
296 * GDB/M2:: GDB and Modula-2
297
298 Altering Execution
299
300 * Assignment:: Assignment to Variables
301 * Jumping:: Continuing at a Different Address
302 * Signaling:: Giving your program a Signal
303 * Returning:: Returning from a Function
304 * Calling:: Calling your Program's Functions
305 * Patching:: Patching your Program
306
307 _GDBN__'s Files
308
309 * Files:: Commands to Specify Files
310 * Symbol Errors:: Errors Reading Symbol Files
311
312 Specifying a Debugging Target
313
314 * Active Targets:: Active Targets
315 * Target Commands:: Commands for Managing Targets
316 * Remote:: Remote Debugging
317
318 Remote Debugging
319
320 * i960-Nindy Remote:: _GDBN__ with a Remote i960 (Nindy)
321 * EB29K Remote:: _GDBN__ with a Remote EB29K
322 * VxWorks Remote:: _GDBN__ and VxWorks
323
324 _GDBN__ with a Remote i960 (Nindy)
325
326 * Nindy Startup:: Startup with Nindy
327 * Nindy Options:: Options for Nindy
328 * Nindy reset:: Nindy Reset Command
329
330 _GDBN__ with a Remote EB29K
331
332 * Comms (EB29K):: Communications Setup
333 * gdb-EB29K:: EB29K cross-debugging
334 * Remote Log:: Remote Log
335
336 _GDBN__ and VxWorks
337
338 * VxWorks connection:: Connecting to VxWorks
339 * VxWorks download:: VxWorks Download
340 * VxWorks attach:: Running Tasks
341
342 Controlling _GDBN__
343
344 * Prompt:: Prompt
345 * Editing:: Command Editing
346 * History:: Command History
347 * Screen Size:: Screen Size
348 * Numbers:: Numbers
349 * Messages/Warnings:: Optional Warnings and Messages
350
351 Canned Sequences of Commands
352
353 * Define:: User-Defined Commands
354 * Command Files:: Command Files
355 * Output:: Commands for Controlled Output
356
357 Reporting Bugs in _GDBN__
358
359 * Bug Criteria:: Have You Found a Bug?
360 * Bug Reporting:: How to Report Bugs
361
362 Installing GDB
363
364 * Separate Objdir:: Compiling _GDBN__ in another directory
365 * Config Names:: Specifying names for hosts and targets
366 * configure Options:: Summary of options for configure
367 * Formatting Documentation:: How to format and print GDB documentation
368 @end menu
369
370 @node Summary, New Features, Top, Top
371 @unnumbered Summary of _GDBN__
372
373 The purpose of a debugger such as _GDBN__ is to allow you to see what is
374 going on ``inside'' another program while it executes---or what another
375 program was doing at the moment it crashed.
376
377 _GDBN__ can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
378 these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
379
380 @itemize @bullet
381 @item
382 Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
383
384 @item
385 Make your program stop on specified conditions.
386
387 @item
388 Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
389
390 @item
391 Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
392 effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
393 @end itemize
394
395 You can use _GDBN__ to debug programs written in C, C++, and Modula-2.
396 Fortran support will be added when a GNU Fortran compiler is ready.
397
398 @menu
399 * Free Software:: Free Software
400 * Contributors:: Contributors to GDB
401 @end menu
402
403 @node Free Software, Contributors, Summary, Summary
404 @unnumberedsec Free Software
405
406 _GDBN__ is @dfn{free software}, protected by the GNU General Public License
407 (GPL). The GPL gives you the freedom to copy or adapt a licensed
408 program---but every person getting a copy also gets with it the
409 freedom to modify that copy (which means that they must get access to
410 the source code), and the freedom to distribute further copies.
411 Typical software companies use copyrights to limit your freedoms; the
412 Free Software Foundation uses the GPL to preserve these freedoms.
413
414 Fundamentally, the General Public License is a license which says that
415 you have these freedoms and that you cannot take these freedoms away
416 from anyone else.
417
418 For full details, @pxref{Copying, ,GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE}.
419
420 @node Contributors, , Free Software, Summary
421 @unnumberedsec Contributors to GDB
422
423 Richard Stallman was the original author of GDB, and of many other GNU
424 programs. Many others have contributed to its development. This
425 section attempts to credit major contributors. One of the virtues of
426 free software is that everyone is free to contribute to it; with
427 regret, we cannot actually acknowledge everyone here. The file
428 @file{ChangeLog} in the GDB distribution approximates a blow-by-blow
429 account.
430
431 Changes much prior to version 2.0 are lost in the mists of time.
432
433 @quotation
434 @emph{Plea:} Additions to this section are particularly welcome. If you
435 or your friends (or enemies; let's be evenhanded) have been unfairly
436 omitted from this list, we would like to add your names!
437 @end quotation
438
439 So that they may not regard their long labor as thankless, we
440 particularly thank those who shepherded GDB through major releases: Stu
441 Grossman and John Gilmore (release 4.4), John Gilmore (releases 4.3, 4.2,
442 4.1, 4.0, and 3.9); Jim Kingdon (releases 3.5, 3.4, 3.3); and Randy
443 Smith (releases 3.2, 3.1, 3.0). As major maintainer of GDB for some
444 period, each contributed significantly to the structure, stability, and
445 capabilities of the entire debugger.
446
447 Richard Stallman, assisted at various times by Pete TerMaat, Chris
448 Hanson, and Richard Mlynarik, handled releases through 2.8.
449
450 Michael Tiemann is the author of most of the GNU C++ support in GDB,
451 with significant additional contributions from Per Bothner. James
452 Clark wrote the GNU C++ demangler. Early work on C++ was by Peter
453 TerMaat (who also did much general update work leading to release 3.0).
454
455 GDB 4 uses the BFD subroutine library to examine multiple
456 object-file formats; BFD was a joint project of David V.
457 Henkel-Wallace, Rich Pixley, Steve Chamberlain, and John Gilmore.
458
459 David Johnson wrote the original COFF support; Pace Willison did
460 the original support for encapsulated COFF.
461
462 Adam de Boor and Bradley Davis contributed the ISI Optimum V support.
463 Per Bothner, Noboyuki Hikichi, and Alessandro Forin contributed MIPS
464 support. Jean-Daniel Fekete contributed Sun 386i support. Chris
465 Hanson improved the HP9000 support. Noboyuki Hikichi and Tomoyuki
466 Hasei contributed Sony/News OS 3 support. David Johnson contributed
467 Encore Umax support. Jyrki Kuoppala contributed Altos 3068 support.
468 Keith Packard contributed NS32K support. Doug Rabson contributed
469 Acorn Risc Machine support. Chris Smith contributed Convex support
470 (and Fortran debugging). Jonathan Stone contributed Pyramid support.
471 Michael Tiemann contributed SPARC support. Tim Tucker contributed
472 support for the Gould NP1 and Gould Powernode. Pace Willison
473 contributed Intel 386 support. Jay Vosburgh contributed Symmetry
474 support.
475
476 Rich Schaefer and Peter Schauer helped with support of SunOS shared
477 libraries.
478
479 Jay Fenlason and Roland McGrath ensured that GDB and GAS agree about
480 several machine instruction sets.
481
482 Patrick Duval, Ted Goldstein, Vikram Koka and Glenn Engel helped
483 develop remote debugging. Intel Corporation and Wind River Systems
484 contributed remote debugging modules for their products.
485
486 Brian Fox is the author of the readline libraries providing
487 command-line editing and command history.
488
489 Andrew Beers of SUNY Buffalo wrote the language-switching code and
490 the Modula-2 support, and contributed the Languages chapter of this
491 manual.
492
493 @node New Features, Sample Session, Summary, Top
494 @unnumbered New Features since GDB version 3.5
495
496 @table @emph
497 @item Targets
498 Using the new command @code{target}, you can select at runtime whether
499 you are debugging local files, local processes, standalone systems over
500 a serial port, realtime systems over a TCP/IP connection, etc. The
501 command @code{load} can download programs into a remote system. Serial
502 stubs are available for Motorola 680x0 and Intel 80386 remote systems;
503 GDB also supports debugging realtime processes running under
504 VxWorks, using SunRPC Remote Procedure Calls over TCP/IP to talk to a
505 debugger stub on the target system. Internally, GDB now uses a
506 function vector to mediate access to different targets; if you need to
507 add your own support for a remote protocol, this makes it much easier.
508
509 @item Watchpoints
510 GDB now sports watchpoints as well as breakpoints. You can use a
511 watchpoint to stop execution whenever the value of an expression
512 changes, without having to predict a particular place in your program
513 where this may happen.
514
515 @item Wide Output
516 Commands that issue wide output now insert newlines at places designed
517 to make the output more readable.
518
519 @item Object Code Formats
520 GDB uses a new library called the Binary File Descriptor (BFD)
521 Library to permit it to switch dynamically, without reconfiguration or
522 recompilation, between different object-file formats. Formats currently
523 supported are COFF, a.out, and the Intel 960 b.out; files may be read as
524 .o's, archive libraries, or core dumps. BFD is available as a
525 subroutine library so that other programs may take advantage of it, and
526 the other GNU binary utilities are being converted to use it.
527
528 @item Configuration and Ports
529 Compile-time configuration (to select a particular architecture and
530 operating system) is much easier. The script @code{configure} now
531 allows you to configure GDB as either a native debugger or a
532 cross-debugger. @xref{Installing GDB}, for details on how to
533 configure and on what architectures are now available.
534
535 @item Interaction
536 The user interface to GDB's control variables has been simplified
537 and consolidated in two commands, @code{set} and @code{show}. Output
538 lines are now broken at readable places, rather than overflowing onto
539 the next line. You can suppress output of machine-level addresses,
540 displaying only source language information.
541
542 @item C++
543 GDB now supports C++ multiple inheritance (if used with a GCC
544 version 2 compiler), and also has limited support for C++ exception
545 handling, with the commands @code{catch} and @code{info catch}: GDB
546 can break when an exception is raised, before the stack is peeled back
547 to the exception handler's context.
548
549 @item Modula-2
550 GDB now has preliminary support for the GNU Modula-2 compiler,
551 currently under development at the State University of New York at
552 Buffalo. Coordinated development of both GDB and the GNU Modula-2
553 compiler will continue into 1992. Other Modula-2 compilers are
554 currently not supported, and attempting to debug programs compiled with
555 them will likely result in an error as the symbol table of the
556 executable is read in.
557
558 @item Command Rationalization
559 Many GDB commands have been renamed to make them easier to remember
560 and use. In particular, the subcommands of @code{info} and
561 @code{show}/@code{set} are grouped to make the former refer to the state
562 of your program, and the latter refer to the state of GDB itself.
563 @xref{Renamed Commands}, for details on what commands were renamed.
564
565 @item Shared Libraries
566 GDB 4 can debug programs and core files that use SunOS shared
567 libraries.
568
569 @item Reference Card
570 GDB 4 has a reference card. @xref{Formatting Documentation} for
571 instructions on printing it.
572
573 @item Work in Progress
574 Kernel debugging for BSD and Mach systems; Tahoe and HPPA architecture
575 support.
576 @end table
577
578 @node Sample Session, Invocation, New Features, Top
579 @chapter A Sample _GDBN__ Session
580
581 You can use this manual at your leisure to read all about _GDBN__.
582 However, a handful of commands are enough to get started using the
583 debugger. This chapter illustrates these commands.
584
585 @iftex
586 In this sample session, we emphasize user input like this: @i{input},
587 to make it easier to pick out from the surrounding output.
588 @end iftex
589
590 @c FIXME: this example may not be appropriate for some configs, where
591 @c FIXME...primary interest is in remote use.
592 _0__
593 One of the preliminary versions of GNU @code{m4} (a generic macro
594 processor) exhibits the following bug: sometimes, when we change its
595 quote strings from the default, the commands used to capture one macro's
596 definition in another stop working. In the following short @code{m4}
597 session, we define a macro @code{foo} which expands to @code{0000}; we
598 then use the @code{m4} built-in @code{defn} to define @code{bar} as the
599 same thing. However, when we change the open quote string to
600 @code{<QUOTE>} and the close quote string to @code{<UNQUOTE>}, the same
601 procedure fails to define a new synonym @code{baz}:
602
603 @smallexample
604 $ @i{cd gnu/m4}
605 $ @i{./m4}
606 @i{define(foo,0000)}
607
608 @i{foo}
609 0000
610 @i{define(bar,defn(`foo'))}
611
612 @i{bar}
613 0000
614 @i{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
615
616 @i{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
617 @i{baz}
618 @i{C-d}
619 m4: End of input: 0: fatal error: EOF in string
620 @end smallexample
621
622 @noindent
623 Let's use _GDBN__ to try to see what's going on.
624
625 @smallexample
626 $ @i{_GDBP__ m4}
627 @c FIXME: this falsifies the exact text played out, to permit smallbook
628 @c FIXME... format to come out better.
629 GDB is free software and you are welcome to distribute copies
630 of it under certain conditions; type "show copying" to see
631 the conditions.
632 There is absolutely no warranty for GDB; type "show warranty"
633 for details.
634 GDB _GDB_VN__, Copyright 1992 Free Software Foundation, Inc...
635 (_GDBP__)
636 @end smallexample
637
638 @noindent
639 _GDBN__ reads only enough symbol data to know where to find the rest when
640 needed; as a result, the first prompt comes up very quickly. We now
641 tell _GDBN__ to use a narrower display width than usual, so that examples
642 will fit in this manual.
643
644 @smallexample
645 (_GDBP__) @i{set width 70}
646 @end smallexample
647
648 @noindent
649 Let's see how the @code{m4} built-in @code{changequote} works.
650 Having looked at the source, we know the relevant subroutine is
651 @code{m4_changequote}, so we set a breakpoint there with _GDBN__'s
652 @code{break} command.
653
654 @smallexample
655 (_GDBP__) @i{break m4_changequote}
656 Breakpoint 1 at 0x62f4: file builtin.c, line 879.
657 @end smallexample
658
659 @noindent
660 Using the @code{run} command, we start @code{m4} running under _GDBN__
661 control; as long as control does not reach the @code{m4_changequote}
662 subroutine, the program runs as usual:
663
664 @smallexample
665 (_GDBP__) @i{run}
666 Starting program: /work/Editorial/gdb/gnu/m4/m4
667 @i{define(foo,0000)}
668
669 @i{foo}
670 0000
671 @end smallexample
672
673 @noindent
674 To trigger the breakpoint, we call @code{changequote}. _GDBN__
675 suspends execution of @code{m4}, displaying information about the
676 context where it stops.
677
678 @smallexample
679 @i{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
680
681 Breakpoint 1, m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
682 at builtin.c:879
683 879 if (bad_argc(TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[0]), argc, 1, 3))
684 @end smallexample
685
686 @noindent
687 Now we use the command @code{n} (@code{next}) to advance execution to
688 the next line of the current function.
689
690 @smallexample
691 (_GDBP__) @i{n}
692 882 set_quotes((argc >= 2) ? TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[1])\
693 : nil,
694 @end smallexample
695
696 @noindent
697 @code{set_quotes} looks like a promising subroutine. We can go into it
698 by using the command @code{s} (@code{step}) instead of @code{next}.
699 @code{step} goes to the next line to be executed in @emph{any}
700 subroutine, so it steps into @code{set_quotes}.
701
702 @smallexample
703 (_GDBP__) @i{s}
704 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
705 at input.c:530
706 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
707 @end smallexample
708
709 @noindent
710 The display that shows the subroutine where @code{m4} is now
711 suspended (and its arguments) is called a stack frame display. It
712 shows a summary of the stack. We can use the @code{backtrace}
713 command (which can also be spelled @code{bt}), to see where we are
714 in the stack as a whole: the @code{backtrace} command displays a
715 stack frame for each active subroutine.
716
717 @smallexample
718 (_GDBP__) @i{bt}
719 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
720 at input.c:530
721 #1 0x6344 in m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
722 at builtin.c:882
723 #2 0x8174 in expand_macro (sym=0x33320) at macro.c:242
724 #3 0x7a88 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=209696, td=0xf7fffa30)
725 at macro.c:71
726 #4 0x79dc in expand_input () at macro.c:40
727 #5 0x2930 in main (argc=0, argv=0xf7fffb20) at m4.c:195
728 @end smallexample
729
730 @noindent
731 Let's step through a few more lines to see what happens. The first two
732 times, we can use @samp{s}; the next two times we use @code{n} to avoid
733 falling into the @code{xstrdup} subroutine.
734
735 @smallexample
736 (_GDBP__) @i{s}
737 0x3b5c 532 if (rquote != def_rquote)
738 (_GDBP__) @i{s}
739 0x3b80 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? \
740 def_lquote : xstrdup(lq);
741 (_GDBP__) @i{n}
742 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
743 : xstrdup(rq);
744 (_GDBP__) @i{n}
745 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
746 @end smallexample
747
748 @noindent
749 The last line displayed looks a little odd; let's examine the variables
750 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} to see if they are in fact the new left
751 and right quotes we specified. We can use the command @code{p}
752 (@code{print}) to see their values.
753
754 @smallexample
755 (_GDBP__) @i{p lquote}
756 $1 = 0x35d40 "<QUOTE>"
757 (_GDBP__) @i{p rquote}
758 $2 = 0x35d50 "<UNQUOTE>"
759 @end smallexample
760
761 @noindent
762 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} are indeed the new left and right quotes.
763 Let's look at some context; we can display ten lines of source
764 surrounding the current line, with the @code{l} (@code{list}) command.
765
766 @smallexample
767 (_GDBP__) @i{l}
768 533 xfree(rquote);
769 534
770 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? def_lquote\
771 : xstrdup (lq);
772 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
773 : xstrdup (rq);
774 537
775 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
776 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
777 540 @}
778 541
779 542 void
780 @end smallexample
781
782 @noindent
783 Let's step past the two lines that set @code{len_lquote} and
784 @code{len_rquote}, and then examine the values of those variables.
785
786 @smallexample
787 (_GDBP__) @i{n}
788 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
789 (_GDBP__) @i{n}
790 540 @}
791 (_GDBP__) @i{p len_lquote}
792 $3 = 9
793 (_GDBP__) @i{p len_rquote}
794 $4 = 7
795 @end smallexample
796
797 @noindent
798 That certainly looks wrong, assuming @code{len_lquote} and
799 @code{len_rquote} are meant to be the lengths of @code{lquote} and
800 @code{rquote} respectively. Let's try setting them to better values.
801 We can use the @code{p} command for this, since it'll print the value of
802 any expression---and that expression can include subroutine calls and
803 assignments.
804
805 @smallexample
806 (_GDBP__) p @i{len_lquote=strlen(lquote)}
807 $5 = 7
808 (_GDBP__) p @i{len_rquote=strlen(rquote)}
809 $6 = 9
810 @end smallexample
811
812 @noindent
813 Let's see if that fixes the problem of using the new quotes with the
814 @code{m4} built-in @code{defn}. We can allow @code{m4} to continue
815 executing with the @code{c} (@code{continue}) command, and then try the
816 example that caused trouble initially:
817
818 @smallexample
819 (_GDBP__) @i{c}
820 Continuing.
821
822 @i{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
823
824 baz
825 0000
826 @end smallexample
827
828 @noindent
829 Success! The new quotes now work just as well as the default ones. The
830 problem seems to have been just the two typos defining the wrong
831 lengths. We'll let @code{m4} exit by giving it an EOF as input.
832
833 @smallexample
834 @i{C-d}
835 Program exited normally.
836 @end smallexample
837
838 @noindent
839 The message @samp{Program exited normally.} is from _GDBN__; it
840 indicates @code{m4} has finished executing. We can end our _GDBN__
841 session with the _GDBN__ @code{quit} command.
842
843 @smallexample
844 (_GDBP__) @i{quit}
845 _1__@end smallexample
846
847 @node Invocation, Commands, Sample Session, Top
848 @chapter Getting In and Out of _GDBN__
849
850 This chapter discusses how to start _GDBN__, and how to get out of it.
851 (The essentials: type @samp{_GDBP__} to start GDB, and type @kbd{quit}
852 or @kbd{C-d} to exit.)
853
854 @menu
855 * Invoking _GDBN__:: Starting _GDBN__
856 * Leaving _GDBN__:: Leaving _GDBN__
857 * Shell Commands:: Shell Commands
858 @end menu
859
860 @node Invoking _GDBN__, Leaving _GDBN__, Invocation, Invocation
861 @section Starting _GDBN__
862
863 Start _GDBN__ with the shell command @code{_GDBP__}. Once it's running,
864 _GDBN__ reads commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit.
865
866 You can also run @code{_GDBP__} with a variety of arguments and options,
867 to specify more of your debugging environment at the outset.
868
869 The command-line options described here are designed
870 to cover a variety of situations; in some environments, some of these
871 options may effectively be unavailable.
872
873 _if__(_H8__)
874 For details on starting up _GDBP__ as a
875 remote debugger attached to a Hitachi H8/300 board, see @ref{Hitachi
876 H8/300 Remote,,_GDBN__ and the Hitachi H8/300}.
877 _fi__(_H8__)
878
879 The most usual way to start _GDBN__ is with one argument or two,
880 specifying an executable program as the argument:
881
882 @example
883 _GDBP__ @var{program}
884 @end example
885
886 @noindent
887 You can also start with both an executable program and a core file
888 specified:
889
890 @example
891 _GDBP__ @var{program} @var{core}
892 @end example
893
894 You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want
895 to debug a running process:
896
897 @example
898 _GDBP__ @var{program} 1234
899 @end example
900
901 @noindent
902 would attach _GDBN__ to process @code{1234} (unless you also have a file
903 named @file{1234}; _GDBN__ does check for a core file first).
904
905 Taking advantage of the second command-line argument requires a fairly
906 complete operating system; when you use _GDBN__ as a remote debugger
907 attached to a bare board, there may not be any notion of ``process'',
908 and there is often no way to get a core dump.
909
910 @noindent
911 You can further control how _GDBN__ starts up by using command-line
912 options. _GDBN__ itself can remind you of the options available.
913
914 @noindent
915 Type
916
917 @example
918 _GDBP__ -help
919 @end example
920
921 @noindent
922 to display all available options and briefly describe their use
923 (@samp{_GDBP__ -h} is a shorter equivalent).
924
925 All options and command line arguments you give are processed
926 in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the
927 @samp{-x} option is used.
928
929 @menu
930 * File Options:: Choosing Files
931 * Mode Options:: Choosing Modes
932 _if__(!_GENERIC__)
933 _include__(gdbinv-m.m4)_dnl__
934 _fi__(!_GENERIC__)
935 @end menu
936
937 @node File Options, Mode Options, Invoking _GDBN__, Invoking _GDBN__
938 @subsection Choosing Files
939
940 When _GDBN__ starts, it reads any arguments other than options as
941 specifying an executable file and core file (or process ID). This is
942 the same as if the arguments were specified by the @samp{-se} and
943 @samp{-c} options respectively. (_GDBN__ reads the first argument
944 that does not have an associated option flag as equivalent to the
945 @samp{-se} option followed by that argument; and the second argument
946 that does not have an associated option flag, if any, as equivalent to
947 the @samp{-c} option followed by that argument.)
948
949 Many options have both long and short forms; both are shown in the
950 following list. _GDBN__ also recognizes the long forms if you truncate
951 them, so long as enough of the option is present to be unambiguous.
952 (If you prefer, you can flag option arguments with @samp{--} rather
953 than @samp{-}, though we illustrate the more usual convention.)
954
955 @table @code
956 @item -symbols=@var{file}
957 @itemx -s @var{file}
958 Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
959
960 @item -exec=@var{file}
961 @itemx -e @var{file}
962 Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when
963 appropriate, and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core
964 dump.
965
966 @item -se=@var{file}
967 Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
968 file.
969
970 @item -core=@var{file}
971 @itemx -c @var{file}
972 Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
973
974 @item -command=@var{file}
975 @itemx -x @var{file}
976 Execute _GDBN__ commands from file @var{file}. @xref{Command Files}.
977
978 @item -directory=@var{directory}
979 @itemx -d @var{directory}
980 Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source files.
981 @end table
982
983 _if__(!_GENERIC__)
984 @node Mode Options, Mode Options, File Options, Invoking _GDBN__
985 _fi__(!_GENERIC__)
986 _if__(_GENERIC__)
987 @node Mode Options, , File Options, Invoking _GDBN__
988 _fi__(_GENERIC__)
989 @subsection Choosing Modes
990
991 You can run _GDBN__ in various alternative modes---for example, in
992 batch mode or quiet mode.
993
994 @table @code
995 @item -nx
996 @itemx -n
997 Do not execute commands from any @file{_GDBINIT__} initialization files.
998 Normally, the commands in these files are executed after all the
999 command options and arguments have been processed.
1000 @xref{Command Files}.
1001
1002 @item -quiet
1003 @itemx -q
1004 ``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
1005 messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
1006
1007 @item -batch
1008 Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the command
1009 files specified with @samp{-x} (and @file{_GDBINIT__}, if not inhibited).
1010 Exit with nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the _GDBN__
1011 commands in the command files.
1012
1013 Batch mode may be useful for running _GDBN__ as a filter, for example to
1014 download and run a program on another computer; in order to make this
1015 more useful, the message
1016
1017 @example
1018 Program exited normally.
1019 @end example
1020
1021 @noindent
1022 (which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under _GDBN__ control
1023 terminates) is not issued when running in batch mode.
1024
1025 @item -cd=@var{directory}
1026 Run _GDBN__ using @var{directory} as its working directory,
1027 instead of the current directory.
1028
1029 @item -fullname
1030 @itemx -f
1031 Emacs sets this option when it runs _GDBN__ as a subprocess. It tells _GDBN__
1032 to output the full file name and line number in a standard,
1033 recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is displayed (which
1034 includes each time your program stops). This recognizable format looks
1035 like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by the file name, line number
1036 and character position separated by colons, and a newline. The
1037 Emacs-to-_GDBN__ interface program uses the two @samp{\032} characters as
1038 a signal to display the source code for the frame.
1039
1040 @item -b @var{bps}
1041 Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
1042 interface used by _GDBN__ for remote debugging.
1043
1044 @item -tty=@var{device}
1045 Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
1046 @c FIXME: kingdon thinks there is more to -tty. Investigate.
1047 @end table
1048
1049 _if__(!_GENERIC__)
1050 _include__(gdbinv-s.m4)
1051 _fi__(!_GENERIC__)
1052 @node Leaving _GDBN__, Shell Commands, Invoking _GDBN__, Invocation
1053 @section Leaving _GDBN__
1054 @cindex exiting _GDBN__
1055
1056 @table @code
1057 @item quit
1058 @kindex quit
1059 @kindex q
1060 To exit _GDBN__, use the @code{quit} command (abbreviated @code{q}), or type
1061 an end-of-file character (usually @kbd{C-d}).
1062 @end table
1063
1064 @cindex interrupt
1065 An interrupt (often @kbd{C-c}) will not exit from _GDBN__, but rather
1066 will terminate the action of any _GDBN__ command that is in progress and
1067 return to _GDBN__ command level. It is safe to type the interrupt
1068 character at any time because _GDBN__ does not allow it to take effect
1069 until a time when it is safe.
1070
1071 If you have been using _GDBN__ to control an attached process or device, you
1072 can release it with the @code{detach} command; @pxref{Attach,
1073 ,Debugging an Already-Running Process}..
1074
1075 @node Shell Commands, , Leaving _GDBN__, Invocation
1076 @section Shell Commands
1077
1078 If you need to execute occasional shell commands during your
1079 debugging session, there is no need to leave or suspend _GDBN__; you can
1080 just use the @code{shell} command.
1081
1082 @table @code
1083 @item shell @var{command string}
1084 @kindex shell
1085 @cindex shell escape
1086 Directs _GDBN__ to invoke an inferior shell to execute @var{command
1087 string}. If it exists, the environment variable @code{SHELL} is used
1088 for the name of the shell to run. Otherwise _GDBN__ uses
1089 @code{/bin/sh}.
1090 @end table
1091
1092 The utility @code{make} is often needed in development environments.
1093 You do not have to use the @code{shell} command for this purpose in _GDBN__:
1094
1095 @table @code
1096 @item make @var{make-args}
1097 @kindex make
1098 @cindex calling make
1099 Causes _GDBN__ to execute an inferior @code{make} program with the specified
1100 arguments. This is equivalent to @samp{shell make @var{make-args}}.
1101 @end table
1102
1103 @node Commands, Running, Invocation, Top
1104 @chapter _GDBN__ Commands
1105
1106 You can abbreviate GDB command if that abbreviation is unambiguous;
1107 and you can repeat certain GDB commands by typing just @key{RET}.
1108
1109 @menu
1110 * Command Syntax:: Command Syntax
1111 * Help:: Getting Help
1112 @end menu
1113
1114 @node Command Syntax, Help, Commands, Commands
1115 @section Command Syntax
1116
1117 A _GDBN__ command is a single line of input. There is no limit on how long
1118 it can be. It starts with a command name, which is followed by arguments
1119 whose meaning depends on the command name. For example, the command
1120 @code{step} accepts an argument which is the number of times to step,
1121 as in @samp{step 5}. You can also use the @code{step} command with
1122 no arguments. Some command names do not allow any arguments.
1123
1124 @cindex abbreviation
1125 _GDBN__ command names may always be truncated if that abbreviation is
1126 unambiguous. Other possible command abbreviations are listed in the
1127 documentation for individual commands. In some cases, even ambiguous
1128 abbreviations are allowed; for example, @code{s} is specially defined as
1129 equivalent to @code{step} even though there are other commands whose
1130 names start with @code{s}. You can test abbreviations by using them as
1131 arguments to the @code{help} command.
1132
1133 @cindex repeating commands
1134 @kindex RET
1135 A blank line as input to _GDBN__ (typing just @key{RET}) means to
1136 repeat the previous command. Certain commands (for example, @code{run})
1137 will not repeat this way; these are commands for which unintentional
1138 repetition might cause trouble and which you are unlikely to want to
1139 repeat.
1140
1141 The @code{list} and @code{x} commands, when you repeat them with
1142 @key{RET}, construct new arguments rather than repeating
1143 exactly as typed. This permits easy scanning of source or memory.
1144
1145 _GDBN__ can also use @key{RET} in another way: to partition lengthy
1146 output, in a way similar to the common utility @code{more}
1147 (@pxref{Screen Size}). Since it is easy to press one @key{RET} too many
1148 in this situation, _GDBN__ disables command repetition after any command
1149 that generates this sort of display.
1150
1151 @kindex #
1152 @cindex comment
1153 A line of input starting with @kbd{#} is a comment; it does nothing.
1154 This is useful mainly in command files (@pxref{Command Files}).
1155
1156 @node Help, , Command Syntax, Commands
1157 @section Getting Help
1158 @cindex online documentation
1159 @kindex help
1160
1161 You can always ask _GDBN__ itself for information on its commands, using the
1162 command @code{help}.
1163
1164 @table @code
1165 @item help
1166 @itemx h
1167 @kindex h
1168 You can use @code{help} (abbreviated @code{h}) with no arguments to
1169 display a short list of named classes of commands:
1170
1171 @smallexample
1172 (_GDBP__) help
1173 List of classes of commands:
1174
1175 running -- Running the program
1176 stack -- Examining the stack
1177 data -- Examining data
1178 breakpoints -- Making program stop at certain points
1179 files -- Specifying and examining files
1180 status -- Status inquiries
1181 support -- Support facilities
1182 user-defined -- User-defined commands
1183 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1184 obscure -- Obscure features
1185
1186 Type "help" followed by a class name for a list of
1187 commands in that class.
1188 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1189 documentation.
1190 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1191 (_GDBP__)
1192 @end smallexample
1193
1194 @item help @var{class}
1195 Using one of the general help classes as an argument, you can get a
1196 list of the individual commands in that class. For example, here is the
1197 help display for the class @code{status}:
1198
1199 @smallexample
1200 (_GDBP__) help status
1201 Status inquiries.
1202
1203 List of commands:
1204
1205 show -- Generic command for showing things set with "set"
1206 info -- Generic command for printing status
1207
1208 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1209 documentation.
1210 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1211 (_GDBP__)
1212 @end smallexample
1213
1214 @item help @var{command}
1215 With a command name as @code{help} argument, _GDBN__ will display a
1216 short paragraph on how to use that command.
1217 @end table
1218
1219 In addition to @code{help}, you can use the _GDBN__ commands @code{info}
1220 and @code{show} to inquire about the state of your program, or the state
1221 of _GDBN__ itself. Each command supports many topics of inquiry; this
1222 manual introduces each of them in the appropriate context. The listings
1223 under @code{info} and under @code{show} in the Index point to
1224 all the sub-commands. @xref{Index}.
1225
1226 @c @group
1227 @table @code
1228 @item info
1229 @kindex info
1230 @kindex i
1231 This command (abbreviated @code{i}) is for describing the state of your
1232 program; for example, it can list the arguments given to your program
1233 (@code{info args}), the registers currently in use (@code{info
1234 registers}), or the breakpoints you have set (@code{info breakpoints}).
1235 You can get a complete list of the @code{info} sub-commands with
1236 @w{@code{help info}}.
1237
1238 @kindex show
1239 @item show
1240 In contrast, @code{show} is for describing the state of _GDBN__ itself.
1241 You can change most of the things you can @code{show}, by using the
1242 related command @code{set}; for example, you can control what number
1243 system is used for displays with @code{set radix}, or simply inquire
1244 which is currently in use with @code{show radix}.
1245
1246 @kindex info set
1247 To display all the settable parameters and their current
1248 values, you can use @code{show} with no arguments; you may also use
1249 @code{info set}. Both commands produce the same display.
1250 @c FIXME: "info set" violates the rule that "info" is for state of
1251 @c FIXME...program. Ck w/ GNU: "info set" to be called something else,
1252 @c FIXME...or change desc of rule---eg "state of prog and debugging session"?
1253 @end table
1254 @c @end group
1255
1256 Here are three miscellaneous @code{show} subcommands, all of which are
1257 exceptional in lacking corresponding @code{set} commands:
1258
1259 @table @code
1260 @kindex show version
1261 @cindex version number
1262 @item show version
1263 Show what version of _GDBN__ is running. You should include this
1264 information in _GDBN__ bug-reports. If multiple versions of _GDBN__ are in
1265 use at your site, you may occasionally want to make sure what version
1266 of _GDBN__ you are running; as _GDBN__ evolves, new commands are introduced,
1267 and old ones may wither away. The version number is also announced
1268 when you start _GDBN__ with no arguments.
1269
1270 @kindex show copying
1271 @item show copying
1272 Display information about permission for copying _GDBN__.
1273
1274 @kindex show warranty
1275 @item show warranty
1276 Display the GNU ``NO WARRANTY'' statement.
1277 @end table
1278
1279 @node Running, Stopping, Commands, Top
1280 @chapter Running Programs Under _GDBN__
1281
1282 To debug a program, you must run it under _GDBN__.
1283
1284 @menu
1285 * Compilation:: Compiling for Debugging
1286 * Starting:: Starting your Program
1287 * Arguments:: Your Program's Arguments
1288 * Environment:: Your Program's Environment
1289 * Working Directory:: Your Program's Working Directory
1290 * Input/Output:: Your Program's Input and Output
1291 * Attach:: Debugging an Already-Running Process
1292 * Kill Process:: Killing the Child Process
1293 @end menu
1294
1295 @node Compilation, Starting, Running, Running
1296 @section Compiling for Debugging
1297
1298 In order to debug a program effectively, you need to generate
1299 debugging information when you compile it. This debugging information
1300 is stored in the object file; it describes the data type of each
1301 variable or function and the correspondence between source line numbers
1302 and addresses in the executable code.
1303
1304 To request debugging information, specify the @samp{-g} option when you run
1305 the compiler.
1306
1307 Many C compilers are unable to handle the @samp{-g} and @samp{-O}
1308 options together. Using those compilers, you cannot generate optimized
1309 executables containing debugging information.
1310
1311 _GCC__, the GNU C compiler, supports @samp{-g} with or without
1312 @samp{-O}, making it possible to debug optimized code. We recommend
1313 that you @emph{always} use @samp{-g} whenever you compile a program.
1314 You may think your program is correct, but there is no sense in pushing
1315 your luck.
1316
1317 Some things do not work as well with @samp{-g -O} as with just
1318 @samp{-g}, particularly on machines with instruction scheduling. If in
1319 doubt, recompile with @samp{-g} alone, and if this fixes the problem,
1320 please report it as a bug (including a test case!).
1321
1322 Older versions of the GNU C compiler permitted a variant option
1323 @w{@samp{-gg}} for debugging information. _GDBN__ no longer supports this
1324 format; if your GNU C compiler has this option, do not use it.
1325
1326 @ignore
1327 @comment As far as I know, there are no cases in which _GDBN__ will
1328 @comment produce strange output in this case. (but no promises).
1329 If your program includes archives made with the @code{ar} program, and
1330 if the object files used as input to @code{ar} were compiled without the
1331 @samp{-g} option and have names longer than 15 characters, _GDBN__ will get
1332 confused reading your program's symbol table. No error message will be
1333 given, but _GDBN__ may behave strangely. The reason for this problem is a
1334 deficiency in the Unix archive file format, which cannot represent file
1335 names longer than 15 characters.
1336
1337 To avoid this problem, compile the archive members with the @samp{-g}
1338 option or use shorter file names. Alternatively, use a version of GNU
1339 @code{ar} dated more recently than August 1989.
1340 @end ignore
1341
1342 @node Starting, Arguments, Compilation, Running
1343 @section Starting your Program
1344 @cindex starting
1345 @cindex running
1346
1347 @table @code
1348 @item run
1349 @itemx r
1350 @kindex run
1351 Use the @code{run} command to start your program under _GDBN__. You must
1352 first specify the program name
1353 _if__(_VXWORKS__)
1354 (except on VxWorks)
1355 _fi__(_VXWORKS__)
1356 with an argument to
1357 _GDBN__ (@pxref{Invocation, ,Getting In and Out of _GDBN__}), or by using the
1358 @code{file} or @code{exec-file} command (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to
1359 Specify Files}).
1360
1361 @end table
1362
1363 If you are running your program in an execution environment that
1364 supports processes, @code{run} creates an inferior process and makes
1365 that process run your program. (In environments without processes,
1366 @code{run} jumps to the start of your program.)
1367
1368 The execution of a program is affected by certain information it
1369 receives from its superior. _GDBN__ provides ways to specify this
1370 information, which you must do @i{before} starting your program. (You
1371 can change it after starting your program, but such changes will only affect
1372 your program the next time you start it.) This information may be
1373 divided into four categories:
1374
1375 @table @asis
1376 @item The @i{arguments.}
1377 Specify the arguments to give your program as the arguments of the
1378 @code{run} command. If a shell is available on your target, the shell
1379 is used to pass the arguments, so that you may use normal conventions
1380 (such as wildcard expansion or variable substitution) in describing
1381 the arguments. In Unix systems, you can control which shell is used
1382 with the @code{SHELL} environment variable. @xref{Arguments, ,Your
1383 Program's Arguments}.
1384
1385 @item The @i{environment.}
1386 Your program normally inherits its environment from _GDBN__, but you can
1387 use the _GDBN__ commands @code{set environment} and @code{unset
1388 environment} to change parts of the environment that will be given to
1389 your program. @xref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}.
1390
1391 @item The @i{working directory.}
1392 Your program inherits its working directory from _GDBN__. You can set
1393 _GDBN__'s working directory with the @code{cd} command in _GDBN__.
1394 @xref{Working Directory, ,Your Program's Working Directory}.
1395
1396 @item The @i{standard input and output.}
1397 Your program normally uses the same device for standard input and
1398 standard output as _GDBN__ is using. You can redirect input and output
1399 in the @code{run} command line, or you can use the @code{tty} command to
1400 set a different device for your program.
1401 @xref{Input/Output, ,Your Program's Input and Output}.
1402
1403 @cindex pipes
1404 @emph{Warning:} While input and output redirection work, you cannot use
1405 pipes to pass the output of the program you are debugging to another
1406 program; if you attempt this, _GDBN__ is likely to wind up debugging the
1407 wrong program.
1408 @end table
1409
1410 @c FIXME: Rewrite following paragraph, especially its third sentence.
1411 When you issue the @code{run} command, your program begins to execute
1412 immediately. @xref{Stopping, ,Stopping and Continuing}, for
1413 discussion of how to arrange for your program to stop. Once your
1414 program has been started by the @code{run} command (and then stopped),
1415 you may evaluate expressions that involve calls to functions in your
1416 program, using the @code{print} or @code{call} commands. @xref{Data,
1417 ,Examining Data}.
1418
1419 If the modification time of your symbol file has changed since the
1420 last time _GDBN__ read its symbols, _GDBN__ will discard its symbol table and
1421 re-read it. When it does this, _GDBN__ tries to retain your current
1422 breakpoints.
1423
1424 @node Arguments, Environment, Starting, Running
1425 @section Your Program's Arguments
1426
1427 @cindex arguments (to your program)
1428 The arguments to your program can be specified by the arguments of the
1429 @code{run} command. They are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard
1430 characters and performs redirection of I/O, and thence to your program.
1431 _GDBN__ uses the shell indicated by your environment variable
1432 @code{SHELL} if it exists; otherwise, _GDBN__ uses @code{/bin/sh}.
1433
1434 @code{run} with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous
1435 @code{run}, or those set by the @code{set args} command.
1436
1437 @kindex set args
1438 @table @code
1439 @item set args
1440 Specify the arguments to be used the next time your program is run. If
1441 @code{set args} has no arguments, @code{run} will execute your program
1442 with no arguments. Once you have run your program with arguments,
1443 using @code{set args} before the next @code{run} is the only way to run
1444 it again without arguments.
1445
1446 @item show args
1447 @kindex show args
1448 Show the arguments to give your program when it is started.
1449 @end table
1450
1451 @node Environment, Working Directory, Arguments, Running
1452 @section Your Program's Environment
1453
1454 @cindex environment (of your program)
1455 The @dfn{environment} consists of a set of environment variables and
1456 their values. Environment variables conventionally record such things as
1457 your user name, your home directory, your terminal type, and your search
1458 path for programs to run. Usually you set up environment variables with
1459 the shell and they are inherited by all the other programs you run. When
1460 debugging, it can be useful to try running your program with a modified
1461 environment without having to start _GDBN__ over again.
1462
1463 @table @code
1464 @item path @var{directory}
1465 @kindex path
1466 Add @var{directory} to the front of the @code{PATH} environment variable
1467 (the search path for executables), for both _GDBN__ and your program.
1468 You may specify several directory names, separated by @samp{:} or
1469 whitespace. If @var{directory} is already in the path, it is moved to
1470 the front, so it will be searched sooner.
1471
1472 You can use the string @samp{$cwd} to refer to whatever is the current
1473 working directory at the time _GDBN__ searches the path. If you use
1474 @samp{.} instead, it refers to the directory where you executed the
1475 @code{path} command. _GDBN__ fills in the current path where needed in
1476 the @var{directory} argument, before adding it to the search path.
1477 @c 'path' is explicitly nonrepeatable, but RMS points out it is silly to
1478 @c document that, since repeating it would be a no-op.
1479
1480 @item show paths
1481 @kindex show paths
1482 Display the list of search paths for executables (the @code{PATH}
1483 environment variable).
1484
1485 @item show environment @r{[}@var{varname}@r{]}
1486 @kindex show environment
1487 Print the value of environment variable @var{varname} to be given to
1488 your program when it starts. If you do not supply @var{varname},
1489 print the names and values of all environment variables to be given to
1490 your program. You can abbreviate @code{environment} as @code{env}.
1491
1492 @item set environment @var{varname} @r{[}=@r{]} @var{value}
1493 @kindex set environment
1494 Sets environment variable @var{varname} to @var{value}. The value
1495 changes for your program only, not for _GDBN__ itself. @var{value} may
1496 be any string; the values of environment variables are just strings, and
1497 any interpretation is supplied by your program itself. The @var{value}
1498 parameter is optional; if it is eliminated, the variable is set to a
1499 null value.
1500 @c "any string" here does not include leading, trailing
1501 @c blanks. Gnu asks: does anyone care?
1502
1503 For example, this command:
1504
1505 @example
1506 set env USER = foo
1507 @end example
1508
1509 @noindent
1510 tells a Unix program, when subsequently run, that its user is named
1511 @samp{foo}. (The spaces around @samp{=} are used for clarity here; they
1512 are not actually required.)
1513
1514 @item unset environment @var{varname}
1515 @kindex unset environment
1516 Remove variable @var{varname} from the environment to be passed to your
1517 program. This is different from @samp{set env @var{varname} =};
1518 @code{unset environment} removes the variable from the environment,
1519 rather than assigning it an empty value.
1520 @end table
1521
1522 @node Working Directory, Input/Output, Environment, Running
1523 @section Your Program's Working Directory
1524
1525 @cindex working directory (of your program)
1526 Each time you start your program with @code{run}, it inherits its
1527 working directory from the current working directory of _GDBN__. _GDBN__'s
1528 working directory is initially whatever it inherited from its parent
1529 process (typically the shell), but you can specify a new working
1530 directory in _GDBN__ with the @code{cd} command.
1531
1532 The _GDBN__ working directory also serves as a default for the commands
1533 that specify files for _GDBN__ to operate on. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
1534 Specify Files}.
1535
1536 @table @code
1537 @item cd @var{directory}
1538 @kindex cd
1539 Set _GDBN__'s working directory to @var{directory}.
1540
1541 @item pwd
1542 @kindex pwd
1543 Print _GDBN__'s working directory.
1544 @end table
1545
1546 @node Input/Output, Attach, Working Directory, Running
1547 @section Your Program's Input and Output
1548
1549 @cindex redirection
1550 @cindex i/o
1551 @cindex terminal
1552 By default, the program you run under _GDBN__ does input and output to
1553 the same terminal that _GDBN__ uses. _GDBN__ switches the terminal to
1554 its own terminal modes to interact with you, but it records the terminal
1555 modes your program was using and switches back to them when you continue
1556 running your program.
1557
1558 @table @code
1559 @item info terminal
1560 @kindex info terminal
1561 Displays _GDBN__'s recorded information about the terminal modes your
1562 program is using.
1563 @end table
1564
1565 You can redirect your program's input and/or output using shell
1566 redirection with the @code{run} command. For example,
1567
1568 _0__@example
1569 run > outfile
1570 _1__@end example
1571
1572 @noindent
1573 starts your program, diverting its output to the file @file{outfile}.
1574
1575 @kindex tty
1576 @cindex controlling terminal
1577 Another way to specify where your program should do input and output is
1578 with the @code{tty} command. This command accepts a file name as
1579 argument, and causes this file to be the default for future @code{run}
1580 commands. It also resets the controlling terminal for the child
1581 process, for future @code{run} commands. For example,
1582
1583 @example
1584 tty /dev/ttyb
1585 @end example
1586
1587 @noindent
1588 directs that processes started with subsequent @code{run} commands
1589 default to do input and output on the terminal @file{/dev/ttyb} and have
1590 that as their controlling terminal.
1591
1592 An explicit redirection in @code{run} overrides the @code{tty} command's
1593 effect on the input/output device, but not its effect on the controlling
1594 terminal.
1595
1596 When you use the @code{tty} command or redirect input in the @code{run}
1597 command, only the input @emph{for your program} is affected. The input
1598 for _GDBN__ still comes from your terminal.
1599
1600 @node Attach, Kill Process, Input/Output, Running
1601 @section Debugging an Already-Running Process
1602 @kindex attach
1603 @cindex attach
1604
1605 @table @code
1606 @item attach @var{process-id}
1607 This command
1608 attaches to a running process---one that was started outside _GDBN__.
1609 (@code{info files} will show your active targets.) The command takes as
1610 argument a process ID. The usual way to find out the process-id of
1611 a Unix process is with the @code{ps} utility, or with the @samp{jobs -l}
1612 shell command.
1613
1614 @code{attach} will not repeat if you press @key{RET} a second time after
1615 executing the command.
1616 @end table
1617
1618 To use @code{attach}, you must be debugging in an environment which
1619 supports processes. You must also have permission to send the process a
1620 signal, and it must have the same effective user ID as the _GDBN__
1621 process.
1622
1623 When using @code{attach}, you should first use the @code{file} command
1624 to specify the program running in the process and load its symbol table.
1625 @xref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}.
1626
1627 The first thing _GDBN__ does after arranging to debug the specified
1628 process is to stop it. You can examine and modify an attached process
1629 with all the _GDBN__ commands that are ordinarily available when you start
1630 processes with @code{run}. You can insert breakpoints; you can step and
1631 continue; you can modify storage. If you would rather the process
1632 continue running, you may use the @code{continue} command after
1633 attaching _GDBN__ to the process.
1634
1635 @table @code
1636 @item detach
1637 @kindex detach
1638 When you have finished debugging the attached process, you can use the
1639 @code{detach} command to release it from _GDBN__'s control. Detaching
1640 the process continues its execution. After the @code{detach} command,
1641 that process and _GDBN__ become completely independent once more, and you
1642 are ready to @code{attach} another process or start one with @code{run}.
1643 @code{detach} will not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
1644 executing the command.
1645 @end table
1646
1647 If you exit _GDBN__ or use the @code{run} command while you have an attached
1648 process, you kill that process. By default, you will be asked for
1649 confirmation if you try to do either of these things; you can control
1650 whether or not you need to confirm by using the @code{set confirm} command
1651 (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and Messages}).
1652
1653 @node Kill Process, , Attach, Running
1654 @c @group
1655 @section Killing the Child Process
1656
1657 @table @code
1658 @item kill
1659 @kindex kill
1660 Kill the child process in which your program is running under _GDBN__.
1661 @end table
1662
1663 This command is useful if you wish to debug a core dump instead of a
1664 running process. _GDBN__ ignores any core dump file while your program
1665 is running.
1666 @c @end group
1667
1668 On some operating systems, a program cannot be executed outside _GDBN__
1669 while you have breakpoints set on it inside _GDBN__. You can use the
1670 @code{kill} command in this situation to permit running your program
1671 outside the debugger.
1672
1673 The @code{kill} command is also useful if you wish to recompile and
1674 relink your program, since on many systems it is impossible to modify an
1675 executable file while it is running in a process. In this case, when you
1676 next type @code{run}, _GDBN__ will notice that the file has changed, and
1677 will re-read the symbol table (while trying to preserve your current
1678 breakpoint settings).
1679
1680 @node Stopping, Stack, Running, Top
1681 @chapter Stopping and Continuing
1682
1683 The principal purpose of using a debugger is so that you can stop your
1684 program before it terminates; or so that, if your program runs into
1685 trouble, you can investigate and find out why.
1686
1687 Inside _GDBN__, your program may stop for any of several reasons, such
1688 as a signal, a breakpoint, or reaching a new line after a _GDBN__
1689 command such as @code{step}. You may then examine and change
1690 variables, set new breakpoints or remove old ones, and then continue
1691 execution. Usually, the messages shown by _GDBN__ provide ample
1692 explanation of the status of your program---but you can also explicitly
1693 request this information at any time.
1694
1695 @table @code
1696 @item info program
1697 @kindex info program
1698 Display information about the status of your program: whether it is
1699 running or not, what process it is, and why it stopped.
1700 @end table
1701
1702 @menu
1703 * Breakpoints:: Breakpoints, Watchpoints, and Exceptions
1704 * Continuing and Stepping:: Resuming Execution
1705 * Signals:: Signals
1706 @end menu
1707
1708 @node Breakpoints, Continuing and Stepping, Stopping, Stopping
1709 @section Breakpoints, Watchpoints, and Exceptions
1710
1711 @cindex breakpoints
1712 A @dfn{breakpoint} makes your program stop whenever a certain point in
1713 the program is reached. For each breakpoint, you can add various
1714 conditions to control in finer detail whether your program will stop.
1715 You can set breakpoints with the @code{break} command and its variants
1716 (@pxref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}), to specify the place where
1717 your program should stop by line number, function name or exact address
1718 in the program. In languages with exception handling (such as GNU
1719 C++), you can also set breakpoints where an exception is raised
1720 (@pxref{Exception Handling, ,Breakpoints and Exceptions}).
1721
1722 @cindex watchpoints
1723 A @dfn{watchpoint} is a special breakpoint that stops your program
1724 when the value of an expression changes. You must use a different
1725 command to set watchpoints (@pxref{Set Watchpoints, ,Setting
1726 Watchpoints}), but aside from that, you can manage a watchpoint like
1727 any other breakpoint: you enable, disable, and delete both breakpoints
1728 and watchpoints using the same commands.
1729
1730 Each breakpoint or watchpoint is assigned a number when it is created;
1731 these numbers are successive integers starting with one. In many of the
1732 commands for controlling various features of breakpoints you use the
1733 breakpoint number to say which breakpoint you want to change. Each
1734 breakpoint may be @dfn{enabled} or @dfn{disabled}; if disabled, it has
1735 no effect on your program until you enable it again.
1736
1737 @menu
1738 * Set Breaks:: Setting Breakpoints
1739 * Set Watchpoints:: Setting Watchpoints
1740 * Exception Handling:: Breakpoints and Exceptions
1741 * Delete Breaks:: Deleting Breakpoints
1742 * Disabling:: Disabling Breakpoints
1743 * Conditions:: Break Conditions
1744 * Break Commands:: Breakpoint Command Lists
1745 * Breakpoint Menus:: Breakpoint Menus
1746 * Error in Breakpoints::
1747 @end menu
1748
1749 @node Set Breaks, Set Watchpoints, Breakpoints, Breakpoints
1750 @subsection Setting Breakpoints
1751
1752 @c FIXME LMB what does GDB do if no code on line of breakpt?
1753 @c consider in particular declaration with/without initialization.
1754 @c
1755 @c FIXME 2 is there stuff on this already? break at fun start, already init?
1756
1757 @kindex break
1758 @kindex b
1759 Breakpoints are set with the @code{break} command (abbreviated @code{b}).
1760
1761 You have several ways to say where the breakpoint should go.
1762
1763 @table @code
1764 @item break @var{function}
1765 Set a breakpoint at entry to function @var{function}. When using source
1766 languages that permit overloading of symbols, such as C++,
1767 @var{function} may refer to more than one possible place to break.
1768 @xref{Breakpoint Menus}, for a discussion of that situation.
1769
1770 @item break +@var{offset}
1771 @itemx break -@var{offset}
1772 Set a breakpoint some number of lines forward or back from the position
1773 at which execution stopped in the currently selected frame.
1774
1775 @item break @var{linenum}
1776 Set a breakpoint at line @var{linenum} in the current source file.
1777 That file is the last file whose source text was printed. This
1778 breakpoint will stop your program just before it executes any of the
1779 code on that line.
1780
1781 @item break @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
1782 Set a breakpoint at line @var{linenum} in source file @var{filename}.
1783
1784 @item break @var{filename}:@var{function}
1785 Set a breakpoint at entry to function @var{function} found in file
1786 @var{filename}. Specifying a file name as well as a function name is
1787 superfluous except when multiple files contain similarly named
1788 functions.
1789
1790 @item break *@var{address}
1791 Set a breakpoint at address @var{address}. You can use this to set
1792 breakpoints in parts of your program which do not have debugging
1793 information or source files.
1794
1795 @item break
1796 When called without any arguments, @code{break} sets a breakpoint at
1797 the next instruction to be executed in the selected stack frame
1798 (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}). In any selected frame but the
1799 innermost, this will cause your program to stop as soon as control
1800 returns to that frame. This is similar to the effect of a
1801 @code{finish} command in the frame inside the selected frame---except
1802 that @code{finish} does not leave an active breakpoint. If you use
1803 @code{break} without an argument in the innermost frame, _GDBN__ will stop
1804 the next time it reaches the current location; this may be useful
1805 inside loops.
1806
1807 _GDBN__ normally ignores breakpoints when it resumes execution, until at
1808 least one instruction has been executed. If it did not do this, you
1809 would be unable to proceed past a breakpoint without first disabling the
1810 breakpoint. This rule applies whether or not the breakpoint already
1811 existed when your program stopped.
1812
1813 @item break @dots{} if @var{cond}
1814 Set a breakpoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
1815 @var{cond} each time the breakpoint is reached, and stop only if the
1816 value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
1817 @samp{@dots{}} stands for one of the possible arguments described
1818 above (or no argument) specifying where to break. @xref{Conditions,
1819 ,Break Conditions}, for more information on breakpoint conditions.
1820
1821 @item tbreak @var{args}
1822 @kindex tbreak
1823 Set a breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args} are the
1824 same as for the @code{break} command, and the breakpoint is set in the same
1825 way, but the breakpoint is automatically disabled after the first time your
1826 program stops there. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
1827
1828 @item rbreak @var{regex}
1829 @kindex rbreak
1830 @cindex regular expression
1831 @c FIXME what kind of regexp?
1832 Set breakpoints on all functions matching the regular expression
1833 @var{regex}. This command
1834 sets an unconditional breakpoint on all matches, printing a list of all
1835 breakpoints it set. Once these breakpoints are set, they are treated
1836 just like the breakpoints set with the @code{break} command. They can
1837 be deleted, disabled, made conditional, etc., in the standard ways.
1838
1839 When debugging C++ programs, @code{rbreak} is useful for setting
1840 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
1841 classes.
1842
1843 @kindex info breakpoints
1844 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info breakpoints}
1845 @item info breakpoints @r{[}@var{n}@r{]}
1846 @item info break @r{[}@var{n}@r{]}
1847 Print a list of all breakpoints (but not watchpoints) set and not
1848 deleted, showing their numbers, where in your program they are, and any
1849 special features in use for them. Disabled breakpoints are included in
1850 the list, but marked as disabled. @code{info break} with a breakpoint
1851 number @var{n} as argument lists only that breakpoint. The
1852 convenience variable @code{$_} and the default examining-address for
1853 the @code{x} command are set to the address of the last breakpoint
1854 listed (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}). The equivalent command
1855 for watchpoints is @code{info watch}.
1856 @end table
1857
1858 _GDBN__ allows you to set any number of breakpoints at the same place in
1859 your program. There is nothing silly or meaningless about this. When
1860 the breakpoints are conditional, this is even useful
1861 (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
1862
1863 @node Set Watchpoints, Exception Handling, Set Breaks, Breakpoints
1864 @subsection Setting Watchpoints
1865 @cindex setting watchpoints
1866
1867 You can use a watchpoint to stop execution whenever the value of an
1868 expression changes, without having to predict a particular place
1869 where this may happen.
1870
1871 Watchpoints currently execute two orders of magnitude more slowly than
1872 other breakpoints, but this can well be worth it to catch errors where
1873 you have no clue what part of your program is the culprit. Some
1874 processors provide special hardware to support watchpoint evaluation; future
1875 releases of _GDBN__ will use such hardware if it is available.
1876
1877 @table @code
1878 @kindex watch
1879 @item watch @var{expr}
1880 Set a watchpoint for an expression.
1881
1882 @kindex info watchpoints
1883 @item info watchpoints
1884 This command prints a list of watchpoints; it is otherwise similar to
1885 @code{info break}.
1886 @end table
1887
1888 @node Exception Handling, Delete Breaks, Set Watchpoints, Breakpoints
1889 @subsection Breakpoints and Exceptions
1890 @cindex exception handlers
1891
1892 Some languages, such as GNU C++, implement exception handling. You can
1893 use _GDBN__ to examine what caused your program to raise an exception,
1894 and to list the exceptions your program is prepared to handle at a
1895 given point in time.
1896
1897 @table @code
1898 @item catch @var{exceptions}
1899 @kindex catch
1900 You can set breakpoints at active exception handlers by using the
1901 @code{catch} command. @var{exceptions} is a list of names of exceptions
1902 to catch.
1903 @end table
1904
1905 You can use @code{info catch} to list active exception handlers.
1906 @xref{Frame Info, ,Information About a Frame}.
1907
1908 There are currently some limitations to exception handling in _GDBN__.
1909 These will be corrected in a future release.
1910
1911 @itemize @bullet
1912 @item
1913 If you call a function interactively, _GDBN__ normally returns
1914 control to you when the function has finished executing. If the call
1915 raises an exception, however, the call may bypass the mechanism that
1916 returns control to you and cause your program to simply continue
1917 running until it hits a breakpoint, catches a signal that _GDBN__ is
1918 listening for, or exits.
1919 @item
1920 You cannot raise an exception interactively.
1921 @item
1922 You cannot interactively install an exception handler.
1923 @end itemize
1924
1925 @cindex raise exceptions
1926 Sometimes @code{catch} is not the best way to debug exception handling:
1927 if you need to know exactly where an exception is raised, it is better to
1928 stop @emph{before} the exception handler is called, since that way you
1929 can see the stack before any unwinding takes place. If you set a
1930 breakpoint in an exception handler instead, it may not be easy to find
1931 out where the exception was raised.
1932
1933 To stop just before an exception handler is called, you need some
1934 knowledge of the implementation. In the case of GNU C++, exceptions are
1935 raised by calling a library function named @code{__raise_exception}
1936 which has the following ANSI C interface:
1937
1938 @example
1939 /* @var{addr} is where the exception identifier is stored.
1940 ID is the exception identifier. */
1941 void __raise_exception (void **@var{addr}, void *@var{id});
1942 @end example
1943
1944 @noindent
1945 To make the debugger catch all exceptions before any stack
1946 unwinding takes place, set a breakpoint on @code{__raise_exception}
1947 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints Watchpoints and Exceptions}).
1948
1949 With a conditional breakpoint (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions})
1950 that depends on the value of @var{id}, you can stop your program when
1951 a specific exception is raised. You can use multiple conditional
1952 breakpoints to stop your program when any of a number of exceptions are
1953 raised.
1954
1955 @node Delete Breaks, Disabling, Exception Handling, Breakpoints
1956 @subsection Deleting Breakpoints
1957
1958 @cindex clearing breakpoints, watchpoints
1959 @cindex deleting breakpoints, watchpoints
1960 It is often necessary to eliminate a breakpoint or watchpoint once it
1961 has done its job and you no longer want your program to stop there. This
1962 is called @dfn{deleting} the breakpoint. A breakpoint that has been
1963 deleted no longer exists; it is forgotten.
1964
1965 With the @code{clear} command you can delete breakpoints according to
1966 where they are in your program. With the @code{delete} command you can
1967 delete individual breakpoints or watchpoints by specifying their
1968 breakpoint numbers.
1969
1970 It is not necessary to delete a breakpoint to proceed past it. _GDBN__
1971 automatically ignores breakpoints on the first instruction to be executed
1972 when you continue execution without changing the execution address.
1973
1974 @table @code
1975 @item clear
1976 @kindex clear
1977 Delete any breakpoints at the next instruction to be executed in the
1978 selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). When
1979 the innermost frame is selected, this is a good way to delete a
1980 breakpoint where your program just stopped.
1981
1982 @item clear @var{function}
1983 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{function}
1984 Delete any breakpoints set at entry to the function @var{function}.
1985
1986 @item clear @var{linenum}
1987 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
1988 Delete any breakpoints set at or within the code of the specified line.
1989
1990 @item delete @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{bnums}@dots{}@r{]}
1991 @cindex delete breakpoints
1992 @kindex delete
1993 @kindex d
1994 Delete the breakpoints or watchpoints of the numbers specified as
1995 arguments. If no argument is specified, delete all breakpoints (_GDBN__
1996 asks confirmation, unless you have @code{set confirm off}). You
1997 can abbreviate this command as @code{d}.
1998 @end table
1999
2000 @node Disabling, Conditions, Delete Breaks, Breakpoints
2001 @subsection Disabling Breakpoints
2002
2003 @cindex disabled breakpoints
2004 @cindex enabled breakpoints
2005 Rather than deleting a breakpoint or watchpoint, you might prefer to
2006 @dfn{disable} it. This makes the breakpoint inoperative as if it had
2007 been deleted, but remembers the information on the breakpoint so that
2008 you can @dfn{enable} it again later.
2009
2010 You disable and enable breakpoints and watchpoints with the
2011 @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands, optionally specifying one or
2012 more breakpoint numbers as arguments. Use @code{info break} or
2013 @code{info watch} to print a list of breakpoints or watchpoints if you
2014 do not know which numbers to use.
2015
2016 A breakpoint or watchpoint can have any of four different states of
2017 enablement:
2018
2019 @itemize @bullet
2020 @item
2021 Enabled. The breakpoint will stop your program. A breakpoint set
2022 with the @code{break} command starts out in this state.
2023 @item
2024 Disabled. The breakpoint has no effect on your program.
2025 @item
2026 Enabled once. The breakpoint will stop your program, but
2027 when it does so it will become disabled. A breakpoint set
2028 with the @code{tbreak} command starts out in this state.
2029 @item
2030 Enabled for deletion. The breakpoint will stop your program, but
2031 immediately after it does so it will be deleted permanently.
2032 @end itemize
2033
2034 You can use the following commands to enable or disable breakpoints and
2035 watchpoints:
2036
2037 @table @code
2038 @item disable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{bnums}@dots{}@r{]}
2039 @kindex disable breakpoints
2040 @kindex disable
2041 @kindex dis
2042 Disable the specified breakpoints---or all breakpoints, if none are
2043 listed. A disabled breakpoint has no effect but is not forgotten. All
2044 options such as ignore-counts, conditions and commands are remembered in
2045 case the breakpoint is enabled again later. You may abbreviate
2046 @code{disable} as @code{dis}.
2047
2048 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{bnums}@dots{}@r{]}
2049 @kindex enable breakpoints
2050 @kindex enable
2051 Enable the specified breakpoints (or all defined breakpoints). They
2052 become effective once again in stopping your program.
2053
2054 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} once @var{bnums}@dots{}
2055 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. Each will be disabled
2056 again the next time it stops your program.
2057
2058 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} delete @var{bnums}@dots{}
2059 Enable the specified breakpoints to work once and then die. Each of
2060 the breakpoints will be deleted the next time it stops your program.
2061 @end table
2062
2063 Save for a breakpoint set with @code{tbreak} (@pxref{Set Breaks,
2064 ,Setting Breakpoints}), breakpoints that you set are initially
2065 enabled; subsequently, they become disabled or enabled only when you
2066 use one of the commands above. (The command @code{until} can set and
2067 delete a breakpoint of its own, but it will not change the state of
2068 your other breakpoints; @pxref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}.)
2069
2070 @node Conditions, Break Commands, Disabling, Breakpoints
2071 @subsection Break Conditions
2072 @cindex conditional breakpoints
2073 @cindex breakpoint conditions
2074
2075 @c FIXME what is scope of break condition expr? Context where wanted?
2076 @c in particular for a watchpoint?
2077 The simplest sort of breakpoint breaks every time your program reaches a
2078 specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for a
2079 breakpoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
2080 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A breakpoint with
2081 a condition evaluates the expression each time your program reaches it,
2082 and your program stops only if the condition is @emph{true}.
2083
2084 This is the converse of using assertions for program validation; in that
2085 situation, you want to stop when the assertion is violated---that is,
2086 when the condition is false. In C, if you want to test an assertion expressed
2087 by the condition @var{assert}, you should set the condition
2088 @samp{! @var{assert}} on the appropriate breakpoint.
2089
2090 Conditions are also accepted for watchpoints; you may not need them,
2091 since a watchpoint is inspecting the value of an expression anyhow---but
2092 it might be simpler, say, to just set a watchpoint on a variable name,
2093 and specify a condition that tests whether the new value is an interesting
2094 one.
2095
2096 Break conditions can have side effects, and may even call functions in
2097 your program. This can be useful, for example, to activate functions
2098 that log program progress, or to use your own print functions to
2099 format special data structures. The effects are completely predictable
2100 unless there is another enabled breakpoint at the same address. (In
2101 that case, _GDBN__ might see the other breakpoint first and stop your
2102 program without checking the condition of this one.) Note that
2103 breakpoint commands are usually more convenient and flexible for the
2104 purpose of performing side effects when a breakpoint is reached
2105 (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}).
2106
2107 Break conditions can be specified when a breakpoint is set, by using
2108 @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{break} command. @xref{Set
2109 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}. They can also be changed at any time
2110 with the @code{condition} command. The @code{watch} command does not
2111 recognize the @code{if} keyword; @code{condition} is the only way to
2112 impose a further condition on a watchpoint.
2113
2114 @table @code
2115 @item condition @var{bnum} @var{expression}
2116 @kindex condition
2117 Specify @var{expression} as the break condition for breakpoint or
2118 watchpoint number @var{bnum}. From now on, this breakpoint will stop
2119 your program only if the value of @var{expression} is true (nonzero, in
2120 C). When you use @code{condition}, _GDBN__ checks @var{expression}
2121 immediately for syntactic correctness, and to determine whether symbols
2122 in it have referents in the context of your breakpoint.
2123 @c FIXME so what does GDB do if there is no referent? Moreover, what
2124 @c about watchpoints?
2125 _GDBN__ does
2126 not actually evaluate @var{expression} at the time the @code{condition}
2127 command is given, however. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
2128
2129 @item condition @var{bnum}
2130 Remove the condition from breakpoint number @var{bnum}. It becomes
2131 an ordinary unconditional breakpoint.
2132 @end table
2133
2134 @cindex ignore count (of breakpoint)
2135 A special case of a breakpoint condition is to stop only when the
2136 breakpoint has been reached a certain number of times. This is so
2137 useful that there is a special way to do it, using the @dfn{ignore
2138 count} of the breakpoint. Every breakpoint has an ignore count, which
2139 is an integer. Most of the time, the ignore count is zero, and
2140 therefore has no effect. But if your program reaches a breakpoint whose
2141 ignore count is positive, then instead of stopping, it just decrements
2142 the ignore count by one and continues. As a result, if the ignore count
2143 value is @var{n}, the breakpoint will not stop the next @var{n} times it
2144 is reached.
2145
2146 @table @code
2147 @item ignore @var{bnum} @var{count}
2148 @kindex ignore
2149 Set the ignore count of breakpoint number @var{bnum} to @var{count}.
2150 The next @var{count} times the breakpoint is reached, your program's
2151 execution will not stop; other than to decrement the ignore count, _GDBN__
2152 takes no action.
2153
2154 To make the breakpoint stop the next time it is reached, specify
2155 a count of zero.
2156
2157 @item continue @var{count}
2158 @itemx c @var{count}
2159 @itemx fg @var{count}
2160 @kindex continue @var{count}
2161 Continue execution of your program, setting the ignore count of the
2162 breakpoint where your program stopped to @var{count} minus one.
2163 Thus, your program will not stop at this breakpoint until the
2164 @var{count}'th time it is reached.
2165
2166 An argument to this command is meaningful only when your program stopped
2167 due to a breakpoint. At other times, the argument to @code{continue} is
2168 ignored.
2169
2170 The synonym @code{fg} is provided purely for convenience, and has
2171 exactly the same behavior as other forms of the command.
2172 @end table
2173
2174 If a breakpoint has a positive ignore count and a condition, the condition
2175 is not checked. Once the ignore count reaches zero, the condition will
2176 be checked.
2177
2178 You could achieve the effect of the ignore count with a condition such
2179 as _0__@w{@samp{$foo-- <= 0}}_1__ using a debugger convenience variable that
2180 is decremented each time. @xref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
2181 Variables}.
2182
2183 @node Break Commands, Breakpoint Menus, Conditions, Breakpoints
2184 @subsection Breakpoint Command Lists
2185
2186 @cindex breakpoint commands
2187 You can give any breakpoint (or watchpoint) a series of commands to
2188 execute when your program stops due to that breakpoint. For example, you
2189 might want to print the values of certain expressions, or enable other
2190 breakpoints.
2191
2192 @table @code
2193 @item commands @r{[}@var{bnum}@r{]}
2194 @itemx @dots{} @var{command-list} @dots{}
2195 @itemx end
2196 @kindex commands
2197 @kindex end
2198 Specify a list of commands for breakpoint number @var{bnum}. The commands
2199 themselves appear on the following lines. Type a line containing just
2200 @code{end} to terminate the commands.
2201
2202 To remove all commands from a breakpoint, type @code{commands} and
2203 follow it immediately with @code{end}; that is, give no commands.
2204
2205 With no @var{bnum} argument, @code{commands} refers to the last
2206 breakpoint or watchpoint set (not to the breakpoint most recently
2207 encountered).
2208 @end table
2209
2210 Pressing @key{RET} as a means of repeating the last _GDBN__ command is
2211 disabled within a @var{command-list}.
2212
2213 You can use breakpoint commands to start your program up again. Simply
2214 use the @code{continue} command, or @code{step}, or any other command
2215 that resumes execution. Subsequent commands in the command list are
2216 ignored.
2217
2218 @kindex silent
2219 If the first command specified is @code{silent}, the usual message about
2220 stopping at a breakpoint is not printed. This may be desirable for
2221 breakpoints that are to print a specific message and then continue.
2222 If the remaining commands too print nothing, you will see no sign that
2223 the breakpoint was reached at all. @code{silent} is meaningful only
2224 at the beginning of a breakpoint command list.
2225
2226 The commands @code{echo} and @code{output} that allow you to print
2227 precisely controlled output are often useful in silent breakpoints.
2228 @xref{Output, ,Commands for Controlled Output}.
2229
2230 For example, here is how you could use breakpoint commands to print the
2231 value of @code{x} at entry to @code{foo} whenever @code{x} is positive.
2232
2233 _0__@example
2234 break foo if x>0
2235 commands
2236 silent
2237 echo x is\040
2238 output x
2239 echo \n
2240 cont
2241 end
2242 _1__@end example
2243
2244 One application for breakpoint commands is to compensate for one bug so
2245 you can test for another. Put a breakpoint just after the erroneous line
2246 of code, give it a condition to detect the case in which something
2247 erroneous has been done, and give it commands to assign correct values
2248 to any variables that need them. End with the @code{continue} command
2249 so that your program does not stop, and start with the @code{silent}
2250 command so that no output is produced. Here is an example:
2251
2252 @example
2253 break 403
2254 commands
2255 silent
2256 set x = y + 4
2257 cont
2258 end
2259 @end example
2260
2261 @cindex lost output
2262 One deficiency in the operation of automatically continuing breakpoints
2263 under Unix appears when your program uses raw mode for the terminal.
2264 _GDBN__ switches back to its own terminal modes (not raw) before executing
2265 commands, and then must switch back to raw mode when your program is
2266 continued. This causes any pending terminal input to be lost.
2267 @c FIXME: revisit below when GNU sys avail.
2268 @c In the GNU system, this will be fixed by changing the behavior of
2269 @c terminal modes.
2270
2271 Under Unix, you can get around this problem by writing actions into
2272 the breakpoint condition rather than in commands. For example
2273
2274 @example
2275 condition 5 (x = y + 4), 0
2276 @end example
2277
2278 @noindent
2279 specifies a condition expression (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}) that will
2280 change @code{x} as needed, then always have the value zero so your
2281 program will not stop. No input is lost here, because _GDBN__ evaluates
2282 break conditions without changing the terminal modes. When you want
2283 to have nontrivial conditions for performing the side effects, the
2284 operators @samp{&&}, @samp{||} and @samp{?@dots{}:} may be useful.
2285
2286 @node Breakpoint Menus, Error in Breakpoints, Break Commands, Breakpoints
2287 @subsection Breakpoint Menus
2288 @cindex overloading
2289 @cindex symbol overloading
2290
2291 Some programming languages (notably C++) permit a single function name
2292 to be defined several times, for application in different contexts.
2293 This is called @dfn{overloading}. When a function name is overloaded,
2294 @samp{break @var{function}} is not enough to tell _GDBN__ where you
2295 want a breakpoint. _GDBN__ offers you a menu of numbered choices for
2296 different possible breakpoints, and waits for your selection with the
2297 prompt @samp{>}. The first two options are always @samp{[0] cancel}
2298 and @samp{[1] all}. Typing @kbd{1} sets a breakpoint at each
2299 definition of @var{function}, and typing @kbd{0} aborts the
2300 @code{break} command without setting any new breakpoints.
2301
2302 For example, the following session excerpt shows an attempt to set a
2303 breakpoint at the overloaded symbol @code{String::after}.
2304 We choose three particular definitions of that function name:
2305
2306 @example
2307 (_GDBP__) b String::after
2308 [0] cancel
2309 [1] all
2310 [2] file:String.cc; line number:867
2311 [3] file:String.cc; line number:860
2312 [4] file:String.cc; line number:875
2313 [5] file:String.cc; line number:853
2314 [6] file:String.cc; line number:846
2315 [7] file:String.cc; line number:735
2316 > 2 4 6
2317 Breakpoint 1 at 0xb26c: file String.cc, line 867.
2318 Breakpoint 2 at 0xb344: file String.cc, line 875.
2319 Breakpoint 3 at 0xafcc: file String.cc, line 846.
2320 Multiple breakpoints were set.
2321 Use the "delete" command to delete unwanted breakpoints.
2322 (_GDBP__)
2323 @end example
2324
2325 @node Error in Breakpoints, , Breakpoint Menus, Breakpoints
2326 @subsection ``Cannot Insert Breakpoints''
2327
2328 @c FIXME: "cannot insert breakpoints" error, v unclear.
2329 @c Q in pending mail to Gilmore. ---pesch@cygnus.com, 26mar91
2330 @c some light may be shed by looking at instances of
2331 @c ONE_PROCESS_WRITETEXT. But error seems possible otherwise
2332 @c too. pesch, 20sep91
2333 Under some operating systems, breakpoints cannot be used in a program if
2334 any other process is running that program. In this situation,
2335 attempting to run or continue a program with a breakpoint causes _GDBN__
2336 to stop the other process.
2337
2338 When this happens, you have three ways to proceed:
2339
2340 @enumerate
2341 @item
2342 Remove or disable the breakpoints, then continue.
2343
2344 @item
2345 Suspend _GDBN__, and copy the file containing your program to a new name.
2346 Resume _GDBN__ and use the @code{exec-file} command to specify that _GDBN__
2347 should run your program under that name. Then start your program again.
2348
2349 @c FIXME: RMS commented here "Show example". Maybe when someone
2350 @c explains the first FIXME: in this section...
2351
2352 @item
2353 Relink your program so that the text segment is nonsharable, using the
2354 linker option @samp{-N}. The operating system limitation may not apply
2355 to nonsharable executables.
2356 @end enumerate
2357
2358 @node Continuing and Stepping, Signals, Breakpoints, Stopping
2359 @section Continuing and Stepping
2360
2361 @cindex stepping
2362 @cindex continuing
2363 @cindex resuming execution
2364 @dfn{Continuing} means resuming program execution until your program
2365 completes normally. In contrast, @dfn{stepping} means executing just
2366 one more ``step'' of your program, where ``step'' may mean either one
2367 line of source code, or one machine instruction (depending on what
2368 particular command you use). Either when continuing
2369 or when stepping, your program may stop even sooner, due to a breakpoint
2370 or to a signal. (If due to a signal, you may want to use @code{handle},
2371 or use @samp{signal 0} to resume execution. @xref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
2372
2373 @table @code
2374 @item continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
2375 @kindex continue
2376 Resume program execution, at the address where your program last stopped;
2377 any breakpoints set at that address are bypassed. The optional argument
2378 @var{ignore-count} allows you to specify a further number of times to
2379 ignore a breakpoint at this location; its effect is like that of
2380 @code{ignore} (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
2381
2382 To resume execution at a different place, you can use @code{return}
2383 (@pxref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}) to go back to the
2384 calling function; or @code{jump} (@pxref{Jumping, ,Continuing at a
2385 Different Address}) to go to an arbitrary location in your program.
2386 @end table
2387
2388 A typical technique for using stepping is to set a breakpoint
2389 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints Watchpoints and Exceptions}) at the
2390 beginning of the function or the section of your program where a
2391 problem is believed to lie, run your program until it stops at that
2392 breakpoint, and then step through the suspect area, examining the
2393 variables that are interesting, until you see the problem happen.
2394
2395 @table @code
2396 @item step
2397 @kindex step
2398 @kindex s
2399 Continue running your program until control reaches a different source
2400 line, then stop it and return control to _GDBN__. This command is
2401 abbreviated @code{s}.
2402
2403 @quotation
2404 @emph{Warning:} If you use the @code{step} command while control is
2405 within a function that was compiled without debugging information,
2406 execution will proceed until control reaches another function.
2407 @end quotation
2408
2409 @item step @var{count}
2410 Continue running as in @code{step}, but do so @var{count} times. If a
2411 breakpoint is reached or a signal not related to stepping occurs before
2412 @var{count} steps, stepping stops right away.
2413
2414 @item next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
2415 @kindex next
2416 @kindex n
2417 Continue to the next source line in the current (innermost) stack frame.
2418 Similar to @code{step}, but any function calls appearing within the line
2419 of code are executed without stopping. Execution stops when control
2420 reaches a different line of code at the stack level which was executing
2421 when the @code{next} command was given. This command is abbreviated
2422 @code{n}.
2423
2424 An argument @var{count} is a repeat count, as for @code{step}.
2425
2426 @code{next} within a function that lacks debugging information acts like
2427 @code{step}, but any function calls appearing within the code of the
2428 function are executed without stopping.
2429
2430 @item finish
2431 @kindex finish
2432 Continue running until just after function in the selected stack frame
2433 returns. Print the returned value (if any).
2434
2435 Contrast this with the @code{return} command (@pxref{Returning,
2436 ,Returning from a Function}).
2437
2438 @item until
2439 @kindex until
2440 @item u
2441 @kindex u
2442 Continue running until a source line past the current line, in the
2443 current stack frame, is reached. This command is used to avoid single
2444 stepping through a loop more than once. It is like the @code{next}
2445 command, except that when @code{until} encounters a jump, it
2446 automatically continues execution until the program counter is greater
2447 than the address of the jump.
2448
2449 This means that when you reach the end of a loop after single stepping
2450 though it, @code{until} will cause your program to continue execution
2451 until the loop is exited. In contrast, a @code{next} command at the end
2452 of a loop will simply step back to the beginning of the loop, which
2453 would force you to step through the next iteration.
2454
2455 @code{until} always stops your program if it attempts to exit the current
2456 stack frame.
2457
2458 @code{until} may produce somewhat counterintuitive results if the order
2459 of machine code does not match the order of the source lines. For
2460 example, in the following excerpt from a debugging session, the @code{f}
2461 (@code{frame}) command shows that execution is stopped at line
2462 @code{206}; yet when we use @code{until}, we get to line @code{195}:
2463
2464 @example
2465 (_GDBP__) f
2466 #0 main (argc=4, argv=0xf7fffae8) at m4.c:206
2467 206 expand_input();
2468 (_GDBP__) until
2469 195 for ( ; argc > 0; NEXTARG) @{
2470 @end example
2471
2472 This happened because, for execution efficiency, the compiler had
2473 generated code for the loop closure test at the end, rather than the
2474 start, of the loop---even though the test in a C @code{for}-loop is
2475 written before the body of the loop. The @code{until} command appeared
2476 to step back to the beginning of the loop when it advanced to this
2477 expression; however, it has not really gone to an earlier
2478 statement---not in terms of the actual machine code.
2479
2480 @code{until} with no argument works by means of single
2481 instruction stepping, and hence is slower than @code{until} with an
2482 argument.
2483
2484 @item until @var{location}
2485 @item u @var{location}
2486 Continue running your program until either the specified location is
2487 reached, or the current stack frame returns. @var{location} is any of
2488 the forms of argument acceptable to @code{break} (@pxref{Set Breaks,
2489 ,Setting Breakpoints}). This form of the command uses breakpoints,
2490 and hence is quicker than @code{until} without an argument.
2491
2492 @item stepi
2493 @itemx si
2494 @kindex stepi
2495 @kindex si
2496 Execute one machine instruction, then stop and return to the debugger.
2497
2498 It is often useful to do @samp{display/i $pc} when stepping by machine
2499 instructions. This will cause the next instruction to be executed to
2500 be displayed automatically at each stop. @xref{Auto Display,
2501 ,Automatic Display}.
2502
2503 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{step}.
2504
2505 @item nexti
2506 @itemx ni
2507 @kindex nexti
2508 @kindex ni
2509 Execute one machine instruction, but if it is a function call,
2510 proceed until the function returns.
2511
2512 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{next}.
2513 @end table
2514
2515 @node Signals, , Continuing and Stepping, Stopping
2516 @section Signals
2517 @cindex signals
2518
2519 A signal is an asynchronous event that can happen in a program. The
2520 operating system defines the possible kinds of signals, and gives each
2521 kind a name and a number. For example, in Unix @code{SIGINT} is the
2522 signal a program gets when you type an interrupt (often @kbd{C-c});
2523 @code{SIGSEGV} is the signal a program gets from referencing a place in
2524 memory far away from all the areas in use; @code{SIGALRM} occurs when
2525 the alarm clock timer goes off (which happens only if your program has
2526 requested an alarm).
2527
2528 @cindex fatal signals
2529 Some signals, including @code{SIGALRM}, are a normal part of the
2530 functioning of your program. Others, such as @code{SIGSEGV}, indicate
2531 errors; these signals are @dfn{fatal} (kill your program immediately) if the
2532 program has not specified in advance some other way to handle the signal.
2533 @code{SIGINT} does not indicate an error in your program, but it is normally
2534 fatal so it can carry out the purpose of the interrupt: to kill the program.
2535
2536 _GDBN__ has the ability to detect any occurrence of a signal in your
2537 program. You can tell _GDBN__ in advance what to do for each kind of
2538 signal.
2539
2540 @cindex handling signals
2541 Normally, _GDBN__ is set up to ignore non-erroneous signals like @code{SIGALRM}
2542 (so as not to interfere with their role in the functioning of your program)
2543 but to stop your program immediately whenever an error signal happens.
2544 You can change these settings with the @code{handle} command.
2545
2546 @table @code
2547 @item info signals
2548 @kindex info signals
2549 Print a table of all the kinds of signals and how _GDBN__ has been told to
2550 handle each one. You can use this to see the signal numbers of all
2551 the defined types of signals.
2552
2553 @item handle @var{signal} @var{keywords}@dots{}
2554 @kindex handle
2555 Change the way _GDBN__ handles signal @var{signal}. @var{signal} can be the
2556 number of a signal or its name (with or without the @samp{SIG} at the
2557 beginning). The @var{keywords} say what change to make.
2558 @end table
2559
2560 @c @group
2561 The keywords allowed by the @code{handle} command can be abbreviated.
2562 Their full names are:
2563
2564 @table @code
2565 @item nostop
2566 _GDBN__ should not stop your program when this signal happens. It may
2567 still print a message telling you that the signal has come in.
2568
2569 @item stop
2570 _GDBN__ should stop your program when this signal happens. This implies
2571 the @code{print} keyword as well.
2572
2573 @item print
2574 _GDBN__ should print a message when this signal happens.
2575
2576 @item noprint
2577 _GDBN__ should not mention the occurrence of the signal at all. This
2578 implies the @code{nostop} keyword as well.
2579
2580 @item pass
2581 _GDBN__ should allow your program to see this signal; your program will be
2582 able to handle the signal, or may be terminated if the signal is fatal
2583 and not handled.
2584
2585 @item nopass
2586 _GDBN__ should not allow your program to see this signal.
2587 @end table
2588 @c @end group
2589
2590 When a signal has been set to stop your program, your program cannot see the
2591 signal until you continue. It will see the signal then, if @code{pass} is
2592 in effect for the signal in question @i{at that time}. In other words,
2593 after _GDBN__ reports a signal, you can use the @code{handle} command with
2594 @code{pass} or @code{nopass} to control whether that signal will be seen by
2595 your program when you later continue it.
2596
2597 You can also use the @code{signal} command to prevent your program from
2598 seeing a signal, or cause it to see a signal it normally would not see,
2599 or to give it any signal at any time. For example, if your program stopped
2600 due to some sort of memory reference error, you might store correct
2601 values into the erroneous variables and continue, hoping to see more
2602 execution; but your program would probably terminate immediately as
2603 a result of the fatal signal once it saw the signal. To prevent this,
2604 you can continue with @samp{signal 0}. @xref{Signaling, ,Giving your
2605 Program a Signal}.
2606
2607 @node Stack, Source, Stopping, Top
2608 @chapter Examining the Stack
2609
2610 When your program has stopped, the first thing you need to know is where it
2611 stopped and how it got there.
2612
2613 @cindex call stack
2614 Each time your program performs a function call, the information about
2615 where in your program the call was made from is saved in a block of data
2616 called a @dfn{stack frame}. The frame also contains the arguments of the
2617 call and the local variables of the function that was called. All the
2618 stack frames are allocated in a region of memory called the @dfn{call
2619 stack}.
2620
2621 When your program stops, the _GDBN__ commands for examining the stack allow you
2622 to see all of this information.
2623
2624 @cindex selected frame
2625 One of the stack frames is @dfn{selected} by _GDBN__ and many _GDBN__ commands
2626 refer implicitly to the selected frame. In particular, whenever you ask
2627 _GDBN__ for the value of a variable in your program, the value is found in the
2628 selected frame. There are special _GDBN__ commands to select whichever frame
2629 you are interested in.
2630
2631 When your program stops, _GDBN__ automatically selects the currently executing
2632 frame and describes it briefly as the @code{frame} command does
2633 (@pxref{Frame Info, ,Information About a Frame}).
2634
2635 @menu
2636 * Frames:: Stack Frames
2637 * Backtrace:: Backtraces
2638 * Selection:: Selecting a Frame
2639 * Frame Info:: Information on a Frame
2640 @end menu
2641
2642 @node Frames, Backtrace, Stack, Stack
2643 @section Stack Frames
2644
2645 @cindex frame
2646 @cindex stack frame
2647 The call stack is divided up into contiguous pieces called @dfn{stack
2648 frames}, or @dfn{frames} for short; each frame is the data associated
2649 with one call to one function. The frame contains the arguments given
2650 to the function, the function's local variables, and the address at
2651 which the function is executing.
2652
2653 @cindex initial frame
2654 @cindex outermost frame
2655 @cindex innermost frame
2656 When your program is started, the stack has only one frame, that of the
2657 function @code{main}. This is called the @dfn{initial} frame or the
2658 @dfn{outermost} frame. Each time a function is called, a new frame is
2659 made. Each time a function returns, the frame for that function invocation
2660 is eliminated. If a function is recursive, there can be many frames for
2661 the same function. The frame for the function in which execution is
2662 actually occurring is called the @dfn{innermost} frame. This is the most
2663 recently created of all the stack frames that still exist.
2664
2665 @cindex frame pointer
2666 Inside your program, stack frames are identified by their addresses. A
2667 stack frame consists of many bytes, each of which has its own address; each
2668 kind of computer has a convention for choosing one of those bytes whose
2669 address serves as the address of the frame. Usually this address is kept
2670 in a register called the @dfn{frame pointer register} while execution is
2671 going on in that frame.
2672
2673 @cindex frame number
2674 _GDBN__ assigns numbers to all existing stack frames, starting with
2675 zero for the innermost frame, one for the frame that called it,
2676 and so on upward. These numbers do not really exist in your program;
2677 they are assigned by _GDBN__ to give you a way of designating stack
2678 frames in _GDBN__ commands.
2679
2680 @cindex frameless execution
2681 Some compilers allow functions to be compiled so that they operate
2682 without stack frames. (For example, the @code{_GCC__} option
2683 @samp{-fomit-frame-pointer} will generate functions without a frame.)
2684 This is occasionally done with heavily used library functions to save
2685 the frame setup time. _GDBN__ has limited facilities for dealing with
2686 these function invocations. If the innermost function invocation has no
2687 stack frame, _GDBN__ will nevertheless regard it as though it had a
2688 separate frame, which is numbered zero as usual, allowing correct
2689 tracing of the function call chain. However, _GDBN__ has no provision
2690 for frameless functions elsewhere in the stack.
2691
2692 @node Backtrace, Selection, Frames, Stack
2693 @section Backtraces
2694
2695 A backtrace is a summary of how your program got where it is. It shows one
2696 line per frame, for many frames, starting with the currently executing
2697 frame (frame zero), followed by its caller (frame one), and on up the
2698 stack.
2699
2700 @table @code
2701 @item backtrace
2702 @itemx bt
2703 @kindex backtrace
2704 @kindex bt
2705 Print a backtrace of the entire stack: one line per frame for all
2706 frames in the stack.
2707
2708 You can stop the backtrace at any time by typing the system interrupt
2709 character, normally @kbd{C-c}.
2710
2711 @item backtrace @var{n}
2712 @itemx bt @var{n}
2713 Similar, but print only the innermost @var{n} frames.
2714
2715 @item backtrace -@var{n}
2716 @itemx bt -@var{n}
2717 Similar, but print only the outermost @var{n} frames.
2718 @end table
2719
2720 @kindex where
2721 @kindex info stack
2722 @kindex info s
2723 The names @code{where} and @code{info stack} (abbreviated @code{info s})
2724 are additional aliases for @code{backtrace}.
2725
2726 Each line in the backtrace shows the frame number and the function name.
2727 The program counter value is also shown---unless you use @code{set
2728 print address off}. The backtrace also shows the source file name and
2729 line number, as well as the arguments to the function. The program
2730 counter value is omitted if it is at the beginning of the code for that
2731 line number.
2732
2733 Here is an example of a backtrace. It was made with the command
2734 @samp{bt 3}, so it shows the innermost three frames.
2735
2736 @smallexample
2737 @group
2738 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
2739 at builtin.c:993
2740 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=0x2b600) at macro.c:242
2741 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=177664, td=0xf7fffb08)
2742 at macro.c:71
2743 (More stack frames follow...)
2744 @end group
2745 @end smallexample
2746
2747 @noindent
2748 The display for frame zero does not begin with a program counter
2749 value, indicating that your program has stopped at the beginning of the
2750 code for line @code{993} of @code{builtin.c}.
2751
2752 @node Selection, Frame Info, Backtrace, Stack
2753 @section Selecting a Frame
2754
2755 Most commands for examining the stack and other data in your program work on
2756 whichever stack frame is selected at the moment. Here are the commands for
2757 selecting a stack frame; all of them finish by printing a brief description
2758 of the stack frame just selected.
2759
2760 @table @code
2761 @item frame @var{n}
2762 @itemx f @var{n}
2763 @kindex frame
2764 @kindex f
2765 Select frame number @var{n}. Recall that frame zero is the innermost
2766 (currently executing) frame, frame one is the frame that called the
2767 innermost one, and so on. The highest-numbered frame is @code{main}'s
2768 frame.
2769
2770 @item frame @var{addr}
2771 @itemx f @var{addr}
2772 Select the frame at address @var{addr}. This is useful mainly if the
2773 chaining of stack frames has been damaged by a bug, making it
2774 impossible for _GDBN__ to assign numbers properly to all frames. In
2775 addition, this can be useful when your program has multiple stacks and
2776 switches between them.
2777
2778 _if__(_SPARC__)
2779 On the SPARC architecture, @code{frame} needs two addresses to
2780 select an arbitrary frame: a frame pointer and a stack pointer.
2781 @c note to future updaters: this is conditioned on a flag
2782 @c FRAME_SPECIFICATION_DYADIC in the tm-*.h files, currently only used
2783 @c by SPARC, hence the specific attribution. Generalize or list all
2784 @c possibilities if more supported machines start doing this.
2785 _fi__(_SPARC__)
2786
2787 @item up @var{n}
2788 @kindex up
2789 Move @var{n} frames up the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
2790 advances toward the outermost frame, to higher frame numbers, to frames
2791 that have existed longer. @var{n} defaults to one.
2792
2793 @item down @var{n}
2794 @kindex down
2795 @kindex do
2796 Move @var{n} frames down the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
2797 advances toward the innermost frame, to lower frame numbers, to frames
2798 that were created more recently. @var{n} defaults to one. You may
2799 abbreviate @code{down} as @code{do}.
2800 @end table
2801
2802 All of these commands end by printing two lines of output describing the
2803 frame. The first line shows the frame number, the function name, the
2804 arguments, and the source file and line number of execution in that
2805 frame. The second line shows the text of that source line. For
2806 example:
2807
2808 @smallexample
2809 @group
2810 (_GDBP__) up
2811 #1 0x22f0 in main (argc=1, argv=0xf7fffbf4, env=0xf7fffbfc)
2812 at env.c:10
2813 10 read_input_file (argv[i]);
2814 @end group
2815 @end smallexample
2816
2817 After such a printout, the @code{list} command with no arguments will
2818 print ten lines centered on the point of execution in the frame.
2819 @xref{List, ,Printing Source Lines}.
2820
2821 @table @code
2822 @item up-silently @var{n}
2823 @itemx down-silently @var{n}
2824 @kindex down-silently
2825 @kindex up-silently
2826 These two commands are variants of @code{up} and @code{down},
2827 respectively; they differ in that they do their work silently, without
2828 causing display of the new frame. They are intended primarily for use
2829 in _GDBN__ command scripts, where the output might be unnecessary and
2830 distracting.
2831 @end table
2832
2833 @node Frame Info, , Selection, Stack
2834 @section Information About a Frame
2835
2836 There are several other commands to print information about the selected
2837 stack frame.
2838
2839 @table @code
2840 @item frame
2841 @itemx f
2842 When used without any argument, this command does not change which
2843 frame is selected, but prints a brief description of the currently
2844 selected stack frame. It can be abbreviated @code{f}. With an
2845 argument, this command is used to select a stack frame
2846 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}).
2847
2848 @item info frame
2849 @itemx info f
2850 @kindex info frame
2851 @kindex info f
2852 This command prints a verbose description of the selected stack frame,
2853 including the address of the frame, the addresses of the next frame down
2854 (called by this frame) and the next frame up (caller of this frame), the
2855 language that the source code corresponding to this frame was written in,
2856 the address of the frame's arguments, the program counter saved in it
2857 (the address of execution in the caller frame), and which registers
2858 were saved in the frame. The verbose description is useful when
2859 something has gone wrong that has made the stack format fail to fit
2860 the usual conventions.
2861
2862 @item info frame @var{addr}
2863 @itemx info f @var{addr}
2864 Print a verbose description of the frame at address @var{addr},
2865 without selecting that frame. The selected frame remains unchanged by
2866 this command.
2867
2868 @item info args
2869 @kindex info args
2870 Print the arguments of the selected frame, each on a separate line.
2871
2872 @item info locals
2873 @kindex info locals
2874 Print the local variables of the selected frame, each on a separate
2875 line. These are all variables declared static or automatic within all
2876 program blocks that execution in this frame is currently inside of.
2877
2878 @item info catch
2879 @kindex info catch
2880 @cindex catch exceptions
2881 @cindex exception handlers
2882 Print a list of all the exception handlers that are active in the
2883 current stack frame at the current point of execution. To see other
2884 exception handlers, visit the associated frame (using the @code{up},
2885 @code{down}, or @code{frame} commands); then type @code{info catch}.
2886 @xref{Exception Handling, ,Breakpoints and Exceptions}.
2887 @end table
2888
2889 @node Source, Data, Stack, Top
2890 @chapter Examining Source Files
2891
2892 _GDBN__ can print parts of your program's source, since the debugging
2893 information recorded in your program tells _GDBN__ what source files were
2894 used to build it. When your program stops, _GDBN__ spontaneously prints
2895 the line where it stopped. Likewise, when you select a stack frame
2896 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}), _GDBN__ prints the line where
2897 execution in that frame has stopped. You can print other portions of
2898 source files by explicit command.
2899
2900 If you use _GDBN__ through its GNU Emacs interface, you may prefer to use
2901 Emacs facilities to view source; @pxref{Emacs, ,Using _GDBN__ under GNU
2902 Emacs}.
2903
2904 @menu
2905 * List:: Printing Source Lines
2906 * Search:: Searching Source Files
2907 * Source Path:: Specifying Source Directories
2908 * Machine Code:: Source and Machine Code
2909 @end menu
2910
2911 @node List, Search, Source, Source
2912 @section Printing Source Lines
2913
2914 @kindex list
2915 @kindex l
2916 To print lines from a source file, use the @code{list} command
2917 (abbreviated @code{l}). There are several ways to specify what part
2918 of the file you want to print.
2919
2920 Here are the forms of the @code{list} command most commonly used:
2921
2922 @table @code
2923 @item list @var{linenum}
2924 Print lines centered around line number @var{linenum} in the
2925 current source file.
2926
2927 @item list @var{function}
2928 Print lines centered around the beginning of function
2929 @var{function}.
2930
2931 @item list
2932 Print more lines. If the last lines printed were printed with a
2933 @code{list} command, this prints lines following the last lines
2934 printed; however, if the last line printed was a solitary line printed
2935 as part of displaying a stack frame (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the
2936 Stack}), this prints lines centered around that line.
2937
2938 @item list -
2939 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
2940 @end table
2941
2942 By default, _GDBN__ prints ten source lines with any of these forms of
2943 the @code{list} command. You can change this using @code{set listsize}:
2944
2945 @table @code
2946 @item set listsize @var{count}
2947 @kindex set listsize
2948 Make the @code{list} command display @var{count} source lines (unless
2949 the @code{list} argument explicitly specifies some other number).
2950
2951 @item show listsize
2952 @kindex show listsize
2953 Display the number of lines that @code{list} will currently display by
2954 default.
2955 @end table
2956
2957 Repeating a @code{list} command with @key{RET} discards the argument,
2958 so it is equivalent to typing just @code{list}. This is more useful
2959 than listing the same lines again. An exception is made for an
2960 argument of @samp{-}; that argument is preserved in repetition so that
2961 each repetition moves up in the source file.
2962
2963 @cindex linespec
2964 In general, the @code{list} command expects you to supply zero, one or two
2965 @dfn{linespecs}. Linespecs specify source lines; there are several ways
2966 of writing them but the effect is always to specify some source line.
2967 Here is a complete description of the possible arguments for @code{list}:
2968
2969 @table @code
2970 @item list @var{linespec}
2971 Print lines centered around the line specified by @var{linespec}.
2972
2973 @item list @var{first},@var{last}
2974 Print lines from @var{first} to @var{last}. Both arguments are
2975 linespecs.
2976
2977 @item list ,@var{last}
2978 Print lines ending with @var{last}.
2979
2980 @item list @var{first},
2981 Print lines starting with @var{first}.
2982
2983 @item list +
2984 Print lines just after the lines last printed.
2985
2986 @item list -
2987 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
2988
2989 @item list
2990 As described in the preceding table.
2991 @end table
2992
2993 Here are the ways of specifying a single source line---all the
2994 kinds of linespec.
2995
2996 @table @code
2997 @item @var{number}
2998 Specifies line @var{number} of the current source file.
2999 When a @code{list} command has two linespecs, this refers to
3000 the same source file as the first linespec.
3001
3002 @item +@var{offset}
3003 Specifies the line @var{offset} lines after the last line printed.
3004 When used as the second linespec in a @code{list} command that has
3005 two, this specifies the line @var{offset} lines down from the
3006 first linespec.
3007
3008 @item -@var{offset}
3009 Specifies the line @var{offset} lines before the last line printed.
3010
3011 @item @var{filename}:@var{number}
3012 Specifies line @var{number} in the source file @var{filename}.
3013
3014 @item @var{function}
3015 @c FIXME: "of the open-brace" is C-centric. When we add other langs...
3016 Specifies the line of the open-brace that begins the body of the
3017 function @var{function}.
3018
3019 @item @var{filename}:@var{function}
3020 Specifies the line of the open-brace that begins the body of the
3021 function @var{function} in the file @var{filename}. You only need the
3022 file name with a function name to avoid ambiguity when there are
3023 identically named functions in different source files.
3024
3025 @item *@var{address}
3026 Specifies the line containing the program address @var{address}.
3027 @var{address} may be any expression.
3028 @end table
3029
3030 @node Search, Source Path, List, Source
3031 @section Searching Source Files
3032 @cindex searching
3033 @kindex reverse-search
3034
3035 There are two commands for searching through the current source file for a
3036 regular expression.
3037
3038 @table @code
3039 @item forward-search @var{regexp}
3040 @itemx search @var{regexp}
3041 @kindex search
3042 @kindex forward-search
3043 The command @samp{forward-search @var{regexp}} checks each line,
3044 starting with the one following the last line listed, for a match for
3045 @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can use
3046 synonym @samp{search @var{regexp}} or abbreviate the command name as
3047 @code{fo}.
3048
3049 @item reverse-search @var{regexp}
3050 The command @samp{reverse-search @var{regexp}} checks each line, starting
3051 with the one before the last line listed and going backward, for a match
3052 for @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can abbreviate
3053 this command as @code{rev}.
3054 @end table
3055
3056 @node Source Path, Machine Code, Search, Source
3057 @section Specifying Source Directories
3058
3059 @cindex source path
3060 @cindex directories for source files
3061 Executable programs sometimes do not record the directories of the source
3062 files from which they were compiled, just the names. Even when they do,
3063 the directories could be moved between the compilation and your debugging
3064 session. _GDBN__ has a list of directories to search for source files;
3065 this is called the @dfn{source path}. Each time _GDBN__ wants a source file,
3066 it tries all the directories in the list, in the order they are present
3067 in the list, until it finds a file with the desired name. Note that
3068 the executable search path is @emph{not} used for this purpose. Neither is
3069 the current working directory, unless it happens to be in the source
3070 path.
3071
3072 If _GDBN__ cannot find a source file in the source path, and the object
3073 program records a directory, _GDBN__ tries that directory too. If the
3074 source path is empty, and there is no record of the compilation
3075 directory, _GDBN__ will, as a last resort, look in the current
3076 directory.
3077
3078 Whenever you reset or rearrange the source path, _GDBN__ will clear out
3079 any information it has cached about where source files are found, where
3080 each line is in the file, etc.
3081
3082 @kindex directory
3083 When you start _GDBN__, its source path is empty.
3084 To add other directories, use the @code{directory} command.
3085
3086 @table @code
3087 @item directory @var{dirname} @dots{}
3088 Add directory @var{dirname} to the front of the source path. Several
3089 directory names may be given to this command, separated by @samp{:} or
3090 whitespace. You may specify a directory that is already in the source
3091 path; this moves it forward, so it will be searched sooner.
3092
3093 You can use the string @samp{$cdir} to refer to the compilation
3094 directory (if one is recorded), and @samp{$cwd} to refer to the current
3095 working directory. @samp{$cwd} is not the same as @samp{.}---the former
3096 tracks the current working directory as it changes during your _GDBN__
3097 session, while the latter is immediately expanded to the current
3098 directory at the time you add an entry to the source path.
3099
3100 @item directory
3101 Reset the source path to empty again. This requires confirmation.
3102
3103 @c RET-repeat for @code{directory} is explicitly disabled, but since
3104 @c repeating it would be a no-op we do not say that. (thanks to RMS)
3105
3106 @item show directories
3107 @kindex show directories
3108 Print the source path: show which directories it contains.
3109 @end table
3110
3111 If your source path is cluttered with directories that are no longer of
3112 interest, _GDBN__ may sometimes cause confusion by finding the wrong
3113 versions of source. You can correct the situation as follows:
3114
3115 @enumerate
3116 @item
3117 Use @code{directory} with no argument to reset the source path to empty.
3118
3119 @item
3120 Use @code{directory} with suitable arguments to reinstall the
3121 directories you want in the source path. You can add all the
3122 directories in one command.
3123 @end enumerate
3124
3125 @node Machine Code, , Source Path, Source
3126 @section Source and Machine Code
3127
3128 You can use the command @code{info line} to map source lines to program
3129 addresses (and viceversa), and the command @code{disassemble} to display
3130 a range of addresses as machine instructions.
3131
3132 @table @code
3133 @item info line @var{linespec}
3134 @kindex info line
3135 Print the starting and ending addresses of the compiled code for
3136 source line @var{linespec}. You can specify source lines in any of
3137 the ways understood by the @code{list} command (@pxref{List, ,Printing
3138 Source Lines}).
3139 @end table
3140
3141 For example, we can use @code{info line} to discover the location of
3142 the object code for the first line of function
3143 @code{m4_changequote}:
3144
3145 @smallexample
3146 (_GDBP__) info line m4_changecom
3147 Line 895 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x634c and ends at 0x6350.
3148 @end smallexample
3149
3150 @noindent
3151 We can also inquire (using @code{*@var{addr}} as the form for
3152 @var{linespec}) what source line covers a particular address:
3153 @smallexample
3154 (_GDBP__) info line *0x63ff
3155 Line 926 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x63e4 and ends at 0x6404.
3156 @end smallexample
3157
3158 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info line}
3159 After @code{info line}, the default address for the @code{x} command
3160 is changed to the starting address of the line, so that @samp{x/i} is
3161 sufficient to begin examining the machine code (@pxref{Memory,
3162 ,Examining Memory}). Also, this address is saved as the value of the
3163 convenience variable @code{$_} (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
3164 Variables}).
3165
3166 @table @code
3167 @kindex disassemble
3168 @item disassemble
3169 This specialized command dumps a range of memory as machine
3170 instructions. The default memory range is the function surrounding the
3171 program counter of the selected frame. A single argument to this
3172 command is a program counter value; the function surrounding this value
3173 will be dumped. Two arguments specify a range of addresses (first
3174 inclusive, second exclusive) to dump.
3175 @end table
3176
3177 We can use @code{disassemble} to inspect the object code
3178 range shown in the last @code{info line} example:
3179
3180 @smallexample
3181 (_GDBP__) disas 0x63e4 0x6404
3182 Dump of assembler code from 0x63e4 to 0x6404:
3183 0x63e4 <builtin_init+5340>: ble 0x63f8 <builtin_init+5360>
3184 0x63e8 <builtin_init+5344>: sethi %hi(0x4c00), %o0
3185 0x63ec <builtin_init+5348>: ld [%i1+4], %o0
3186 0x63f0 <builtin_init+5352>: b 0x63fc <builtin_init+5364>
3187 0x63f4 <builtin_init+5356>: ld [%o0+4], %o0
3188 0x63f8 <builtin_init+5360>: or %o0, 0x1a4, %o0
3189 0x63fc <builtin_init+5364>: call 0x9288 <path_search>
3190 0x6400 <builtin_init+5368>: nop
3191 End of assembler dump.
3192 @end smallexample
3193
3194 @node Data, Languages, Source, Top
3195 @chapter Examining Data
3196
3197 @cindex printing data
3198 @cindex examining data
3199 @kindex print
3200 @kindex inspect
3201 @c "inspect" is not quite a synonym if you are using Epoch, which we do not
3202 @c document because it is nonstandard... Under Epoch it displays in a
3203 @c different window or something like that.
3204 The usual way to examine data in your program is with the @code{print}
3205 command (abbreviated @code{p}), or its synonym @code{inspect}. It
3206 evaluates and prints the value of an expression of the language your
3207 program is written in (@pxref{Languages, ,Using _GDBN__ with Different
3208 Languages}).
3209
3210 @table @code
3211 @item print @var{exp}
3212 @itemx print /@var{f} @var{exp}
3213 @var{exp} is an expression (in the source language). By default
3214 the value of @var{exp} is printed in a format appropriate to its data
3215 type; you can choose a different format by specifying @samp{/@var{f}},
3216 where @var{f} is a letter specifying the format; @pxref{Output formats}.
3217
3218 @item print
3219 @itemx print /@var{f}
3220 If you omit @var{exp}, _GDBN__ displays the last value again (from the
3221 @dfn{value history}; @pxref{Value History, ,Value History}). This allows you to
3222 conveniently inspect the same value in an alternative format.
3223 @end table
3224
3225 A more low-level way of examining data is with the @code{x} command.
3226 It examines data in memory at a specified address and prints it in a
3227 specified format. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
3228
3229 If you are interested in information about types, or about how the fields
3230 of a struct or class are declared, use the @code{ptype @var{exp}}
3231 command rather than @code{print}. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
3232
3233 @menu
3234 * Expressions:: Expressions
3235 * Variables:: Program Variables
3236 * Arrays:: Artificial Arrays
3237 * Output formats:: Output formats
3238 * Memory:: Examining Memory
3239 * Auto Display:: Automatic Display
3240 * Print Settings:: Print Settings
3241 * Value History:: Value History
3242 * Convenience Vars:: Convenience Variables
3243 * Registers:: Registers
3244 * Floating Point Hardware:: Floating Point Hardware
3245 @end menu
3246
3247 @node Expressions, Variables, Data, Data
3248 @section Expressions
3249
3250 @cindex expressions
3251 @code{print} and many other _GDBN__ commands accept an expression and
3252 compute its value. Any kind of constant, variable or operator defined
3253 by the programming language you are using is legal in an expression in
3254 _GDBN__. This includes conditional expressions, function calls, casts
3255 and string constants. It unfortunately does not include symbols defined
3256 by preprocessor @code{#define} commands.
3257
3258 Because C is so widespread, most of the expressions shown in examples in
3259 this manual are in C. @xref{Languages, , Using _GDBN__ with Different
3260 Languages}, for information on how to use expressions in other
3261 languages.
3262
3263 In this section, we discuss operators that you can use in _GDBN__
3264 expressions regardless of your programming language.
3265
3266 Casts are supported in all languages, not just in C, because it is so
3267 useful to cast a number into a pointer so as to examine a structure
3268 at that address in memory.
3269 @c FIXME: casts supported---Mod2 true?
3270
3271 _GDBN__ supports these operators in addition to those of programming
3272 languages:
3273
3274 @table @code
3275 @item @@
3276 @samp{@@} is a binary operator for treating parts of memory as arrays.
3277 @xref{Arrays, ,Artificial Arrays}, for more information.
3278
3279 @item ::
3280 @samp{::} allows you to specify a variable in terms of the file or
3281 function where it is defined. @xref{Variables, ,Program Variables}.
3282
3283 @item @{@var{type}@} @var{addr}
3284 Refers to an object of type @var{type} stored at address @var{addr} in
3285 memory. @var{addr} may be any expression whose value is an integer or
3286 pointer (but parentheses are required around binary operators, just as in
3287 a cast). This construct is allowed regardless of what kind of data is
3288 normally supposed to reside at @var{addr}.
3289 @end table
3290
3291 @node Variables, Arrays, Expressions, Data
3292 @section Program Variables
3293
3294 The most common kind of expression to use is the name of a variable
3295 in your program.
3296
3297 Variables in expressions are understood in the selected stack frame
3298 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}); they must either be global
3299 (or static) or be visible according to the scope rules of the
3300 programming language from the point of execution in that frame. This
3301 means that in the function
3302
3303 @example
3304 foo (a)
3305 int a;
3306 @{
3307 bar (a);
3308 @{
3309 int b = test ();
3310 bar (b);
3311 @}
3312 @}
3313 @end example
3314
3315 @noindent
3316 the variable @code{a} is usable whenever your program is executing
3317 within the function @code{foo}, but the variable @code{b} is visible
3318 only while your program is executing inside the block in which @code{b}
3319 is declared.
3320
3321 @cindex variable name conflict
3322 There is an exception: you can refer to a variable or function whose
3323 scope is a single source file even if the current execution point is not
3324 in this file. But it is possible to have more than one such variable or
3325 function with the same name (in different source files). If that happens,
3326 referring to that name has unpredictable effects. If you wish, you can
3327 specify a variable in a particular file, using the colon-colon notation:
3328
3329 @cindex colon-colon
3330 @iftex
3331 @c info cannot cope with a :: index entry, but why deprive hard copy readers?
3332 @kindex ::
3333 @end iftex
3334 @example
3335 @var{file}::@var{variable}
3336 @end example
3337
3338 @noindent
3339 Here @var{file} is the name of the source file whose variable you want.
3340
3341 @cindex C++ scope resolution
3342 This use of @samp{::} is very rarely in conflict with the very similar
3343 use of the same notation in C++. _GDBN__ also supports use of the C++
3344 scope resolution operator in _GDBN__ expressions.
3345
3346 @cindex wrong values
3347 @cindex variable values, wrong
3348 @quotation
3349 @emph{Warning:} Occasionally, a local variable may appear to have the
3350 wrong value at certain points in a function---just after entry to the
3351 function, and just before exit. You may see this problem when you are
3352 stepping by machine instructions. This is because on most machines, it
3353 takes more than one instruction to set up a stack frame (including local
3354 variable definitions); if you are stepping by machine instructions,
3355 variables may appear to have the wrong values until the stack frame is
3356 completely built. On function exit, it usually also takes more than one
3357 machine instruction to destroy a stack frame; after you begin stepping
3358 through that group of instructions, local variable definitions may be
3359 gone.
3360 @end quotation
3361
3362 @node Arrays, Output formats, Variables, Data
3363 @section Artificial Arrays
3364
3365 @cindex artificial array
3366 @kindex @@
3367 It is often useful to print out several successive objects of the
3368 same type in memory; a section of an array, or an array of
3369 dynamically determined size for which only a pointer exists in the
3370 program.
3371
3372 This can be done by constructing an @dfn{artificial array} with the
3373 binary operator @samp{@@}. The left operand of @samp{@@} should be
3374 the first element of the desired array, as an individual object.
3375 The right operand should be the desired length of the array. The result is
3376 an array value whose elements are all of the type of the left argument.
3377 The first element is actually the left argument; the second element
3378 comes from bytes of memory immediately following those that hold the
3379 first element, and so on. Here is an example. If a program says
3380
3381 @example
3382 int *array = (int *) malloc (len * sizeof (int));
3383 @end example
3384
3385 @noindent
3386 you can print the contents of @code{array} with
3387
3388 @example
3389 p *array@@len
3390 @end example
3391
3392 The left operand of @samp{@@} must reside in memory. Array values made
3393 with @samp{@@} in this way behave just like other arrays in terms of
3394 subscripting, and are coerced to pointers when used in expressions.
3395 Artificial arrays most often appear in expressions via the value history
3396 (@pxref{Value History, ,Value History}), after printing one out.)
3397
3398 Sometimes the artificial array mechanism is not quite enough; in
3399 moderately complex data structures, the elements of interest may not
3400 actually be adjacent---for example, if you are interested in the values
3401 of pointers in an array. One useful work-around in this situation is
3402 to use a convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
3403 Variables}) as a counter in an expression that prints the first
3404 interesting value, and then repeat that expression via @key{RET}. For
3405 instance, suppose you have an array @code{dtab} of pointers to
3406 structures, and you are interested in the values of a field @code{fv}
3407 in each structure. Here is an example of what you might type:
3408
3409 @example
3410 set $i = 0
3411 p dtab[$i++]->fv
3412 @key{RET}
3413 @key{RET}
3414 @dots{}
3415 @end example
3416
3417 @node Output formats, Memory, Arrays, Data
3418 @section Output formats
3419
3420 @cindex formatted output
3421 @cindex output formats
3422 By default, _GDBN__ prints a value according to its data type. Sometimes
3423 this is not what you want. For example, you might want to print a number
3424 in hex, or a pointer in decimal. Or you might want to view data in memory
3425 at a certain address as a character string or as an instruction. To do
3426 these things, specify an @dfn{output format} when you print a value.
3427
3428 The simplest use of output formats is to say how to print a value
3429 already computed. This is done by starting the arguments of the
3430 @code{print} command with a slash and a format letter. The format
3431 letters supported are:
3432
3433 @table @code
3434 @item x
3435 Regard the bits of the value as an integer, and print the integer in
3436 hexadecimal.
3437
3438 @item d
3439 Print as integer in signed decimal.
3440
3441 @item u
3442 Print as integer in unsigned decimal.
3443
3444 @item o
3445 Print as integer in octal.
3446
3447 @item t
3448 Print as integer in binary. The letter @samp{t} stands for ``two''.
3449
3450 @item a
3451 Print as an address, both absolute in hex and as an offset from the
3452 nearest preceding symbol. This format can be used to discover where (in
3453 what function) an unknown address is located:
3454
3455 @example
3456 (_GDBP__) p/a 0x54320
3457 _0__$3 = 0x54320 <_initialize_vx+396>_1__
3458 @end example
3459
3460 @item c
3461 Regard as an integer and print it as a character constant.
3462
3463 @item f
3464 Regard the bits of the value as a floating point number and print
3465 using typical floating point syntax.
3466 @end table
3467
3468 For example, to print the program counter in hex (@pxref{Registers}), type
3469
3470 @example
3471 p/x $pc
3472 @end example
3473
3474 @noindent
3475 Note that no space is required before the slash; this is because command
3476 names in _GDBN__ cannot contain a slash.
3477
3478 To reprint the last value in the value history with a different format,
3479 you can use the @code{print} command with just a format and no
3480 expression. For example, @samp{p/x} reprints the last value in hex.
3481
3482 @node Memory, Auto Display, Output formats, Data
3483 @section Examining Memory
3484
3485 You can use the command @code{x} (for ``examine'') to examine memory in
3486 any of several formats, independently of your program's data types.
3487
3488 @cindex examining memory
3489 @table @code
3490 @kindex x
3491 @item x/@var{nfu} @var{addr}
3492 @itemx x @var{addr}
3493 @itemx x
3494 Use the command @code{x} to examine memory.
3495 @end table
3496
3497 @var{n}, @var{f}, and @var{u} are all optional parameters that specify how
3498 much memory to display and how to format it; @var{addr} is an
3499 expression giving the address where you want to start displaying memory.
3500 If you use defaults for @var{nfu}, you need not type the slash @samp{/}.
3501 Several commands set convenient defaults for @var{addr}.
3502
3503 @table @r
3504 @item @var{n}, the repeat count
3505 The repeat count is a decimal integer; the default is 1. It specifies
3506 how much memory (counting by units @var{u}) to display.
3507 @c This really is **decimal**; unaffected by 'set radix' as of GDB
3508 @c 4.1.2.
3509
3510 @item @var{f}, the display format
3511 The display format is one of the formats used by @code{print},
3512 or @samp{s} (null-terminated string) or @samp{i} (machine instruction).
3513 The default is @samp{x} (hexadecimal) initially, or the format from the
3514 last time you used either @code{x} or @code{print}.
3515
3516 @item @var{u}, the unit size
3517 The unit size is any of
3518 @table @code
3519 @item b
3520 Bytes.
3521 @item h
3522 Halfwords (two bytes).
3523 @item w
3524 Words (four bytes). This is the initial default.
3525 @item g
3526 Giant words (eight bytes).
3527 @end table
3528
3529 Each time you specify a unit size with @code{x}, that size becomes the
3530 default unit the next time you use @code{x}. (For the @samp{s} and
3531 @samp{i} formats, the unit size is ignored and is normally not written.)
3532
3533 @item @var{addr}, starting display address
3534 @var{addr} is the address where you want _GDBN__ to begin displaying
3535 memory. The expression need not have a pointer value (though it may);
3536 it is always interpreted as an integer address of a byte of memory.
3537 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information on expressions. The default for
3538 @var{addr} is usually just after the last address examined---but several
3539 other commands also set the default address: @code{info breakpoints} (to
3540 the address of the last breakpoint listed), @code{info line} (to the
3541 starting address of a line), and @code{print} (if you use it to display
3542 a value from memory).
3543 @end table
3544
3545 For example, @samp{x/3uh 0x54320} is a request to display three halfwords
3546 (@code{h}) of memory, formatted as unsigned decimal integers (@samp{u}),
3547 starting at address @code{0x54320}. @samp{x/4xw $sp} prints the four
3548 words (@samp{w}) of memory above the stack pointer (here, @samp{$sp};
3549 @pxref{Registers}) in hexadecimal (@samp{x}).
3550
3551 Since the letters indicating unit sizes are all distinct from the
3552 letters specifying output formats, you do not have to remember whether
3553 unit size or format comes first; either order will work. The output
3554 specifications @samp{4xw} and @samp{4wx} mean exactly the same thing.
3555 (However, the count @var{n} must come first; @samp{wx4} will not work.)
3556
3557 Even though the unit size @var{u} is ignored for the formats @samp{s}
3558 and @samp{i}, you might still want to use a count @var{n}; for example,
3559 @samp{3i} specifies that you want to see three machine instructions,
3560 including any operands. The command @code{disassemble} gives an
3561 alternative way of inspecting machine instructions; @pxref{Machine
3562 Code}.
3563
3564 All the defaults for the arguments to @code{x} are designed to make it
3565 easy to continue scanning memory with minimal specifications each time
3566 you use @code{x}. For example, after you have inspected three machine
3567 instructions with @samp{x/3i @var{addr}}, you can inspect the next seven
3568 with just @samp{x/7}. If you use @key{RET} to repeat the @code{x} command,
3569 the repeat count @var{n} is used again; the other arguments default as
3570 for successive uses of @code{x}.
3571
3572 @cindex @code{$_}, @code{$__}, and value history
3573 The addresses and contents printed by the @code{x} command are not saved
3574 in the value history because there is often too much of them and they
3575 would get in the way. Instead, _GDBN__ makes these values available for
3576 subsequent use in expressions as values of the convenience variables
3577 @code{$_} and @code{$__}. After an @code{x} command, the last address
3578 examined is available for use in expressions in the convenience variable
3579 @code{$_}. The contents of that address, as examined, are available in
3580 the convenience variable @code{$__}.
3581
3582 If the @code{x} command has a repeat count, the address and contents saved
3583 are from the last memory unit printed; this is not the same as the last
3584 address printed if several units were printed on the last line of output.
3585
3586 @node Auto Display, Print Settings, Memory, Data
3587 @section Automatic Display
3588 @cindex automatic display
3589 @cindex display of expressions
3590
3591 If you find that you want to print the value of an expression frequently
3592 (to see how it changes), you might want to add it to the @dfn{automatic
3593 display list} so that _GDBN__ will print its value each time your program stops.
3594 Each expression added to the list is given a number to identify it;
3595 to remove an expression from the list, you specify that number.
3596 The automatic display looks like this:
3597
3598 @example
3599 2: foo = 38
3600 3: bar[5] = (struct hack *) 0x3804
3601 @end example
3602
3603 @noindent
3604 showing item numbers, expressions and their current values. As with
3605 displays you request manually using @code{x} or @code{print}, you can
3606 specify the output format you prefer; in fact, @code{display} decides
3607 whether to use @code{print} or @code{x} depending on how elaborate your
3608 format specification is---it uses @code{x} if you specify a unit size,
3609 or one of the two formats (@samp{i} and @samp{s}) that are only
3610 supported by @code{x}; otherwise it uses @code{print}.
3611
3612 @table @code
3613 @item display @var{exp}
3614 @kindex display
3615 Add the expression @var{exp} to the list of expressions to display
3616 each time your program stops. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
3617
3618 @code{display} will not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
3619
3620 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{exp}
3621 For @var{fmt} specifying only a display format and not a size or
3622 count, add the expression @var{exp} to the auto-display list but
3623 arranges to display it each time in the specified format @var{fmt}.
3624 @xref{Output formats}.
3625
3626 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{addr}
3627 For @var{fmt} @samp{i} or @samp{s}, or including a unit-size or a
3628 number of units, add the expression @var{addr} as a memory address to
3629 be examined each time your program stops. Examining means in effect
3630 doing @samp{x/@var{fmt} @var{addr}}. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
3631 @end table
3632
3633 For example, @samp{display/i $pc} can be helpful, to see the machine
3634 instruction about to be executed each time execution stops (@samp{$pc}
3635 is a common name for the program counter; @pxref{Registers}).
3636
3637 @table @code
3638 @item undisplay @var{dnums}@dots{}
3639 @itemx delete display @var{dnums}@dots{}
3640 @kindex delete display
3641 @kindex undisplay
3642 Remove item numbers @var{dnums} from the list of expressions to display.
3643
3644 @code{undisplay} will not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
3645 (Otherwise you would just get the error @samp{No display number @dots{}}.)
3646
3647 @item disable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
3648 @kindex disable display
3649 Disable the display of item numbers @var{dnums}. A disabled display
3650 item is not printed automatically, but is not forgotten. It may be
3651 enabled again later.
3652
3653 @item enable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
3654 @kindex enable display
3655 Enable display of item numbers @var{dnums}. It becomes effective once
3656 again in auto display of its expression, until you specify otherwise.
3657
3658 @item display
3659 Display the current values of the expressions on the list, just as is
3660 done when your program stops.
3661
3662 @item info display
3663 @kindex info display
3664 Print the list of expressions previously set up to display
3665 automatically, each one with its item number, but without showing the
3666 values. This includes disabled expressions, which are marked as such.
3667 It also includes expressions which would not be displayed right now
3668 because they refer to automatic variables not currently available.
3669 @end table
3670
3671 If a display expression refers to local variables, then it does not make
3672 sense outside the lexical context for which it was set up. Such an
3673 expression is disabled when execution enters a context where one of its
3674 variables is not defined. For example, if you give the command
3675 @code{display last_char} while inside a function with an argument
3676 @code{last_char}, then this argument will be displayed while your program
3677 continues to stop inside that function. When it stops elsewhere---where
3678 there is no variable @code{last_char}---display is disabled. The next time
3679 your program stops where @code{last_char} is meaningful, you can enable the
3680 display expression once again.
3681
3682 @node Print Settings, Value History, Auto Display, Data
3683 @section Print Settings
3684
3685 @cindex format options
3686 @cindex print settings
3687 _GDBN__ provides the following ways to control how arrays, structures,
3688 and symbols are printed.
3689
3690 @noindent
3691 These settings are useful for debugging programs in any language:
3692
3693 @table @code
3694 @item set print address
3695 @item set print address on
3696 @kindex set print address
3697 _GDBN__ will print memory addresses showing the location of stack
3698 traces, structure values, pointer values, breakpoints, and so forth,
3699 even when it also displays the contents of those addresses. The default
3700 is on. For example, this is what a stack frame display looks like, with
3701 @code{set print address on}:
3702
3703 @smallexample
3704 @group
3705 (_GDBP__) f
3706 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<<", rq=0x34c88 ">>")
3707 at input.c:530
3708 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
3709 @end group
3710 @end smallexample
3711
3712 @item set print address off
3713 Do not print addresses when displaying their contents. For example,
3714 this is the same stack frame displayed with @code{set print address off}:
3715
3716 @example
3717 @group
3718 (_GDBP__) set print addr off
3719 (_GDBP__) f
3720 #0 set_quotes (lq="<<", rq=">>") at input.c:530
3721 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
3722 @end group
3723 @end example
3724
3725 @item show print address
3726 @kindex show print address
3727 Show whether or not addresses are to be printed.
3728
3729 @item set print array
3730 @itemx set print array on
3731 @kindex set print array
3732 _GDBN__ will pretty print arrays. This format is more convenient to read,
3733 but uses more space. The default is off.
3734
3735 @item set print array off.
3736 Return to compressed format for arrays.
3737
3738 @item show print array
3739 @kindex show print array
3740 Show whether compressed or pretty format is selected for displaying
3741 arrays.
3742
3743 @item set print elements @var{number-of-elements}
3744 @kindex set print elements
3745 If _GDBN__ is printing a large array, it will stop printing after it has
3746 printed the number of elements set by the @code{set print elements} command.
3747 This limit also applies to the display of strings.
3748
3749 @item show print elements
3750 @kindex show print elements
3751 Display the number of elements of a large array that _GDBN__ will print
3752 before losing patience.
3753
3754 @item set print pretty on
3755 @kindex set print pretty
3756 Cause _GDBN__ to print structures in an indented format with one member per
3757 line, like this:
3758
3759 @example
3760 @group
3761 $1 = @{
3762 next = 0x0,
3763 flags = @{
3764 sweet = 1,
3765 sour = 1
3766 @},
3767 meat = 0x54 "Pork"
3768 @}
3769 @end group
3770 @end example
3771
3772 @item set print pretty off
3773 Cause _GDBN__ to print structures in a compact format, like this:
3774
3775 @smallexample
3776 @group
3777 $1 = @{next = 0x0, flags = @{sweet = 1, sour = 1@}, meat \
3778 = 0x54 "Pork"@}
3779 @end group
3780 @end smallexample
3781
3782 @noindent
3783 This is the default format.
3784
3785 @item show print pretty
3786 @kindex show print pretty
3787 Show which format _GDBN__ will use to print structures.
3788
3789 @item set print sevenbit-strings on
3790 @kindex set print sevenbit-strings
3791 Print using only seven-bit characters; if this option is set,
3792 _GDBN__ will display any eight-bit characters (in strings or character
3793 values) using the notation @code{\}@var{nnn}. For example, @kbd{M-a} is
3794 displayed as @code{\341}.
3795
3796 @item set print sevenbit-strings off
3797 Print using either seven-bit or eight-bit characters, as required. This
3798 is the default.
3799
3800 @item show print sevenbit-strings
3801 @kindex show print sevenbit-strings
3802 Show whether or not _GDBN__ will print only seven-bit characters.
3803
3804 @item set print union on
3805 @kindex set print union
3806 Tell _GDBN__ to print unions which are contained in structures. This is the
3807 default setting.
3808
3809 @item set print union off
3810 Tell _GDBN__ not to print unions which are contained in structures.
3811
3812 @item show print union
3813 @kindex show print union
3814 Ask _GDBN__ whether or not it will print unions which are contained in
3815 structures.
3816
3817 For example, given the declarations
3818
3819 @smallexample
3820 typedef enum @{Tree, Bug@} Species;
3821 typedef enum @{Big_tree, Acorn, Seedling@} Tree_forms;
3822 typedef enum @{Caterpillar, Cocoon, Butterfly@}
3823 Bug_forms;
3824
3825 struct thing @{
3826 Species it;
3827 union @{
3828 Tree_forms tree;
3829 Bug_forms bug;
3830 @} form;
3831 @};
3832
3833 struct thing foo = @{Tree, @{Acorn@}@};
3834 @end smallexample
3835
3836 @noindent
3837 with @code{set print union on} in effect @samp{p foo} would print
3838
3839 @smallexample
3840 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{tree = Acorn, bug = Cocoon@}@}
3841 @end smallexample
3842
3843 @noindent
3844 and with @code{set print union off} in effect it would print
3845
3846 @smallexample
3847 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{...@}@}
3848 @end smallexample
3849 @end table
3850
3851 @noindent
3852 These settings are of interest when debugging C++ programs:
3853
3854 @table @code
3855 @item set print demangle
3856 @itemx set print demangle on
3857 @kindex set print demangle
3858 Print C++ names in their source form rather than in the mangled form
3859 in which they are passed to the assembler and linker for type-safe linkage.
3860 The default is on.
3861
3862 @item show print demangle
3863 @kindex show print demangle
3864 Show whether C++ names will be printed in mangled or demangled form.
3865
3866 @item set print asm-demangle
3867 @itemx set print asm-demangle on
3868 @kindex set print asm-demangle
3869 Print C++ names in their source form rather than their mangled form, even
3870 in assembler code printouts such as instruction disassemblies.
3871 The default is off.
3872
3873 @item show print asm-demangle
3874 @kindex show print asm-demangle
3875 Show whether C++ names in assembly listings will be printed in mangled
3876 or demangled form.
3877
3878 @item set print object
3879 @itemx set print object on
3880 @kindex set print object
3881 When displaying a pointer to an object, identify the @emph{actual}
3882 (derived) type of the object rather than the @emph{declared} type, using
3883 the virtual function table.
3884
3885 @item set print object off
3886 Display only the declared type of objects, without reference to the
3887 virtual function table. This is the default setting.
3888
3889 @item show print object
3890 @kindex show print object
3891 Show whether actual, or declared, object types will be displayed.
3892
3893 @item set print vtbl
3894 @itemx set print vtbl on
3895 @kindex set print vtbl
3896 Pretty print C++ virtual function tables. The default is off.
3897
3898 @item set print vtbl off
3899 Do not pretty print C++ virtual function tables.
3900
3901 @item show print vtbl
3902 @kindex show print vtbl
3903 Show whether C++ virtual function tables are pretty printed, or not.
3904 @end table
3905
3906 @node Value History, Convenience Vars, Print Settings, Data
3907 @section Value History
3908
3909 @cindex value history
3910 Values printed by the @code{print} command are saved in _GDBN__'s @dfn{value
3911 history} so that you can refer to them in other expressions. Values are
3912 kept until the symbol table is re-read or discarded (for example with
3913 the @code{file} or @code{symbol-file} commands). When the symbol table
3914 changes, the value history is discarded, since the values may contain
3915 pointers back to the types defined in the symbol table.
3916
3917 @cindex @code{$}
3918 @cindex @code{$$}
3919 @cindex history number
3920 The values printed are given @dfn{history numbers} for you to refer to them
3921 by. These are successive integers starting with one. @code{print} shows you
3922 the history number assigned to a value by printing @samp{$@var{num} = }
3923 before the value; here @var{num} is the history number.
3924
3925 To refer to any previous value, use @samp{$} followed by the value's
3926 history number. The way @code{print} labels its output is designed to
3927 remind you of this. Just @code{$} refers to the most recent value in
3928 the history, and @code{$$} refers to the value before that.
3929 @code{$$@var{n}} refers to the @var{n}th value from the end; @code{$$2}
3930 is the value just prior to @code{$$}, @code{$$1} is equivalent to
3931 @code{$$}, and @code{$$0} is equivalent to @code{$}.
3932
3933 For example, suppose you have just printed a pointer to a structure and
3934 want to see the contents of the structure. It suffices to type
3935
3936 @example
3937 p *$
3938 @end example
3939
3940 If you have a chain of structures where the component @code{next} points
3941 to the next one, you can print the contents of the next one with this:
3942
3943 @example
3944 p *$.next
3945 @end example
3946
3947 @noindent
3948 You can print successive links in the chain by repeating this
3949 command---which you can do by just typing @key{RET}.
3950
3951 Note that the history records values, not expressions. If the value of
3952 @code{x} is 4 and you type these commands:
3953
3954 @example
3955 print x
3956 set x=5
3957 @end example
3958
3959 @noindent
3960 then the value recorded in the value history by the @code{print} command
3961 remains 4 even though the value of @code{x} has changed.
3962
3963 @table @code
3964 @kindex show values
3965 @item show values
3966 Print the last ten values in the value history, with their item numbers.
3967 This is like @samp{p@ $$9} repeated ten times, except that @code{show
3968 values} does not change the history.
3969
3970 @item show values @var{n}
3971 Print ten history values centered on history item number @var{n}.
3972
3973 @item show values +
3974 Print ten history values just after the values last printed. If no more
3975 values are available, produces no display.
3976 @end table
3977
3978 Pressing @key{RET} to repeat @code{show values @var{n}} has exactly the
3979 same effect as @samp{show values +}.
3980
3981 @node Convenience Vars, Registers, Value History, Data
3982 @section Convenience Variables
3983
3984 @cindex convenience variables
3985 _GDBN__ provides @dfn{convenience variables} that you can use within
3986 _GDBN__ to hold on to a value and refer to it later. These variables
3987 exist entirely within _GDBN__; they are not part of your program, and
3988 setting a convenience variable has no direct effect on further execution
3989 of your program. That is why you can use them freely.
3990
3991 Convenience variables are prefixed with @samp{$}. Any name preceded by
3992 @samp{$} can be used for a convenience variable, unless it is one of
3993 the predefined machine-specific register names (@pxref{Registers}).
3994 (Value history references, in contrast, are @emph{numbers} preceded
3995 by @samp{$}. @xref{Value History, ,Value History}.)
3996
3997 You can save a value in a convenience variable with an assignment
3998 expression, just as you would set a variable in your program. Example:
3999
4000 @example
4001 set $foo = *object_ptr
4002 @end example
4003
4004 @noindent
4005 would save in @code{$foo} the value contained in the object pointed to by
4006 @code{object_ptr}.
4007
4008 Using a convenience variable for the first time creates it; but its value
4009 is @code{void} until you assign a new value. You can alter the value with
4010 another assignment at any time.
4011
4012 Convenience variables have no fixed types. You can assign a convenience
4013 variable any type of value, including structures and arrays, even if
4014 that variable already has a value of a different type. The convenience
4015 variable, when used as an expression, has the type of its current value.
4016
4017 @table @code
4018 @item show convenience
4019 @kindex show convenience
4020 Print a list of convenience variables used so far, and their values.
4021 Abbreviated @code{show con}.
4022 @end table
4023
4024 One of the ways to use a convenience variable is as a counter to be
4025 incremented or a pointer to be advanced. For example, to print
4026 a field from successive elements of an array of structures:
4027
4028 _0__@example
4029 set $i = 0
4030 print bar[$i++]->contents
4031 @i{@dots{} repeat that command by typing @key{RET}.}
4032 _1__@end example
4033
4034 Some convenience variables are created automatically by _GDBN__ and given
4035 values likely to be useful.
4036
4037 @table @code
4038 @item $_
4039 @kindex $_
4040 The variable @code{$_} is automatically set by the @code{x} command to
4041 the last address examined (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}). Other
4042 commands which provide a default address for @code{x} to examine also
4043 set @code{$_} to that address; these commands include @code{info line}
4044 and @code{info breakpoint}. The type of @code{$_} is @code{void *}
4045 except when set by the @code{x} command, in which case it is a pointer
4046 to the type of @code{$__}.
4047
4048 @item $__
4049 @kindex $__
4050 The variable @code{$__} is automatically set by the @code{x} command
4051 to the value found in the last address examined. Its type is chosen
4052 to match the format in which the data was printed.
4053 @end table
4054
4055 @node Registers, Floating Point Hardware, Convenience Vars, Data
4056 @section Registers
4057
4058 @cindex registers
4059 You can refer to machine register contents, in expressions, as variables
4060 with names starting with @samp{$}. The names of registers are different
4061 for each machine; use @code{info registers} to see the names used on
4062 your machine.
4063
4064 @table @code
4065 @item info registers
4066 @kindex info registers
4067 Print the names and values of all registers except floating-point
4068 registers (in the selected stack frame).
4069
4070 @item info all-registers
4071 @kindex info all-registers
4072 @cindex floating point registers
4073 Print the names and values of all registers, including floating-point
4074 registers.
4075
4076 @item info registers @var{regname}
4077 Print the relativized value of register @var{regname}. @var{regname}
4078 may be any register name valid on the machine you are using, with
4079 or without the initial @samp{$}.
4080 @end table
4081
4082 _GDBN__ has four ``standard'' register names that are available (in
4083 expressions) on most machines---whenever they do not conflict with an
4084 architecture's canonical mnemonics for registers. The register names
4085 @code{$pc} and @code{$sp} are used for the program counter register and
4086 the stack pointer. @code{$fp} is used for a register that contains a
4087 pointer to the current stack frame, and @code{$ps} is used for a
4088 register that contains the processor status. For example,
4089 you could print the program counter in hex with
4090
4091 @example
4092 p/x $pc
4093 @end example
4094
4095 @noindent
4096 or print the instruction to be executed next with
4097
4098 @example
4099 x/i $pc
4100 @end example
4101
4102 @noindent
4103 or add four to the stack pointer @footnote{This is a way of removing
4104 one word from the stack, on machines where stacks grow downward in
4105 memory (most machines, nowadays). This assumes that the innermost
4106 stack frame is selected; setting @code{$sp} is not allowed when other
4107 stack frames are selected. To pop entire frames off the stack,
4108 regardless of machine architecture, use @code{return};
4109 @pxref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}.} with
4110
4111 @example
4112 set $sp += 4
4113 @end example
4114
4115 Whenever possible, these four standard register names are available on
4116 your machine even though the machine has different canonical mnemonics,
4117 so long as there is no conflict. The @code{info registers} command
4118 shows the canonical names. For example, on the SPARC, @code{info
4119 registers} displays the processor status register as @code{$psr} but you
4120 can also refer to it as @code{$ps}.
4121
4122 _GDBN__ always considers the contents of an ordinary register as an
4123 integer when the register is examined in this way. Some machines have
4124 special registers which can hold nothing but floating point; these
4125 registers are considered to have floating point values. There is no way
4126 to refer to the contents of an ordinary register as floating point value
4127 (although you can @emph{print} it as a floating point value with
4128 @samp{print/f $@var{regname}}).
4129
4130 Some registers have distinct ``raw'' and ``virtual'' data formats. This
4131 means that the data format in which the register contents are saved by
4132 the operating system is not the same one that your program normally
4133 sees. For example, the registers of the 68881 floating point
4134 coprocessor are always saved in ``extended'' (raw) format, but all C
4135 programs expect to work with ``double'' (virtual) format. In such
4136 cases, _GDBN__ normally works with the virtual format only (the format that
4137 makes sense for your program), but the @code{info registers} command
4138 prints the data in both formats.
4139
4140 Normally, register values are relative to the selected stack frame
4141 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). This means that you get the
4142 value that the register would contain if all stack frames farther in
4143 were exited and their saved registers restored. In order to see the
4144 true contents of hardware registers, you must select the innermost
4145 frame (with @samp{frame 0}).
4146
4147 However, _GDBN__ must deduce where registers are saved, from the machine
4148 code generated by your compiler. If some registers are not saved, or if
4149 _GDBN__ is unable to locate the saved registers, the selected stack
4150 frame will make no difference.
4151
4152 @node Floating Point Hardware, , Registers, Data
4153 @section Floating Point Hardware
4154 @cindex floating point
4155
4156 Depending on the host machine architecture, _GDBN__ may be able to give
4157 you more information about the status of the floating point hardware.
4158
4159 @table @code
4160 @item info float
4161 @kindex info float
4162 If available, provides hardware-dependent information about the floating
4163 point unit. The exact contents and layout vary depending on the
4164 floating point chip.
4165 @end table
4166 @c FIXME: this is a cop-out. Try to get examples, explanations. Only
4167 @c FIXME...supported currently on arm's and 386's. Mark properly with
4168 @c FIXME... m4 macros to isolate general statements from hardware-dep,
4169 @c FIXME... at that point.
4170
4171 @node Languages, Symbols, Data, Top
4172 @chapter Using _GDBN__ with Different Languages
4173 @cindex languages
4174
4175 Although programming languages generally have common aspects, they are
4176 rarely expressed in the same manner. For instance, in ANSI C,
4177 dereferencing a pointer @code{p} is accomplished by @code{*p}, but in
4178 Modula-2, it is accomplished by @code{p^}. Values can also be
4179 represented (and displayed) differently. Hex numbers in C are written
4180 like @samp{0x1ae}, while in Modula-2 they appear as @samp{1AEH}.
4181
4182 @cindex working language
4183 Language-specific information is built into _GDBN__ for some languages,
4184 allowing you to express operations like the above in your program's
4185 native language, and allowing _GDBN__ to output values in a manner
4186 consistent with the syntax of your program's native language. The
4187 language you use to build expressions, called the @dfn{working
4188 language}, can be selected manually, or _GDBN__ can set it
4189 automatically.
4190
4191 @menu
4192 * Setting:: Switching between source languages
4193 * Show:: Displaying the language
4194 * Checks:: Type and Range checks
4195 * Support:: Supported languages
4196 @end menu
4197
4198 @node Setting, Show, Languages, Languages
4199 @section Switching between source languages
4200
4201 There are two ways to control the working language---either have _GDBN__
4202 set it automatically, or select it manually yourself. You can use the
4203 @code{set language} command for either purpose. On startup, _GDBN__
4204 defaults to setting the language automatically.
4205
4206 @menu
4207 * Manually:: Setting the working language manually
4208 * Automatically:: Having _GDBN__ infer the source language
4209 @end menu
4210
4211 @node Manually, Automatically, Setting, Setting
4212 @subsection Setting the working language
4213
4214 @kindex set language
4215 To set the language, issue the command @samp{set language @var{lang}},
4216 where @var{lang} is the name of a language: @code{c} or @code{modula-2}.
4217 For a list of the supported languages, type @samp{set language}.
4218
4219 Setting the language manually prevents _GDBN__ from updating the working
4220 language automatically. This can lead to confusion if you try
4221 to debug a program when the working language is not the same as the
4222 source language, when an expression is acceptable to both
4223 languages---but means different things. For instance, if the current
4224 source file were written in C, and _GDBN__ was parsing Modula-2, a
4225 command such as:
4226
4227 @example
4228 print a = b + c
4229 @end example
4230
4231 @noindent
4232 might not have the effect you intended. In C, this means to add
4233 @code{b} and @code{c} and place the result in @code{a}. The result
4234 printed would be the value of @code{a}. In Modula-2, this means to compare
4235 @code{a} to the result of @code{b+c}, yielding a @code{BOOLEAN} value.
4236
4237 If you allow _GDBN__ to set the language automatically, then
4238 you can count on expressions evaluating the same way in your debugging
4239 session and in your program.
4240
4241 @node Automatically, , Manually, Setting
4242 @subsection Having _GDBN__ infer the source language
4243
4244 To have _GDBN__ set the working language automatically, use @samp{set
4245 language local} or @samp{set language auto}. _GDBN__ then infers the
4246 language that a program was written in by looking at the name of its
4247 source files, and examining their extensions:
4248
4249 @table @file
4250 @item *.mod
4251 Modula-2 source file
4252
4253 @item *.c
4254 @itemx *.cc
4255 C or C++ source file.
4256 @end table
4257
4258 This information is recorded for each function or procedure in a source
4259 file. When your program stops in a frame (usually by encountering a
4260 breakpoint), _GDBN__ sets the working language to the language recorded
4261 for the function in that frame. If the language for a frame is unknown
4262 (that is, if the function or block corresponding to the frame was
4263 defined in a source file that does not have a recognized extension), the
4264 current working language is not changed, and _GDBN__ issues a warning.
4265
4266 This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written
4267 entirely in one source language. However, program modules and libraries
4268 written in one source language can be used by a main program written in
4269 a different source language. Using @samp{set language auto} in this
4270 case frees you from having to set the working language manually.
4271
4272 @node Show, Checks, Setting, Languages
4273 @section Displaying the language
4274
4275 The following commands will help you find out which language is the
4276 working language, and also what language source files were written in.
4277
4278 @kindex show language
4279 @kindex info frame
4280 @kindex info source
4281 @table @code
4282 @item show language
4283 Display the current working language. This is the
4284 language you can use with commands such as @code{print} to
4285 build and compute expressions that may involve variables in your program.
4286
4287 @item info frame
4288 Among the other information listed here (@pxref{Frame Info, ,Information
4289 about a Frame}) is the source language for this frame. This is the
4290 language that will become the working language if you ever use an
4291 identifier that is in this frame.
4292
4293 @item info source
4294 Among the other information listed here (@pxref{Symbols, ,Examining the
4295 Symbol Table}) is the source language of this source file.
4296 @end table
4297
4298 @node Checks, Support, Show, Languages
4299 @section Type and range Checking
4300
4301 @quotation
4302 @emph{Warning:} In this release, the _GDBN__ commands for type and range
4303 checking are included, but they do not yet have any effect. This
4304 section documents the intended facilities.
4305 @end quotation
4306 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range code added
4307
4308 Some languages are designed to guard you against making seemingly common
4309 errors through a series of compile- and run-time checks. These include
4310 checking the type of arguments to functions and operators, and making
4311 sure mathematical overflows are caught at run time. Checks such as
4312 these help to ensure a program's correctness once it has been compiled
4313 by eliminating type mismatches, and providing active checks for range
4314 errors when your program is running.
4315
4316 _GDBN__ can check for conditions like the above if you wish.
4317 Although _GDBN__ will not check the statements in your program, it
4318 can check expressions entered directly into _GDBN__ for evaluation via
4319 the @code{print} command, for example. As with the working language,
4320 _GDBN__ can also decide whether or not to check automatically based on
4321 your program's source language. @xref{Support, ,Supported Languages},
4322 for the default settings of supported languages.
4323
4324 @menu
4325 * Type Checking:: An overview of type checking
4326 * Range Checking:: An overview of range checking
4327 @end menu
4328
4329 @cindex type checking
4330 @cindex checks, type
4331 @node Type Checking, Range Checking, Checks, Checks
4332 @subsection An overview of type checking
4333
4334 Some languages, such as Modula-2, are strongly typed, meaning that the
4335 arguments to operators and functions have to be of the correct type,
4336 otherwise an error occurs. These checks prevent type mismatch
4337 errors from ever causing any run-time problems. For example,
4338
4339 @example
4340 1 + 2 @result{} 3
4341 @exdent but
4342 @error{} 1 + 2.3
4343 @end example
4344
4345 The second example fails because the @code{CARDINAL} 1 is not
4346 type-compatible with the @code{REAL} 2.3.
4347
4348 For expressions you use in _GDBN__ commands, you can tell the _GDBN__
4349 type checker to skip checking; to treat any mismatches as errors and
4350 abandon the expression; or only issue warnings when type mismatches
4351 occur, but evaluate the expression anyway. When you choose the last of
4352 these, _GDBN__ evaluates expressions like the second example above, but
4353 also issues a warning.
4354
4355 Even though you may turn type checking off, other type-based reasons may
4356 prevent _GDBN__ from evaluating an expression. For instance, _GDBN__ does not
4357 know how to add an @code{int} and a @code{struct foo}. These particular
4358 type errors have nothing to do with the language in use, and usually
4359 arise from expressions, such as the one described above, which make
4360 little sense to evaluate anyway.
4361
4362 Each language defines to what degree it is strict about type. For
4363 instance, both Modula-2 and C require the arguments to arithmetical
4364 operators to be numbers. In C, enumerated types and pointers can be
4365 represented as numbers, so that they are valid arguments to mathematical
4366 operators. @xref{Support, ,Supported Languages}, for further
4367 details on specific languages.
4368
4369 _GDBN__ provides some additional commands for controlling the type checker:
4370
4371 @kindex set check
4372 @kindex set check type
4373 @kindex show check type
4374 @table @code
4375 @item set check type auto
4376 Set type checking on or off based on the current working language.
4377 @xref{Support, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
4378 each language.
4379
4380 @item set check type on
4381 @itemx set check type off
4382 Set type checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
4383 current working language. Issue a warning if the setting does not
4384 match the language's default. If any type mismatches occur in
4385 evaluating an expression while typechecking is on, _GDBN__ prints a
4386 message and aborts evaluation of the expression.
4387
4388 @item set check type warn
4389 Cause the type checker to issue warnings, but to always attempt to
4390 evaluate the expression. Evaluating the expression may still
4391 be impossible for other reasons. For example, _GDBN__ cannot add
4392 numbers and structures.
4393
4394 @item show type
4395 Show the current setting of the type checker, and whether or not _GDBN__ is
4396 setting it automatically.
4397 @end table
4398
4399 @cindex range checking
4400 @cindex checks, range
4401 @node Range Checking, , Type Checking, Checks
4402 @subsection An overview of Range Checking
4403
4404 In some languages (such as Modula-2), it is an error to exceed the
4405 bounds of a type; this is enforced with run-time checks. Such range
4406 checking is meant to ensure program correctness by making sure
4407 computations do not overflow, or indices on an array element access do
4408 not exceed the bounds of the array.
4409
4410 For expressions you use in _GDBN__ commands, you can tell _GDBN__ to
4411 ignore range errors; to always treat them as errors and abandon the
4412 expression; or to issue warnings when a range error occurs but evaluate
4413 the expression anyway.
4414
4415 A range error can result from numerical overflow, from exceeding an
4416 array index bound, or when you type in a constant that is not a member
4417 of any type. Some languages, however, do not treat overflows as an
4418 error. In many implementations of C, mathematical overflow causes the
4419 result to ``wrap around'' to lower values---for example, if @var{m} is
4420 the largest integer value, and @var{s} is the smallest, then
4421
4422 @example
4423 @var{m} + 1 @result{} @var{s}
4424 @end example
4425
4426 This, too, is specific to individual languages, and in some cases
4427 specific to individual compilers or machines. @xref{Support, ,
4428 Supported Languages}, for further details on specific languages.
4429
4430 _GDBN__ provides some additional commands for controlling the range checker:
4431
4432 @kindex set check
4433 @kindex set check range
4434 @kindex show check range
4435 @table @code
4436 @item set check range auto
4437 Set range checking on or off based on the current working language.
4438 @xref{Support, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
4439 each language.
4440
4441 @item set check range on
4442 @itemx set check range off
4443 Set range checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
4444 current working language. A warning is issued if the setting does not
4445 match the language's default. If a range error occurs, then a message
4446 is printed and evaluation of the expression is aborted.
4447
4448 @item set check range warn
4449 Output messages when the _GDBN__ range checker detects a range error,
4450 but attempt to evaluate the expression anyway. Evaluating the
4451 expression may still be impossible for other reasons, such as accessing
4452 memory that the process does not own (a typical example from many UNIX
4453 systems).
4454
4455 @item show range
4456 Show the current setting of the range checker, and whether or not it is
4457 being set automatically by _GDBN__.
4458 @end table
4459
4460 @node Support, , Checks, Languages
4461 @section Supported Languages
4462
4463 _GDBN__ 4 supports C, C++, and Modula-2. The syntax for C and C++ is so
4464 closely related that _GDBN__ does not distinguish the two. Some _GDBN__
4465 features may be used in expressions regardless of the language you
4466 use: the _GDBN__ @code{@@} and @code{::} operators, and the
4467 @samp{@{type@}addr} construct (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}) can be
4468 used with the constructs of any of the supported languages.
4469
4470 The following sections detail to what degree each of these
4471 source languages is supported by _GDBN__. These sections are
4472 not meant to be language tutorials or references, but serve only as a
4473 reference guide to what the _GDBN__ expression parser will accept, and
4474 what input and output formats should look like for different languages.
4475 There are many good books written on each of these languages; please
4476 look to these for a language reference or tutorial.
4477
4478 @menu
4479 * C:: C and C++
4480 * Modula-2:: Modula-2
4481 @end menu
4482
4483 @node C, Modula-2, Support, Support
4484 @subsection C and C++
4485 @cindex C and C++
4486
4487 @cindex expressions in C or C++
4488 Since C and C++ are so closely related, _GDBN__ does not distinguish
4489 between them when interpreting the expressions recognized in _GDBN__
4490 commands.
4491
4492 @cindex C++
4493 @kindex g++
4494 @cindex GNU C++
4495 The C++ debugging facilities are jointly implemented by the GNU C++
4496 compiler and _GDBN__. Therefore, to debug your C++ code effectively,
4497 you must compile your C++ programs with the GNU C++ compiler,
4498 @code{g++}.
4499
4500 @menu
4501 * C Operators:: C and C++ Operators
4502 * C Constants:: C and C++ Constants
4503 * Cplusplus expressions:: C++ Expressions
4504 * C Defaults:: Default settings for C and C++
4505 * C Checks:: C and C++ Type and Range Checks
4506 * Debugging C:: _GDBN__ and C
4507 * Debugging C plus plus:: Special features for C++
4508 @end menu
4509
4510 @cindex C and C++ operators
4511 @node C Operators, C Constants, C, C
4512 @subsubsection C and C++ Operators
4513
4514 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
4515 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
4516 often defined on groups of types. For the purposes of C and C++, the
4517 following definitions hold:
4518
4519 @itemize @bullet
4520 @item
4521 @emph{Integral types} include @code{int} with any of its storage-class
4522 specifiers, @code{char}, and @code{enum}s.
4523
4524 @item
4525 @emph{Floating-point types} include @code{float} and @code{double}.
4526
4527 @item
4528 @emph{Pointer types} include all types defined as @code{(@var{type}
4529 *)}.
4530
4531 @item
4532 @emph{Scalar types} include all of the above.
4533 @end itemize
4534
4535 @noindent
4536 The following operators are supported. They are listed here
4537 in order of increasing precedence:
4538
4539 @table @code
4540 _0__@item ,
4541 The comma or sequencing operator. Expressions in a comma-separated list
4542 are evaluated from left to right, with the result of the entire
4543 expression being the last expression evaluated.
4544
4545 @item =
4546 Assignment. The value of an assignment expression is the value
4547 assigned. Defined on scalar types.
4548
4549 @item @var{op}=
4550 Used in an expression of the form @w{@code{@var{a} @var{op}= @var{b}}},
4551 and translated to @w{@code{@var{a} = @var{a op b}}}.
4552 @w{@code{@var{op}=}} and @code{=} have the same precendence.
4553 @var{op} is any one of the operators @code{|}, @code{^}, @code{&},
4554 @code{<<}, @code{>>}, @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{%}.
4555
4556 @item ?:
4557 The ternary operator. @code{@var{a} ? @var{b} : @var{c}} can be thought
4558 of as: if @var{a} then @var{b} else @var{c}. @var{a} should be of an
4559 integral type.
4560
4561 @item ||
4562 Logical @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
4563
4564 @item &&
4565 Logical @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
4566
4567 @item |
4568 Bitwise @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
4569
4570 @item ^
4571 Bitwise exclusive-@sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
4572
4573 @item &
4574 Bitwise @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
4575
4576 @item ==@r{, }!=
4577 Equality and inequality. Defined on scalar types. The value of these
4578 expressions is 0 for false and non-zero for true.
4579
4580 @item <@r{, }>@r{, }<=@r{, }>=
4581 Less than, greater than, less than or equal, greater than or equal.
4582 Defined on scalar types. The value of these expressions is 0 for false
4583 and non-zero for true.
4584
4585 @item <<@r{, }>>
4586 left shift, and right shift. Defined on integral types.
4587
4588 @item @@
4589 The _GDBN__ ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
4590
4591 @item +@r{, }-
4592 Addition and subtraction. Defined on integral types, floating-point types and
4593 pointer types.
4594
4595 @item *@r{, }/@r{, }%
4596 Multiplication, division, and modulus. Multiplication and division are
4597 defined on integral and floating-point types. Modulus is defined on
4598 integral types.
4599
4600 @item ++@r{, }--
4601 Increment and decrement. When appearing before a variable, the
4602 operation is performed before the variable is used in an expression;
4603 when appearing after it, the variable's value is used before the
4604 operation takes place.
4605
4606 @item *
4607 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types. Same precedence as
4608 @code{++}.
4609
4610 @item &
4611 Address operator. Defined on variables. Same precedence as @code{++}.
4612
4613 @item -
4614 Negative. Defined on integral and floating-point types. Same
4615 precedence as @code{++}.
4616
4617 @item !
4618 Logical negation. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
4619 @code{++}.
4620
4621 @item ~
4622 Bitwise complement operator. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
4623 @code{++}.
4624
4625 @item .@r{, }->
4626 Structure member, and pointer-to-structure member. For convenience,
4627 _GDBN__ regards the two as equivalent, choosing whether to dereference a
4628 pointer based on the stored type information.
4629 Defined on @code{struct}s and @code{union}s.
4630
4631 @item []
4632 Array indexing. @code{@var{a}[@var{i}]} is defined as
4633 @code{*(@var{a}+@var{i})}. Same precedence as @code{->}.
4634
4635 @item ()
4636 Function parameter list. Same precedence as @code{->}.
4637
4638 @item ::
4639 C++ scope resolution operator. Defined on
4640 @code{struct}, @code{union}, and @code{class} types.
4641
4642 @item ::
4643 The _GDBN__ scope operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). Same precedence as
4644 @code{::}, above._1__
4645 @end table
4646
4647 @cindex C and C++ constants
4648 @node C Constants, Cplusplus expressions, C Operators, C
4649 @subsubsection C and C++ Constants
4650
4651 _GDBN__ allows you to express the constants of C and C++ in the
4652 following ways:
4653
4654 @itemize @bullet
4655 @item
4656 Integer constants are a sequence of digits. Octal constants are
4657 specified by a leading @samp{0} (ie. zero), and hexadecimal constants by
4658 a leading @samp{0x} or @samp{0X}. Constants may also end with a letter
4659 @samp{l}, specifying that the constant should be treated as a
4660 @code{long} value.
4661
4662 @item
4663 Floating point constants are a sequence of digits, followed by a decimal
4664 point, followed by a sequence of digits, and optionally followed by an
4665 exponent. An exponent is of the form:
4666 @samp{@w{e@r{[[}+@r{]|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}}, where @var{nnn} is another
4667 sequence of digits. The @samp{+} is optional for positive exponents.
4668
4669 @item
4670 Enumerated constants consist of enumerated identifiers, or their
4671 integral equivalents.
4672
4673 @item
4674 Character constants are a single character surrounded by single quotes
4675 (@code{'}), or a number---the ordinal value of the corresponding character
4676 (usually its @sc{ASCII} value). Within quotes, the single character may
4677 be represented by a letter or by @dfn{escape sequences}, which are of
4678 the form @samp{\@var{nnn}}, where @var{nnn} is the octal representation
4679 of the character's ordinal value; or of the form @samp{\@var{x}}, where
4680 @samp{@var{x}} is a predefined special character---for example,
4681 @samp{\n} for newline.
4682
4683 @item
4684 String constants are a sequence of character constants surrounded
4685 by double quotes (@code{"}).
4686
4687 @item
4688 Pointer constants are an integral value.
4689 @end itemize
4690
4691 @node Cplusplus expressions, C Defaults, C Constants, C
4692 @subsubsection C++ Expressions
4693
4694 @cindex expressions in C++
4695 _GDBN__'s expression handling has the following extensions to
4696 interpret a significant subset of C++ expressions:
4697
4698 @enumerate
4699
4700 @cindex member functions
4701 @item
4702 Member function calls are allowed; you can use expressions like
4703
4704 @example
4705 count = aml->GetOriginal(x, y)
4706 @end example
4707
4708 @kindex this
4709 @cindex namespace in C++
4710 @item
4711 While a member function is active (in the selected stack frame), your
4712 expressions have the same namespace available as the member function;
4713 that is, _GDBN__ allows implicit references to the class instance
4714 pointer @code{this} following the same rules as C++.
4715
4716 @cindex call overloaded functions
4717 @cindex type conversions in C++
4718 @item
4719 You can call overloaded functions; _GDBN__ will resolve the function
4720 call to the right definition, with one restriction---you must use
4721 arguments of the type required by the function that you want to call.
4722 _GDBN__ will not perform conversions requiring constructors or
4723 user-defined type operators.
4724
4725 @cindex reference declarations
4726 @item
4727 _GDBN__ understands variables declared as C++ references; you can use them in
4728 expressions just as you do in C++ source---they are automatically
4729 dereferenced.
4730
4731 In the parameter list shown when _GDBN__ displays a frame, the values of
4732 reference variables are not displayed (unlike other variables); this
4733 avoids clutter, since references are often used for large structures.
4734 The @emph{address} of a reference variable is always shown, unless
4735 you have specified @samp{set print address off}.
4736
4737 @item
4738 _GDBN__ supports the C++ name resolution operator @code{::}---your
4739 expressions can use it just as expressions in your program do. Since
4740 one scope may be defined in another, you can use @code{::} repeatedly if
4741 necessary, for example in an expression like
4742 @samp{@var{scope1}::@var{scope2}::@var{name}}. _GDBN__ also allows
4743 resolving name scope by reference to source files, in both C and C++
4744 debugging (@pxref{Variables, ,Program Variables}).
4745 @end enumerate
4746
4747 @node C Defaults, C Checks, Cplusplus expressions, C
4748 @subsubsection C and C++ Defaults
4749 @cindex C and C++ defaults
4750
4751 If you allow _GDBN__ to set type and range checking automatically, they
4752 both default to @code{off} whenever the working language changes to
4753 C/C++. This happens regardless of whether you, or _GDBN__,
4754 selected the working language.
4755
4756 If you allow _GDBN__ to set the language automatically, it sets the
4757 working language to C/C++ on entering code compiled from a source file
4758 whose name ends with @file{.c} or @file{.cc}.
4759 @xref{Automatically, ,Having _GDBN__ infer the source language}, for
4760 further details.
4761
4762 @node C Checks, Debugging C, C Defaults, C
4763 @subsubsection C and C++ Type and Range Checks
4764 @cindex C and C++ checks
4765
4766 @quotation
4767 @emph{Warning:} in this release, _GDBN__ does not yet perform type or
4768 range checking.
4769 @end quotation
4770 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range checks added
4771
4772 By default, when _GDBN__ parses C or C++ expressions, type checking
4773 is not used. However, if you turn type checking on, _GDBN__ will
4774 consider two variables type equivalent if:
4775
4776 @itemize @bullet
4777 @item
4778 The two variables are structured and have the same structure, union, or
4779 enumerated tag.
4780
4781 @item
4782 Two two variables have the same type name, or types that have been
4783 declared equivalent through @code{typedef}.
4784
4785 @ignore
4786 @c leaving this out because neither J Gilmore nor R Pesch understand it.
4787 @c FIXME--beers?
4788 @item
4789 The two @code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} variables are
4790 declared in the same declaration. (Note: this may not be true for all C
4791 compilers.)
4792 @end ignore
4793 @end itemize
4794
4795 Range checking, if turned on, is done on mathematical operations. Array
4796 indices are not checked, since they are often used to index a pointer
4797 that is not itself an array.
4798
4799 @node Debugging C, Debugging C plus plus, C Checks, C
4800 @subsubsection _GDBN__ and C
4801
4802 The @code{set print union} and @code{show print union} commands apply to
4803 the @code{union} type. When set to @samp{on}, any @code{union} that is
4804 inside a @code{struct} or @code{class} will also be printed.
4805 Otherwise, it will appear as @samp{@{...@}}.
4806
4807 The @code{@@} operator aids in the debugging of dynamic arrays, formed
4808 with pointers and a memory allocation function. (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions})
4809
4810 @node Debugging C plus plus, , Debugging C, C
4811 @subsubsection _GDBN__ Commands for C++
4812
4813 @cindex commands for C++
4814 Some _GDBN__ commands are particularly useful with C++, and some are
4815 designed specifically for use with C++. Here is a summary:
4816
4817 @table @code
4818 @cindex break in overloaded functions
4819 @item @r{breakpoint menus}
4820 When you want a breakpoint in a function whose name is overloaded,
4821 _GDBN__'s breakpoint menus help you specify which function definition
4822 you want. @xref{Breakpoint Menus}.
4823
4824 @cindex overloading in C++
4825 @item rbreak @var{regex}
4826 Setting breakpoints using regular expressions is helpful for setting
4827 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
4828 classes.
4829 @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
4830
4831 @cindex C++ exception handling
4832 @item catch @var{exceptions}
4833 @itemx info catch
4834 Debug C++ exception handling using these commands. @xref{Exception
4835 Handling, ,Breakpoints and Exceptions}.
4836
4837 @cindex inheritance
4838 @item ptype @var{typename}
4839 Print inheritance relationships as well as other information for type
4840 @var{typename}.
4841 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
4842
4843 @cindex C++ symbol display
4844 @item set print demangle
4845 @itemx show print demangle
4846 @itemx set print asm-demangle
4847 @itemx show print asm-demangle
4848 Control whether C++ symbols display in their source form, both when
4849 displaying code as C++ source and when displaying disassemblies.
4850 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
4851
4852 @item set print object
4853 @itemx show print object
4854 Choose whether to print derived (actual) or declared types of objects.
4855 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
4856
4857 @item set print vtbl
4858 @itemx show print vtbl
4859 Control the format for printing virtual function tables.
4860 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
4861 @end table
4862
4863 @node Modula-2, , C, Support
4864 @subsection Modula-2
4865 @cindex Modula-2
4866
4867 The extensions made to _GDBN__ to support Modula-2 support output
4868 from the GNU Modula-2 compiler (which is currently being developed).
4869 Other Modula-2 compilers are not currently supported, and attempting to
4870 debug executables produced by them will most likely result in an error
4871 as _GDBN__ reads in the executable's symbol table.
4872
4873 @cindex expressions in Modula-2
4874 @menu
4875 * M2 Operators:: Built-in operators
4876 * Built-In Func/Proc:: Built-in Functions and Procedures
4877 * M2 Constants:: Modula-2 Constants
4878 * M2 Defaults:: Default settings for Modula-2
4879 * Deviations:: Deviations from standard Modula-2
4880 * M2 Checks:: Modula-2 Type and Range Checks
4881 * M2 Scope:: The scope operators @code{::} and @code{.}
4882 * GDB/M2:: _GDBN__ and Modula-2
4883 @end menu
4884
4885 @node M2 Operators, Built-In Func/Proc, Modula-2, Modula-2
4886 @subsubsection Operators
4887 @cindex Modula-2 operators
4888
4889 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
4890 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
4891 often defined on groups of types. For the purposes of Modula-2, the
4892 following definitions hold:
4893
4894 @itemize @bullet
4895
4896 @item
4897 @emph{Integral types} consist of @code{INTEGER}, @code{CARDINAL}, and
4898 their subranges.
4899
4900 @item
4901 @emph{Character types} consist of @code{CHAR} and its subranges.
4902
4903 @item
4904 @emph{Floating-point types} consist of @code{REAL}.
4905
4906 @item
4907 @emph{Pointer types} consist of anything declared as @code{POINTER TO
4908 @var{type}}.
4909
4910 @item
4911 @emph{Scalar types} consist of all of the above.
4912
4913 @item
4914 @emph{Set types} consist of @code{SET}s and @code{BITSET}s.
4915
4916 @item
4917 @emph{Boolean types} consist of @code{BOOLEAN}.
4918 @end itemize
4919
4920 @noindent
4921 The following operators are supported, and appear in order of
4922 increasing precedence:
4923
4924 @table @code
4925 @item ,
4926 Function argument or array index separator.
4927 _0__
4928 @item :=
4929 Assignment. The value of @var{var} @code{:=} @var{value} is
4930 @var{value}.
4931
4932 @item <@r{, }>
4933 Less than, greater than on integral, floating-point, or enumerated
4934 types.
4935
4936 @item <=@r{, }>=
4937 Less than, greater than, less than or equal to, greater than or equal to
4938 on integral, floating-point and enumerated types, or set inclusion on
4939 set types. Same precedence as @code{<}.
4940
4941 @item =@r{, }<>@r{, }#
4942 Equality and two ways of expressing inequality, valid on scalar types.
4943 Same precedence as @code{<}. In _GDBN__ scripts, only @code{<>} is
4944 available for inequality, since @code{#} conflicts with the script
4945 comment character.
4946
4947 @item IN
4948 Set membership. Defined on set types and the types of their members.
4949 Same precedence as @code{<}.
4950
4951 @item OR
4952 Boolean disjunction. Defined on boolean types.
4953
4954 @item AND@r{, }&
4955 Boolean conjuction. Defined on boolean types.
4956
4957 @item @@
4958 The _GDBN__ ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
4959
4960 @item +@r{, }-
4961 Addition and subtraction on integral and floating-point types, or union
4962 and difference on set types.
4963
4964 @item *
4965 Multiplication on integral and floating-point types, or set intersection
4966 on set types.
4967
4968 @item /
4969 Division on floating-point types, or symmetric set difference on set
4970 types. Same precedence as @code{*}.
4971
4972 @item DIV@r{, }MOD
4973 Integer division and remainder. Defined on integral types. Same
4974 precedence as @code{*}.
4975
4976 @item -
4977 Negative. Defined on @code{INTEGER}s and @code{REAL}s.
4978
4979 @item ^
4980 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types.
4981
4982 @item NOT
4983 Boolean negation. Defined on boolean types. Same precedence as
4984 @code{^}.
4985
4986 @item .
4987 @code{RECORD} field selector. Defined on @code{RECORD}s. Same
4988 precedence as @code{^}.
4989
4990 @item []
4991 Array indexing. Defined on @code{ARRAY}s. Same precedence as @code{^}.
4992
4993 @item ()
4994 Procedure argument list. Defined on @code{PROCEDURE}s. Same precedence
4995 as @code{^}.
4996
4997 @item ::@r{, }.
4998 _GDBN__ and Modula-2 scope operators.
4999 @end table
5000
5001 @quotation
5002 @emph{Warning:} Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so _GDBN__
5003 will treat the use of the operator @code{IN}, or the use of operators
5004 @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{=}, , @code{<>}, @code{#},
5005 @code{<=}, and @code{>=} on sets as an error.
5006 @end quotation
5007 _1__
5008 @cindex Modula-2 built-ins
5009 @node Built-In Func/Proc, M2 Constants, M2 Operators, Modula-2
5010 @subsubsection Built-in Functions and Procedures
5011
5012 Modula-2 also makes available several built-in procedures and functions.
5013 In describing these, the following metavariables are used:
5014
5015 @table @var
5016
5017 @item a
5018 represents an @code{ARRAY} variable.
5019
5020 @item c
5021 represents a @code{CHAR} constant or variable.
5022
5023 @item i
5024 represents a variable or constant of integral type.
5025
5026 @item m
5027 represents an identifier that belongs to a set. Generally used in the
5028 same function with the metavariable @var{s}. The type of @var{s} should
5029 be @code{SET OF @var{mtype}} (where @var{mtype} is the type of @var{m}.
5030
5031 @item n
5032 represents a variable or constant of integral or floating-point type.
5033
5034 @item r
5035 represents a variable or constant of floating-point type.
5036
5037 @item t
5038 represents a type.
5039
5040 @item v
5041 represents a variable.
5042
5043 @item x
5044 represents a variable or constant of one of many types. See the
5045 explanation of the function for details.
5046 @end table
5047
5048 All Modula-2 built-in procedures also return a result, described below.
5049
5050 @table @code
5051 @item ABS(@var{n})
5052 Returns the absolute value of @var{n}.
5053
5054 @item CAP(@var{c})
5055 If @var{c} is a lower case letter, it returns its upper case
5056 equivalent, otherwise it returns its argument
5057
5058 @item CHR(@var{i})
5059 Returns the character whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
5060
5061 @item DEC(@var{v})
5062 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v}. Returns the new value.
5063
5064 @item DEC(@var{v},@var{i})
5065 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
5066 new value.
5067
5068 @item EXCL(@var{m},@var{s})
5069 Removes the element @var{m} from the set @var{s}. Returns the new
5070 set.
5071
5072 @item FLOAT(@var{i})
5073 Returns the floating point equivalent of the integer @var{i}.
5074
5075 @item HIGH(@var{a})
5076 Returns the index of the last member of @var{a}.
5077
5078 @item INC(@var{v})
5079 Increments the value in the variable @var{v}. Returns the new value.
5080
5081 @item INC(@var{v},@var{i})
5082 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
5083 new value.
5084
5085 @item INCL(@var{m},@var{s})
5086 Adds the element @var{m} to the set @var{s} if it is not already
5087 there. Returns the new set.
5088
5089 @item MAX(@var{t})
5090 Returns the maximum value of the type @var{t}.
5091
5092 @item MIN(@var{t})
5093 Returns the minimum value of the type @var{t}.
5094
5095 @item ODD(@var{i})
5096 Returns boolean TRUE if @var{i} is an odd number.
5097
5098 @item ORD(@var{x})
5099 Returns the ordinal value of its argument. For example, the ordinal
5100 value of a character is its ASCII value (on machines supporting the
5101 ASCII character set). @var{x} must be of an ordered type, which include
5102 integral, character and enumerated types.
5103
5104 @item SIZE(@var{x})
5105 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
5106
5107 @item TRUNC(@var{r})
5108 Returns the integral part of @var{r}.
5109
5110 @item VAL(@var{t},@var{i})
5111 Returns the member of the type @var{t} whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
5112 @end table
5113
5114 @quotation
5115 @emph{Warning:} Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so
5116 _GDBN__ will treat the use of procedures @code{INCL} and @code{EXCL} as
5117 an error.
5118 @end quotation
5119
5120 @cindex Modula-2 constants
5121 @node M2 Constants, M2 Defaults, Built-In Func/Proc, Modula-2
5122 @subsubsection Constants
5123
5124 _GDBN__ allows you to express the constants of Modula-2 in the following
5125 ways:
5126
5127 @itemize @bullet
5128
5129 @item
5130 Integer constants are simply a sequence of digits. When used in an
5131 expression, a constant is interpreted to be type-compatible with the
5132 rest of the expression. Hexadecimal integers are specified by a
5133 trailing @samp{H}, and octal integers by a trailing @samp{B}.
5134
5135 @item
5136 Floating point constants appear as a sequence of digits, followed by a
5137 decimal point and another sequence of digits. An optional exponent can
5138 then be specified, in the form @samp{E@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}, where
5139 @samp{@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}} is the desired exponent. All of the
5140 digits of the floating point constant must be valid decimal (base 10)
5141 digits.
5142
5143 @item
5144 Character constants consist of a single character enclosed by a pair of
5145 like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}). They may
5146 also be expressed by their ordinal value (their ASCII value, usually)
5147 followed by a @samp{C}.
5148
5149 @item
5150 String constants consist of a sequence of characters enclosed by a
5151 pair of like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}).
5152 Escape sequences in the style of C are also allowed. @xref{C
5153 Constants, ,C and C++ Constants}, for a brief explanation of escape
5154 sequences.
5155
5156 @item
5157 Enumerated constants consist of an enumerated identifier.
5158
5159 @item
5160 Boolean constants consist of the identifiers @code{TRUE} and
5161 @code{FALSE}.
5162
5163 @item
5164 Pointer constants consist of integral values only.
5165
5166 @item
5167 Set constants are not yet supported.
5168 @end itemize
5169
5170 @node M2 Defaults, Deviations, M2 Constants, Modula-2
5171 @subsubsection Modula-2 Defaults
5172 @cindex Modula-2 defaults
5173
5174 If type and range checking are set automatically by _GDBN__, they
5175 both default to @code{on} whenever the working language changes to
5176 Modula-2. This happens regardless of whether you, or _GDBN__,
5177 selected the working language.
5178
5179 If you allow _GDBN__ to set the language automatically, then entering
5180 code compiled from a file whose name ends with @file{.mod} will set the
5181 working language to Modula-2. @xref{Automatically, ,Having _GDBN__ set
5182 the language automatically}, for further details.
5183
5184 @node Deviations, M2 Checks, M2 Defaults, Modula-2
5185 @subsubsection Deviations from Standard Modula-2
5186 @cindex Modula-2, deviations from
5187
5188 A few changes have been made to make Modula-2 programs easier to debug.
5189 This is done primarily via loosening its type strictness:
5190
5191 @itemize @bullet
5192 @item
5193 Unlike in standard Modula-2, pointer constants can be formed by
5194 integers. This allows you to modify pointer variables during
5195 debugging. (In standard Modula-2, the actual address contained in a
5196 pointer variable is hidden from you; it can only be modified
5197 through direct assignment to another pointer variable or expression that
5198 returned a pointer.)
5199
5200 @item
5201 C escape sequences can be used in strings and characters to represent
5202 non-printable characters. _GDBN__ will print out strings with these
5203 escape sequences embedded. Single non-printable characters are
5204 printed using the @samp{CHR(@var{nnn})} format.
5205
5206 @item
5207 The assignment operator (@code{:=}) returns the value of its right-hand
5208 argument.
5209
5210 @item
5211 All built-in procedures both modify @emph{and} return their argument.
5212 @end itemize
5213
5214 @node M2 Checks, M2 Scope, Deviations, Modula-2
5215 @subsubsection Modula-2 Type and Range Checks
5216 @cindex Modula-2 checks
5217
5218 @quotation
5219 @emph{Warning:} in this release, _GDBN__ does not yet perform type or
5220 range checking.
5221 @end quotation
5222 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range checks added
5223
5224 _GDBN__ considers two Modula-2 variables type equivalent if:
5225
5226 @itemize @bullet
5227 @item
5228 They are of types that have been declared equivalent via a @code{TYPE
5229 @var{t1} = @var{t2}} statement
5230
5231 @item
5232 They have been declared on the same line. (Note: This is true of the
5233 GNU Modula-2 compiler, but it may not be true of other compilers.)
5234 @end itemize
5235
5236 As long as type checking is enabled, any attempt to combine variables
5237 whose types are not equivalent is an error.
5238
5239 Range checking is done on all mathematical operations, assignment, array
5240 index bounds, and all built-in functions and procedures.
5241
5242 @node M2 Scope, GDB/M2, M2 Checks, Modula-2
5243 @subsubsection The scope operators @code{::} and @code{.}
5244 @cindex scope
5245 @kindex .
5246 @cindex colon, doubled as scope operator
5247 @ifinfo
5248 @kindex colon-colon
5249 @c Info cannot handoe :: but TeX can.
5250 @end ifinfo
5251 @iftex
5252 @kindex ::
5253 @end iftex
5254
5255 There are a few subtle differences between the Modula-2 scope operator
5256 (@code{.}) and the _GDBN__ scope operator (@code{::}). The two have
5257 similar syntax:
5258
5259 @example
5260
5261 @var{module} . @var{id}
5262 @var{scope} :: @var{id}
5263 @end example
5264
5265 @noindent
5266 where @var{scope} is the name of a module or a procedure,
5267 @var{module} the name of a module, and @var{id} is any declared
5268 identifier within your program, except another module.
5269
5270 Using the @code{::} operator makes _GDBN__ search the scope
5271 specified by @var{scope} for the identifier @var{id}. If it is not
5272 found in the specified scope, then _GDBN__ will search all scopes
5273 enclosing the one specified by @var{scope}.
5274
5275 Using the @code{.} operator makes _GDBN__ search the current scope for
5276 the identifier specified by @var{id} that was imported from the
5277 definition module specified by @var{module}. With this operator, it is
5278 an error if the identifier @var{id} was not imported from definition
5279 module @var{module}, or if @var{id} is not an identifier in
5280 @var{module}.
5281
5282 @node GDB/M2, , M2 Scope, Modula-2
5283 @subsubsection _GDBN__ and Modula-2
5284
5285 Some _GDBN__ commands have little use when debugging Modula-2 programs.
5286 Five subcommands of @code{set print} and @code{show print} apply
5287 specifically to C and C++: @samp{vtbl}, @samp{demangle},
5288 @samp{asm-demangle}, @samp{object}, and @samp{union}. The first four
5289 apply to C++, and the last to C's @code{union} type, which has no direct
5290 analogue in Modula-2.
5291
5292 The @code{@@} operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), while available
5293 while using any language, is not useful with Modula-2. Its
5294 intent is to aid the debugging of @dfn{dynamic arrays}, which cannot be
5295 created in Modula-2 as they can in C or C++. However, because an
5296 address can be specified by an integral constant, the construct
5297 @samp{@{@var{type}@}@var{adrexp}} is still useful. (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions})
5298 _0__
5299 @cindex @code{#} in Modula-2
5300 In _GDBN__ scripts, the Modula-2 inequality operator @code{#} is
5301 interpreted as the beginning of a comment. Use @code{<>} instead.
5302 _1__
5303 @node Symbols, Altering, Languages, Top
5304 @chapter Examining the Symbol Table
5305
5306 The commands described in this section allow you to inquire about the
5307 symbols (names of variables, functions and types) defined in your
5308 program. This information is inherent in the text of your program and
5309 does not change as your program executes. _GDBN__ finds it in your
5310 program's symbol table, in the file indicated when you started _GDBN__
5311 (@pxref{File Options, ,Choosing Files}), or by one of the
5312 file-management commands (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
5313
5314 @table @code
5315 @item info address @var{symbol}
5316 @kindex info address
5317 Describe where the data for @var{symbol} is stored. For a register
5318 variable, this says which register it is kept in. For a non-register
5319 local variable, this prints the stack-frame offset at which the variable
5320 is always stored.
5321
5322 Note the contrast with @samp{print &@var{symbol}}, which does not work
5323 at all for a register variables, and for a stack local variable prints
5324 the exact address of the current instantiation of the variable.
5325
5326 @item whatis @var{exp}
5327 @kindex whatis
5328 Print the data type of expression @var{exp}. @var{exp} is not
5329 actually evaluated, and any side-effecting operations (such as
5330 assignments or function calls) inside it do not take place.
5331 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
5332
5333 @item whatis
5334 Print the data type of @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
5335
5336 @item ptype @var{typename}
5337 @kindex ptype
5338 Print a description of data type @var{typename}. @var{typename} may be
5339 the name of a type, or for C code it may have the form
5340 @samp{struct @var{struct-tag}}, @samp{union @var{union-tag}} or
5341 @samp{enum @var{enum-tag}}.
5342
5343 @item ptype @var{exp}
5344 @itemx ptype
5345 Print a description of the type of expression @var{exp}. @code{ptype}
5346 differs from @code{whatis} by printing a detailed description, instead
5347 of just the name of the type. For example, if your program declares a
5348 variable as
5349
5350 @example
5351 struct complex @{double real; double imag;@} v;
5352 @end example
5353
5354 @noindent
5355 compare the output of the two commands:
5356
5357 @example
5358 @group
5359 (_GDBP__) whatis v
5360 type = struct complex
5361 (_GDBP__) ptype v
5362 type = struct complex @{
5363 double real;
5364 double imag;
5365 @}
5366 @end group
5367 @end example
5368
5369 @noindent
5370 As with @code{whatis}, using @code{ptype} without an argument refers to
5371 the type of @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
5372
5373 @item info types @var{regexp}
5374 @itemx info types
5375 @kindex info types
5376 Print a brief description of all types whose name matches @var{regexp}
5377 (or all types in your program, if you supply no argument). Each
5378 complete typename is matched as though it were a complete line; thus,
5379 @samp{i type value} gives information on all types in your program whose
5380 name includes the string @code{value}, but @samp{i type ^value$} gives
5381 information only on types whose complete name is @code{value}.
5382
5383 This command differs from @code{ptype} in two ways: first, like
5384 @code{whatis}, it does not print a detailed description; second, it
5385 lists all source files where a type is defined.
5386
5387 @item info source
5388 @kindex info source
5389 Show the name of the current source file---that is, the source file for
5390 the function containing the current point of execution---and the language
5391 it was written in.
5392
5393 @item info sources
5394 @kindex info sources
5395 Print the names of all source files in your program for which there is
5396 debugging information, organized into two lists: files whose symbols
5397 have already been read, and files whose symbols will be read when needed.
5398
5399 @item info functions
5400 @kindex info functions
5401 Print the names and data types of all defined functions.
5402
5403 @item info functions @var{regexp}
5404 Print the names and data types of all defined functions
5405 whose names contain a match for regular expression @var{regexp}.
5406 Thus, @samp{info fun step} finds all functions whose names
5407 include @code{step}; @samp{info fun ^step} finds those whose names
5408 start with @code{step}.
5409
5410 @item info variables
5411 @kindex info variables
5412 Print the names and data types of all variables that are declared
5413 outside of functions (i.e., excluding local variables).
5414
5415 @item info variables @var{regexp}
5416 Print the names and data types of all variables (except for local
5417 variables) whose names contain a match for regular expression
5418 @var{regexp}.
5419
5420 @ignore
5421 This was never implemented.
5422 @item info methods
5423 @itemx info methods @var{regexp}
5424 @kindex info methods
5425 The @code{info methods} command permits the user to examine all defined
5426 methods within C++ program, or (with the @var{regexp} argument) a
5427 specific set of methods found in the various C++ classes. Many
5428 C++ classes provide a large number of methods. Thus, the output
5429 from the @code{ptype} command can be overwhelming and hard to use. The
5430 @code{info-methods} command filters the methods, printing only those
5431 which match the regular-expression @var{regexp}.
5432 @end ignore
5433
5434 @item printsyms @var{filename}
5435 @itemx printpsyms @var{filename}
5436 @kindex printsyms
5437 @cindex symbol dump
5438 @kindex printsyms
5439 @cindex partial symbol dump
5440 Write a dump of debugging symbol data into the file @var{filename}.
5441 These commands are used to debug the _GDBN__ symbol-reading code. Only
5442 symbols with debugging data are included. If you use @code{printsyms},
5443 _GDBN__ includes all the symbols for which it has already collected full
5444 details: that is, @var{filename} reflects symbols for only those files
5445 whose symbols _GDBN__ has read. You can use the command @code{info
5446 sources} to find out which files these are. If you use
5447 @code{printpsyms}, the dump also shows information about symbols that
5448 _GDBN__ only knows partially---that is, symbols defined in files that
5449 _GDBN__ has skimmed, but not yet read completely. The description of
5450 @code{symbol-file} describes how _GDBN__ reads symbols; both commands
5451 are described under @ref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}.
5452 @end table
5453
5454 @node Altering, _GDBN__ Files, Symbols, Top
5455 @chapter Altering Execution
5456
5457 Once you think you have found an error in your program, you might want to
5458 find out for certain whether correcting the apparent error would lead to
5459 correct results in the rest of the run. You can find the answer by
5460 experiment, using the _GDBN__ features for altering execution of the
5461 program.
5462
5463 For example, you can store new values into variables or memory
5464 locations, give your program a signal, restart it at a different address,
5465 or even return prematurely from a function to its caller.
5466
5467 @menu
5468 * Assignment:: Assignment to Variables
5469 * Jumping:: Continuing at a Different Address
5470 * Signaling:: Giving your program a Signal
5471 * Returning:: Returning from a Function
5472 * Calling:: Calling your Program's Functions
5473 * Patching:: Patching your Program
5474 @end menu
5475
5476 @node Assignment, Jumping, Altering, Altering
5477 @section Assignment to Variables
5478
5479 @cindex assignment
5480 @cindex setting variables
5481 To alter the value of a variable, evaluate an assignment expression.
5482 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}. For example,
5483
5484 @example
5485 print x=4
5486 @end example
5487
5488 @noindent
5489 stores the value 4 into the variable @code{x}, and then prints the
5490 value of the assignment expression (which is 4). @xref{Languages,
5491 ,Using _GDBN__ with Different Languages}, for more information on
5492 operators in supported languages.
5493
5494 @kindex set variable
5495 @cindex variables, setting
5496 If you are not interested in seeing the value of the assignment, use the
5497 @code{set} command instead of the @code{print} command. @code{set} is
5498 really the same as @code{print} except that the expression's value is not
5499 printed and is not put in the value history (@pxref{Value History, ,Value History}). The
5500 expression is evaluated only for its effects.
5501
5502 If the beginning of the argument string of the @code{set} command
5503 appears identical to a @code{set} subcommand, use the @code{set
5504 variable} command instead of just @code{set}. This command is identical
5505 to @code{set} except for its lack of subcommands. For example, a
5506 program might well have a variable @code{width}---which leads to
5507 an error if we try to set a new value with just @samp{set width=13}, as
5508 we might if @code{set width} did not happen to be a _GDBN__ command:
5509
5510 @example
5511 (_GDBP__) whatis width
5512 type = double
5513 (_GDBP__) p width
5514 $4 = 13
5515 (_GDBP__) set width=47
5516 Invalid syntax in expression.
5517 @end example
5518
5519 @noindent
5520 The invalid expression, of course, is @samp{=47}. What we can do in
5521 order to actually set our program's variable @code{width} is
5522
5523 @example
5524 (_GDBP__) set var width=47
5525 @end example
5526
5527 _GDBN__ allows more implicit conversions in assignments than C; you can
5528 freely store an integer value into a pointer variable or vice versa,
5529 and any structure can be converted to any other structure that is the
5530 same length or shorter.
5531 @comment FIXME: how do structs align/pad in these conversions?
5532 @comment /pesch@cygnus.com 18dec1990
5533
5534 To store values into arbitrary places in memory, use the @samp{@{@dots{}@}}
5535 construct to generate a value of specified type at a specified address
5536 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). For example, @code{@{int@}0x83040} refers
5537 to memory location @code{0x83040} as an integer (which implies a certain size
5538 and representation in memory), and
5539
5540 @example
5541 set @{int@}0x83040 = 4
5542 @end example
5543
5544 @noindent
5545 stores the value 4 into that memory location.
5546
5547 @node Jumping, Signaling, Assignment, Altering
5548 @section Continuing at a Different Address
5549
5550 Ordinarily, when you continue your program, you do so at the place where
5551 it stopped, with the @code{continue} command. You can instead continue at
5552 an address of your own choosing, with the following commands:
5553
5554 @table @code
5555 @item jump @var{linespec}
5556 @kindex jump
5557 Resume execution at line @var{linespec}. Execution will stop
5558 immediately if there is a breakpoint there. @xref{List, ,Printing
5559 Source Lines}, for a description of the different forms of
5560 @var{linespec}.
5561
5562 The @code{jump} command does not change the current stack frame, or
5563 the stack pointer, or the contents of any memory location or any
5564 register other than the program counter. If line @var{linespec} is in
5565 a different function from the one currently executing, the results may
5566 be bizarre if the two functions expect different patterns of arguments or
5567 of local variables. For this reason, the @code{jump} command requests
5568 confirmation if the specified line is not in the function currently
5569 executing. However, even bizarre results are predictable if you are
5570 well acquainted with the machine-language code of your program.
5571
5572 @item jump *@var{address}
5573 Resume execution at the instruction at address @var{address}.
5574 @end table
5575
5576 You can get much the same effect as the @code{jump} command by storing a
5577 new value into the register @code{$pc}. The difference is that this
5578 does not start your program running; it only changes the address where it
5579 @emph{will} run when it is continued. For example,
5580
5581 @example
5582 set $pc = 0x485
5583 @end example
5584
5585 @noindent
5586 causes the next @code{continue} command or stepping command to execute at
5587 address @code{0x485}, rather than at the address where your program stopped.
5588 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}.
5589
5590 The most common occasion to use the @code{jump} command is to back up,
5591 perhaps with more breakpoints set, over a portion of a program that has
5592 already executed, in order to examine its execution in more detail.
5593
5594 @node Signaling, Returning, Jumping, Altering
5595 @c @group
5596 @section Giving your program a Signal
5597
5598 @table @code
5599 @item signal @var{signalnum}
5600 @kindex signal
5601 Resume execution where your program stopped, but give it immediately the
5602 signal number @var{signalnum}.
5603
5604 Alternatively, if @var{signalnum} is zero, continue execution without
5605 giving a signal. This is useful when your program stopped on account of
5606 a signal and would ordinary see the signal when resumed with the
5607 @code{continue} command; @samp{signal 0} causes it to resume without a
5608 signal.
5609
5610 @code{signal} does not repeat when you press @key{RET} a second time
5611 after executing the command.
5612 @end table
5613 @c @end group
5614
5615 @node Returning, Calling, Signaling, Altering
5616 @section Returning from a Function
5617
5618 @table @code
5619 @item return
5620 @itemx return @var{expression}
5621 @cindex returning from a function
5622 @kindex return
5623 You can cancel execution of a function call with the @code{return}
5624 command. If you give an
5625 @var{expression} argument, its value is used as the function's return
5626 value.
5627 @end table
5628
5629 When you use @code{return}, _GDBN__ discards the selected stack frame
5630 (and all frames within it). You can think of this as making the
5631 discarded frame return prematurely. If you wish to specify a value to
5632 be returned, give that value as the argument to @code{return}.
5633
5634 This pops the selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a
5635 Frame}), and any other frames inside of it, leaving its caller as the
5636 innermost remaining frame. That frame becomes selected. The
5637 specified value is stored in the registers used for returning values
5638 of functions.
5639
5640 The @code{return} command does not resume execution; it leaves the
5641 program stopped in the state that would exist if the function had just
5642 returned. In contrast, the @code{finish} command (@pxref{Continuing
5643 and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}) resumes execution until the
5644 selected stack frame returns naturally.
5645
5646 @node Calling, Patching, Returning, Altering
5647 @section Calling your Program's Functions
5648
5649 @cindex calling functions
5650 @kindex call
5651 @table @code
5652 @item call @var{expr}
5653 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} without displaying @code{void}
5654 returned values.
5655 @end table
5656
5657 You can use this variant of the @code{print} command if you want to
5658 execute a function from your program, but without cluttering the output
5659 with @code{void} returned values. The result is printed and saved in
5660 the value history, if it is not void.
5661
5662 @node Patching, , Calling, Altering
5663 @section Patching your Program
5664 @cindex patching binaries
5665 @cindex writing into executables
5666 @cindex writing into corefiles
5667
5668 By default, _GDBN__ opens the file containing your program's executable
5669 code (or the corefile) read-only. This prevents accidental alterations
5670 to machine code; but it also prevents you from intentionally patching
5671 your program's binary.
5672
5673 If you'd like to be able to patch the binary, you can specify that
5674 explicitly with the @code{set write} command. For example, you might
5675 want to turn on internal debugging flags, or even to make emergency
5676 repairs.
5677
5678 @table @code
5679 @item set write on
5680 @itemx set write off
5681 @kindex set write
5682 If you specify @samp{set write on}, _GDBN__ will open executable and
5683 core files for both reading and writing; if you specify @samp{set write
5684 off} (the default), _GDBN__ will open them read-only.
5685
5686 If you have already loaded a file, you must load it
5687 again (using the @code{exec-file} or @code{core-file} command) after
5688 changing @code{set write}, for your new setting to take effect.
5689
5690 @item show write
5691 @kindex show write
5692 Display whether executable files and core files will be opened for
5693 writing as well as reading.
5694 @end table
5695
5696 @node _GDBN__ Files, Targets, Altering, Top
5697 @chapter _GDBN__'s Files
5698
5699 _GDBN__ needs to know the file name of the program to be debugged, both in
5700 order to read its symbol table and in order to start your program. To
5701 debug a core dump of a previous run, _GDBN__ must be told the file name of
5702 the core dump.
5703
5704 @menu
5705 * Files:: Commands to Specify Files
5706 * Symbol Errors:: Errors Reading Symbol Files
5707 @end menu
5708
5709 @node Files, Symbol Errors, _GDBN__ Files, _GDBN__ Files
5710 @section Commands to Specify Files
5711 @cindex core dump file
5712 @cindex symbol table
5713
5714 The usual way to specify executable and core dump file names is with
5715 the command arguments given when you start _GDBN__, (@pxref{Invocation,
5716 ,Getting In and Out of _GDBN__}.
5717
5718 Occasionally it is necessary to change to a different file during a
5719 _GDBN__ session. Or you may run _GDBN__ and forget to specify the files you
5720 want to use. In these situations the _GDBN__ commands to specify new files
5721 are useful.
5722
5723 @table @code
5724 @item file @var{filename}
5725 @cindex executable file
5726 @kindex file
5727 Use @var{filename} as the program to be debugged. It is read for its
5728 symbols and for the contents of pure memory. It is also the program
5729 executed when you use the @code{run} command. If you do not specify a
5730 directory and the file is not found in _GDBN__'s working directory, _GDBN__
5731 uses the environment variable @code{PATH} as a list of directories to
5732 search, just as the shell does when looking for a program to run. You
5733 can change the value of this variable, for both _GDBN__ and your program,
5734 using the @code{path} command.
5735
5736 @item file
5737 @code{file} with no argument makes _GDBN__ discard any information it
5738 has on both executable file and the symbol table.
5739
5740 @item exec-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
5741 @kindex exec-file
5742 Specify that the program to be run (but not the symbol table) is found
5743 in @var{filename}. _GDBN__ will search the environment variable @code{PATH}
5744 if necessary to locate your program. Omitting @var{filename} means to
5745 discard information on the executable file.
5746
5747 @item symbol-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
5748 @kindex symbol-file
5749 Read symbol table information from file @var{filename}. @code{PATH} is
5750 searched when necessary. Use the @code{file} command to get both symbol
5751 table and program to run from the same file.
5752
5753 @code{symbol-file} with no argument clears out _GDBN__'s information on your
5754 program's symbol table.
5755
5756 The @code{symbol-file} command causes _GDBN__ to forget the contents of its
5757 convenience variables, the value history, and all breakpoints and
5758 auto-display expressions. This is because they may contain pointers to
5759 the internal data recording symbols and data types, which are part of
5760 the old symbol table data being discarded inside _GDBN__.
5761
5762 @code{symbol-file} will not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
5763 executing it once.
5764
5765 On some kinds of object files, the @code{symbol-file} command does not
5766 actually read the symbol table in full right away. Instead, it scans
5767 the symbol table quickly to find which source files and which symbols
5768 are present. The details are read later, one source file at a time,
5769 as they are needed.
5770
5771 The purpose of this two-stage reading strategy is to make _GDBN__ start up
5772 faster. For the most part, it is invisible except for occasional
5773 pauses while the symbol table details for a particular source file are
5774 being read. (The @code{set verbose} command can turn these pauses
5775 into messages if desired. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings
5776 and Messages}.)
5777
5778 When the symbol table is stored in COFF format, @code{symbol-file} does
5779 read the symbol table data in full right away. We have not implemented
5780 the two-stage strategy for COFF yet.
5781
5782 When _GDBN__ is configured for a particular environment, it will
5783 understand debugging information in whatever format is the standard
5784 generated for that environment; you may use either a GNU compiler, or
5785 other compilers that adhere to the local conventions. Best results are
5786 usually obtained from GNU compilers; for example, using @code{_GCC__}
5787 you can generate debugging information for optimized code.
5788
5789 @item core-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
5790 @kindex core
5791 @kindex core-file
5792 Specify the whereabouts of a core dump file to be used as the ``contents
5793 of memory''. Traditionally, core files contain only some parts of the
5794 address space of the process that generated them; _GDBN__ can access the
5795 executable file itself for other parts.
5796
5797 @code{core-file} with no argument specifies that no core file is
5798 to be used.
5799
5800 Note that the core file is ignored when your program is actually running
5801 under _GDBN__. So, if you have been running your program and you wish to
5802 debug a core file instead, you must kill the subprocess in which the
5803 program is running. To do this, use the @code{kill} command
5804 (@pxref{Kill Process, ,Killing the Child Process}).
5805
5806 @item load @var{filename}
5807 @kindex load
5808 _if__(_GENERIC__)
5809 Depending on what remote debugging facilities are configured into
5810 _GDBN__, the @code{load} command may be available. Where it exists, it
5811 is meant to make @var{filename} (an executable) available for debugging
5812 on the remote system---by downloading, or dynamic linking, for example.
5813 @code{load} also records @var{filename}'s symbol table in _GDBN__, like
5814 the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
5815
5816 If @code{load} is not available on your _GDBN__, attempting to execute
5817 it gets the error message ``@code{You can't do that when your target is
5818 @dots{}}''
5819 _fi__(_GENERIC__)
5820
5821 _if__(_VXWORKS__)
5822 On VxWorks, @code{load} will dynamically link @var{filename} on the
5823 current target system as well as adding its symbols in _GDBN__.
5824 _fi__(_VXWORKS__)
5825
5826 _if__(_I960__)
5827 @cindex download to Nindy-960
5828 With the Nindy interface to an Intel 960 board, @code{load} will
5829 download @var{filename} to the 960 as well as adding its symbols in
5830 _GDBN__.
5831 _fi__(_I960__)
5832
5833 _if__(_H8__)
5834 @cindex download to H8/300
5835 @cindex H8/300 download
5836 When you select remote debugging to a Hitachi H8/300 board (@pxref{Hitachi
5837 H8/300 Remote,,_GDBN__ and the Hitachi H8/300}), the
5838 @code{load} command downloads your program to the H8/300 and also opens
5839 it as the current executable target for _GDBN__ on your host (like the
5840 @code{file} command).
5841 _fi__(_H8__)
5842
5843 @code{load} will not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
5844
5845 @item add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address}
5846 @kindex add-symbol-file
5847 @cindex dynamic linking
5848 The @code{add-symbol-file} command reads additional symbol table information
5849 from the file @var{filename}. You would use this command when @var{filename}
5850 has been dynamically loaded (by some other means) into the program that
5851 is running. @var{address} should be the memory address at which the
5852 file has been loaded; _GDBN__ cannot figure this out for itself.
5853
5854 The symbol table of the file @var{filename} is added to the symbol table
5855 originally read with the @code{symbol-file} command. You can use the
5856 @code{add-symbol-file} command any number of times; the new symbol data thus
5857 read keeps adding to the old. To discard all old symbol data instead,
5858 use the @code{symbol-file} command.
5859
5860 @code{add-symbol-file} will not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
5861
5862 @item info files
5863 @itemx info target
5864 @kindex info files
5865 @kindex info target
5866 @code{info files} and @code{info target} are synonymous; both print
5867 the current targets (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}),
5868 including the names of the executable and core dump files currently in
5869 use by _GDBN__, and the files from which symbols were loaded. The command
5870 @code{help targets} lists all possible targets rather than current
5871 ones.
5872
5873 @end table
5874
5875 All file-specifying commands allow both absolute and relative file names
5876 as arguments. _GDBN__ always converts the file name to an absolute path
5877 name and remembers it that way.
5878
5879 @cindex shared libraries
5880
5881 _GDBN__ supports the SunOS shared library format. _GDBN__ automatically
5882 loads symbol definitions from shared libraries when you use the
5883 @code{run} command, or when you examine a core file. (Before you issue
5884 the @code{run} command, _GDBN__ will not understand references to a
5885 function in a shared library, however---unless you are debugging a core
5886 file).
5887 @c FIXME: next _GDBN__ release should permit some refs to undef
5888 @c FIXME...symbols---eg in a break cmd---assuming they are from a shared lib
5889
5890 @table @code
5891 @item info share
5892 @itemx info sharedlibrary
5893 @kindex info sharedlibrary
5894 @kindex info share
5895 Print the names of the shared libraries which are currently loaded.
5896
5897 @item sharedlibrary @var{regex}
5898 @itemx share @var{regex}
5899 @kindex sharedlibrary
5900 @kindex share
5901 This is an obsolescent command; you can use it to explicitly
5902 load shared object library symbols for files matching a UNIX regular
5903 expression, but as with files loaded automatically, it will only load
5904 shared libraries required by your program for a core file or after
5905 typing @code{run}. If @var{regex} is omitted all shared libraries
5906 required by your program are loaded.
5907 @end table
5908
5909 @node Symbol Errors, , Files, _GDBN__ Files
5910 @section Errors Reading Symbol Files
5911
5912 While reading a symbol file, _GDBN__ will occasionally encounter problems,
5913 such as symbol types it does not recognize, or known bugs in compiler
5914 output. By default, _GDBN__ does not notify you of such problems, since
5915 they are relatively common and primarily of interest to people
5916 debugging compilers. If you are interested in seeing information
5917 about ill-constructed symbol tables, you can either ask _GDBN__ to print
5918 only one message about each such type of problem, no matter how many
5919 times the problem occurs; or you can ask _GDBN__ to print more messages,
5920 to see how many times the problems occur, with the @code{set
5921 complaints} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
5922 Messages}).
5923
5924 The messages currently printed, and their meanings, are:
5925
5926 @table @code
5927 @item inner block not inside outer block in @var{symbol}
5928
5929 The symbol information shows where symbol scopes begin and end
5930 (such as at the start of a function or a block of statements). This
5931 error indicates that an inner scope block is not fully contained
5932 in its outer scope blocks.
5933
5934 _GDBN__ circumvents the problem by treating the inner block as if it had
5935 the same scope as the outer block. In the error message, @var{symbol}
5936 may be shown as ``@code{(don't know)}'' if the outer block is not a
5937 function.
5938
5939 @item block at @var{address} out of order
5940
5941 The symbol information for symbol scope blocks should occur in
5942 order of increasing addresses. This error indicates that it does not
5943 do so.
5944
5945 _GDBN__ does not circumvent this problem, and will have trouble locating
5946 symbols in the source file whose symbols being read. (You can often
5947 determine what source file is affected by specifying @code{set verbose
5948 on}. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and Messages}.)
5949
5950 @item bad block start address patched
5951
5952 The symbol information for a symbol scope block has a start address
5953 smaller than the address of the preceding source line. This is known
5954 to occur in the SunOS 4.1.1 (and earlier) C compiler.
5955
5956 _GDBN__ circumvents the problem by treating the symbol scope block as
5957 starting on the previous source line.
5958
5959 @item bad string table offset in symbol @var{n}
5960
5961 @cindex foo
5962 Symbol number @var{n} contains a pointer into the string table which is
5963 larger than the size of the string table.
5964
5965 _GDBN__ circumvents the problem by considering the symbol to have the
5966 name @code{foo}, which may cause other problems if many symbols end up
5967 with this name.
5968
5969 @item unknown symbol type @code{0x@var{nn}}
5970
5971 The symbol information contains new data types that _GDBN__ does not yet
5972 know how to read. @code{0x@var{nn}} is the symbol type of the misunderstood
5973 information, in hexadecimal.
5974
5975 _GDBN__ circumvents the error by ignoring this symbol information. This
5976 will usually allow your program to be debugged, though certain symbols
5977 will not be accessible. If you encounter such a problem and feel like
5978 debugging it, you can debug @code{_GDBP__} with itself, breakpoint on
5979 @code{complain}, then go up to the function @code{read_dbx_symtab} and
5980 examine @code{*bufp} to see the symbol.
5981
5982 @item stub type has NULL name
5983 _GDBN__ could not find the full definition for a struct or class.
5984
5985 @item const/volatile indicator missing (ok if using g++ v1.x), got@dots{}
5986
5987 The symbol information for a C++ member function is missing some
5988 information that recent versions of the compiler should have output
5989 for it.
5990
5991 @item info mismatch between compiler and debugger
5992
5993 _GDBN__ could not parse a type specification output by the compiler.
5994 @end table
5995
5996 @node Targets, Controlling _GDBN__, _GDBN__ Files, Top
5997 @chapter Specifying a Debugging Target
5998 @cindex debugging target
5999 @kindex target
6000
6001 A @dfn{target} is the execution environment occupied by your program.
6002 Often, _GDBN__ runs in the same host environment as your program; in
6003 that case, the debugging target is specified as a side effect when you
6004 use the @code{file} or @code{core} commands. When you need more
6005 flexibility---for example, running _GDBN__ on a physically separate
6006 host, or controlling a standalone system over a serial port or a
6007 realtime system over a TCP/IP connection---you can use the @code{target}
6008 command to specify one of the target types configured for _GDBN__
6009 (@pxref{Target Commands, ,Commands for Managing Targets}).
6010
6011 @menu
6012 * Active Targets:: Active Targets
6013 * Target Commands:: Commands for Managing Targets
6014 * Remote:: Remote Debugging
6015 @end menu
6016
6017 @node Active Targets, Target Commands, Targets, Targets
6018 @section Active Targets
6019 @cindex stacking targets
6020 @cindex active targets
6021 @cindex multiple targets
6022
6023 There are three classes of targets: processes, core files, and
6024 executable files. _GDBN__ can work concurrently on up to three active
6025 targets, one in each class. This allows you to (for example) start a
6026 process and inspect its activity without abandoning your work on a core
6027 file.
6028
6029 If, for example, you execute @samp{gdb a.out}, then the executable file
6030 @code{a.out} is the only active target. If you designate a core file as
6031 well---presumably from a prior run that crashed and coredumped---then
6032 _GDBN__ has two active targets and will use them in tandem, looking
6033 first in the corefile target, then in the executable file, to satisfy
6034 requests for memory addresses. (Typically, these two classes of target
6035 are complementary, since core files contain only a program's
6036 read-write memory---variables and so on---plus machine status, while
6037 executable files contain only the program text and initialized data.)
6038
6039 When you type @code{run}, your executable file becomes an active process
6040 target as well. When a process target is active, all _GDBN__ commands
6041 requesting memory addresses refer to that target; addresses in an active
6042 core file or executable file target are obscured while the process
6043 target is active.
6044
6045 Use the @code{core-file} and @code{exec-file} commands to select a
6046 new core file or executable target (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify
6047 Files}). To specify as a target a process that is already running, use
6048 the @code{attach} command (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an
6049 Already-Running Process}.).
6050
6051 @node Target Commands, Remote, Active Targets, Targets
6052 @section Commands for Managing Targets
6053
6054 @table @code
6055 @item target @var{type} @var{parameters}
6056 Connects the _GDBN__ host environment to a target machine or process. A
6057 target is typically a protocol for talking to debugging facilities. You
6058 use the argument @var{type} to specify the type or protocol of the
6059 target machine.
6060
6061 Further @var{parameters} are interpreted by the target protocol, but
6062 typically include things like device names or host names to connect
6063 with, process numbers, and baud rates.
6064
6065 The @code{target} command will not repeat if you press @key{RET} again
6066 after executing the command.
6067
6068 @item help target
6069 @kindex help target
6070 Displays the names of all targets available. To display targets
6071 currently selected, use either @code{info target} or @code{info files}
6072 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
6073
6074 @item help target @var{name}
6075 Describe a particular target, including any parameters necessary to
6076 select it.
6077 @end table
6078
6079 Here are some common targets (available, or not, depending on the GDB
6080 configuration):
6081
6082 @table @code
6083 @item target exec @var{prog}
6084 @kindex target exec
6085 An executable file. @samp{target exec @var{prog}} is the same as
6086 @samp{exec-file @var{prog}}.
6087
6088 @item target core @var{filename}
6089 @kindex target core
6090 A core dump file. @samp{target core @var{filename}} is the same as
6091 @samp{core-file @var{filename}}.
6092
6093 @item target remote @var{dev}
6094 @kindex target remote
6095 Remote serial target in GDB-specific protocol. The argument @var{dev}
6096 specifies what serial device to use for the connection (e.g.
6097 @file{/dev/ttya}). @xref{Remote, ,Remote Debugging}.
6098
6099 _if__(_AMD29K__)
6100 @item target amd-eb @var{dev} @var{speed} @var{PROG}
6101 @kindex target amd-eb
6102 @cindex AMD EB29K
6103 Remote PC-resident AMD EB29K board, attached over serial lines.
6104 @var{dev} is the serial device, as for @code{target remote};
6105 @var{speed} allows you to specify the linespeed; and @var{PROG} is the
6106 name of the program to be debugged, as it appears to DOS on the PC.
6107 @xref{EB29K Remote, ,GDB with a Remote EB29K}.
6108
6109 _fi__(_AMD29K__)
6110 _if__(_H8__)
6111 @item target hms
6112 @kindex target hms
6113 A Hitachi H8/300 board, attached via serial line to your host. Use
6114 special commands @code{device} and @code{speed} to control the serial
6115 line and the communications speed used. @xref{Hitachi H8/300
6116 Remote,,_GDBN__ and the Hitachi H8/300}.
6117
6118 _fi__(_H8__)
6119 _if__(_I960__)
6120 @item target nindy @var{devicename}
6121 @kindex target nindy
6122 An Intel 960 board controlled by a Nindy Monitor. @var{devicename} is
6123 the name of the serial device to use for the connection, e.g.
6124 @file{/dev/ttya}. @xref{i960-Nindy Remote, ,_GDBN__ with a Remote i960 (Nindy)}.
6125
6126 _fi__(_I960__)
6127 _if__(_VXWORKS__)
6128 @item target vxworks @var{machinename}
6129 @kindex target vxworks
6130 A VxWorks system, attached via TCP/IP. The argument @var{machinename}
6131 is the target system's machine name or IP address.
6132 @xref{VxWorks Remote, ,_GDBN__ and VxWorks}.
6133 _fi__(_VXWORKS__)
6134 @end table
6135
6136 _if__(_GENERIC__)
6137 Different targets are available on different configurations of _GDBN__; your
6138 configuration may have more or fewer targets.
6139 _fi__(_GENERIC__)
6140
6141 @node Remote, , Target Commands, Targets
6142 @section Remote Debugging
6143 @cindex remote debugging
6144
6145 If you are trying to debug a program running on a machine that cannot run
6146 GDB in the usual way, it is often useful to use remote debugging. For
6147 example, you might use remote debugging on an operating system kernel, or on
6148 a small system which does not have a general purpose operating system
6149 powerful enough to run a full-featured debugger.
6150
6151 Some configurations of GDB have special serial or TCP/IP interfaces
6152 to make this work with particular debugging targets. In addition,
6153 GDB comes with a generic serial protocol (specific to GDB, but
6154 not specific to any particular target system) which you can use if you
6155 write the remote stubs---the code that will run on the remote system to
6156 communicate with GDB.
6157
6158 To use the GDB remote serial protocol, the program to be debugged on
6159 the remote machine needs to contain a debugging stub which talks to
6160 GDB over the serial line. Several working remote stubs are
6161 distributed with GDB; see the @file{README} file in the GDB
6162 distribution for more information.
6163
6164 For details of this communication protocol, see the comments in the
6165 GDB source file @file{remote.c}.
6166
6167 To start remote debugging, first run GDB and specify as an executable file
6168 the program that is running in the remote machine. This tells GDB how
6169 to find your program's symbols and the contents of its pure text. Then
6170 establish communication using the @code{target remote} command with a device
6171 name as an argument. For example:
6172
6173 @example
6174 target remote /dev/ttyb
6175 @end example
6176
6177 @noindent
6178 if the serial line is connected to the device named @file{/dev/ttyb}. This
6179 will stop the remote machine if it is not already stopped.
6180
6181 Now you can use all the usual commands to examine and change data and to
6182 step and continue the remote program.
6183
6184 To resume the remote program and stop debugging it, use the @code{detach}
6185 command.
6186
6187 Other remote targets may be available in your
6188 configuration of GDB; use @code{help targets} to list them.
6189
6190 _if__(_GENERIC__)
6191 _dnl__ Text on starting up GDB in various specific cases; it goes up front
6192 _dnl__ in manuals configured for any of those particular situations, here
6193 _dnl__ otherwise.
6194 @menu
6195 _include__(gdbinv-m.m4)<>_dnl__
6196 @end menu
6197 _include__(gdbinv-s.m4)
6198 _fi__(_GENERIC__)
6199
6200 @node Controlling _GDBN__, Sequences, Targets, Top
6201 @chapter Controlling _GDBN__
6202
6203 You can alter many aspects of _GDBN__'s interaction with you by using
6204 the @code{set} command. For commands controlling how _GDBN__ displays
6205 data, @pxref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}; other settings are described here.
6206
6207 @menu
6208 * Prompt:: Prompt
6209 * Editing:: Command Editing
6210 * History:: Command History
6211 * Screen Size:: Screen Size
6212 * Numbers:: Numbers
6213 * Messages/Warnings:: Optional Warnings and Messages
6214 @end menu
6215
6216 @node Prompt, Editing, Controlling _GDBN__, Controlling _GDBN__
6217 @section Prompt
6218 @cindex prompt
6219
6220 _GDBN__ indicates its readiness to read a command by printing a string
6221 called the @dfn{prompt}. This string is normally @samp{(_GDBP__)}. You
6222 can change the prompt string with the @code{set prompt} command. For
6223 instance, when debugging _GDBN__ with _GDBN__, it is useful to change
6224 the prompt in one of the _GDBN__<>s so that you can always tell which
6225 one you are talking to.
6226
6227 @table @code
6228 @item set prompt @var{newprompt}
6229 @kindex set prompt
6230 Directs _GDBN__ to use @var{newprompt} as its prompt string henceforth.
6231 @kindex show prompt
6232 @item show prompt
6233 Prints a line of the form: @samp{Gdb's prompt is: @var{your-prompt}}
6234 @end table
6235
6236 @node Editing, History, Prompt, Controlling _GDBN__
6237 @section Command Editing
6238 @cindex readline
6239 @cindex command line editing
6240
6241 _GDBN__ reads its input commands via the @dfn{readline} interface. This
6242 GNU library provides consistent behavior for programs which provide a
6243 command line interface to the user. Advantages are @code{emacs}-style
6244 or @code{vi}-style inline editing of commands, @code{csh}-like history
6245 substitution, and a storage and recall of command history across
6246 debugging sessions.
6247
6248 You may control the behavior of command line editing in _GDBN__ with the
6249 command @code{set}.
6250
6251 @table @code
6252 @kindex set editing
6253 @cindex editing
6254 @item set editing
6255 @itemx set editing on
6256 Enable command line editing (enabled by default).
6257
6258 @item set editing off
6259 Disable command line editing.
6260
6261 @kindex show editing
6262 @item show editing
6263 Show whether command line editing is enabled.
6264 @end table
6265
6266 @node History, Screen Size, Editing, Controlling _GDBN__
6267 @section Command History
6268
6269 @table @code
6270 @cindex history substitution
6271 @cindex history file
6272 @kindex set history filename
6273 @item set history filename @var{fname}
6274 Set the name of the _GDBN__ command history file to @var{fname}. This is
6275 the file from which _GDBN__ will read an initial command history
6276 list or to which it will write this list when it exits. This list is
6277 accessed through history expansion or through the history
6278 command editing characters listed below. This file defaults to the
6279 value of the environment variable @code{GDBHISTFILE}, or to
6280 @file{./.gdb_history} if this variable is not set.
6281
6282 @cindex history save
6283 @kindex set history save
6284 @item set history save
6285 @itemx set history save on
6286 Record command history in a file, whose name may be specified with the
6287 @code{set history filename} command. By default, this option is disabled.
6288
6289 @item set history save off
6290 Stop recording command history in a file.
6291
6292 @cindex history size
6293 @kindex set history size
6294 @item set history size @var{size}
6295 Set the number of commands which _GDBN__ will keep in its history list.
6296 This defaults to the value of the environment variable
6297 @code{HISTSIZE}, or to 256 if this variable is not set.
6298 @end table
6299
6300 @cindex history expansion
6301 History expansion assigns special meaning to the character @kbd{!}.
6302 @iftex
6303 @xref{Event Designators}.
6304 @end iftex
6305 Since @kbd{!} is also the logical not operator in C, history expansion
6306 is off by default. If you decide to enable history expansion with the
6307 @code{set history expansion on} command, you may sometimes need to
6308 follow @kbd{!} (when it is used as logical not, in an expression) with
6309 a space or a tab to prevent it from being expanded. The readline
6310 history facilities will not attempt substitution on the strings
6311 @kbd{!=} and @kbd{!(}, even when history expansion is enabled.
6312
6313 The commands to control history expansion are:
6314
6315 @table @code
6316
6317 @kindex set history expansion
6318 @item set history expansion on
6319 @itemx set history expansion
6320 Enable history expansion. History expansion is off by default.
6321
6322 @item set history expansion off
6323 Disable history expansion.
6324
6325 The readline code comes with more complete documentation of
6326 editing and history expansion features. Users unfamiliar with @code{emacs}
6327 or @code{vi} may wish to read it.
6328 @iftex
6329 @xref{Command Line Editing}.
6330 @end iftex
6331
6332 @c @group
6333 @kindex show history
6334 @item show history
6335 @itemx show history filename
6336 @itemx show history save
6337 @itemx show history size
6338 @itemx show history expansion
6339 These commands display the state of the _GDBN__ history parameters.
6340 @code{show history} by itself displays all four states.
6341 @c @end group
6342 @end table
6343
6344 @table @code
6345 @kindex show commands
6346 @item show commands
6347 Display the last ten commands in the command history.
6348
6349 @item show commands @var{n}
6350 Print ten commands centered on command number @var{n}.
6351
6352 @item show commands +
6353 Print ten commands just after the commands last printed.
6354 @end table
6355
6356 @node Screen Size, Numbers, History, Controlling _GDBN__
6357 @section Screen Size
6358 @cindex size of screen
6359 @cindex pauses in output
6360
6361 Certain commands to _GDBN__ may produce large amounts of information
6362 output to the screen. To help you read all of it, _GDBN__ pauses and
6363 asks you for input at the end of each page of output. Type @key{RET}
6364 when you want to continue the output. _GDBN__ also uses the screen
6365 width setting to determine when to wrap lines of output. Depending on
6366 what is being printed, it tries to break the line at a readable place,
6367 rather than simply letting it overflow onto the following line.
6368
6369 Normally _GDBN__ knows the size of the screen from the termcap data base
6370 together with the value of the @code{TERM} environment variable and the
6371 @code{stty rows} and @code{stty cols} settings. If this is not correct,
6372 you can override it with the @code{set height} and @code{set
6373 width} commands:
6374
6375 @table @code
6376 @item set height @var{lpp}
6377 @itemx show height
6378 @itemx set width @var{cpl}
6379 @itemx show width
6380 @kindex set height
6381 @kindex set width
6382 @kindex show width
6383 @kindex show height
6384 These @code{set} commands specify a screen height of @var{lpp} lines and
6385 a screen width of @var{cpl} characters. The associated @code{show}
6386 commands display the current settings.
6387
6388 If you specify a height of zero lines, _GDBN__ will not pause during output
6389 no matter how long the output is. This is useful if output is to a file
6390 or to an editor buffer.
6391 @end table
6392
6393 @node Numbers, Messages/Warnings, Screen Size, Controlling _GDBN__
6394 @section Numbers
6395 @cindex number representation
6396 @cindex entering numbers
6397
6398 You can always enter numbers in octal, decimal, or hexadecimal in _GDBN__ by
6399 the usual conventions: octal numbers begin with @samp{0}, decimal
6400 numbers end with @samp{.}, and hexadecimal numbers begin with @samp{0x}.
6401 Numbers that begin with none of these are, by default, entered in base
6402 10; likewise, the default display for numbers---when no particular
6403 format is specified---is base 10. You can change the default base for
6404 both input and output with the @code{set radix} command.
6405
6406 @table @code
6407 @kindex set radix
6408 @item set radix @var{base}
6409 Set the default base for numeric input and display. Supported choices
6410 for @var{base} are decimal 2, 8, 10, 16. @var{base} must itself be
6411 specified either unambiguously or using the current default radix; for
6412 example, any of
6413
6414 @example
6415 set radix 1010
6416 set radix 012
6417 set radix 10.
6418 set radix 0xa
6419 @end example
6420
6421 @noindent
6422 will set the base to decimal. On the other hand, @samp{set radix 10}
6423 will leave the radix unchanged no matter what it was.
6424
6425 @kindex show radix
6426 @item show radix
6427 Display the current default base for numeric input and display.
6428 @end table
6429
6430 @node Messages/Warnings, , Numbers, Controlling _GDBN__
6431 @section Optional Warnings and Messages
6432
6433 By default, _GDBN__ is silent about its inner workings. If you are running
6434 on a slow machine, you may want to use the @code{set verbose} command.
6435 It will make _GDBN__ tell you when it does a lengthy internal operation, so
6436 you will not think it has crashed.
6437
6438 Currently, the messages controlled by @code{set verbose} are those
6439 which announce that the symbol table for a source file is being read
6440 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}, in the description of the
6441 command @code{symbol-file}).
6442 @c The following is the right way to do it, but emacs 18.55 does not support
6443 @c @ref, and neither the emacs lisp manual version of texinfmt or makeinfo
6444 @c is released.
6445 @ignore
6446 see @code{symbol-file} in @ref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
6447 @end ignore
6448
6449 @table @code
6450 @kindex set verbose
6451 @item set verbose on
6452 Enables _GDBN__'s output of certain informational messages.
6453
6454 @item set verbose off
6455 Disables _GDBN__'s output of certain informational messages.
6456
6457 @kindex show verbose
6458 @item show verbose
6459 Displays whether @code{set verbose} is on or off.
6460 @end table
6461
6462 By default, if _GDBN__ encounters bugs in the symbol table of an object
6463 file, it is silent; but if you are debugging a compiler, you may find
6464 this information useful (@pxref{Symbol Errors, ,Errors Reading Symbol Files}).
6465
6466 @table @code
6467 @kindex set complaints
6468 @item set complaints @var{limit}
6469 Permits _GDBN__ to output @var{limit} complaints about each type of unusual
6470 symbols before becoming silent about the problem. Set @var{limit} to
6471 zero to suppress all complaints; set it to a large number to prevent
6472 complaints from being suppressed.
6473
6474 @kindex show complaints
6475 @item show complaints
6476 Displays how many symbol complaints _GDBN__ is permitted to produce.
6477 @end table
6478
6479 By default, _GDBN__ is cautious, and asks what sometimes seem to be a
6480 lot of stupid questions to confirm certain commands. For example, if
6481 you try to run a program which is already running:
6482
6483 @example
6484 (_GDBP__) run
6485 The program being debugged has been started already.
6486 Start it from the beginning? (y or n)
6487 @end example
6488
6489 If you are willing to unflinchingly face the consequences of your own
6490 commands, you can disable this ``feature'':
6491
6492 @table @code
6493 @kindex set confirm
6494 @cindex flinching
6495 @cindex confirmation
6496 @cindex stupid questions
6497 @item set confirm off
6498 Disables confirmation requests.
6499
6500 @item set confirm on
6501 Enables confirmation requests (the default).
6502
6503 @item show confirm
6504 @kindex show confirm
6505 Displays state of confirmation requests.
6506 @end table
6507
6508 @c FIXME this does not really belong here. But where *does* it belong?
6509 @cindex reloading symbols
6510 Some systems allow individual object files that make up your program to
6511 be replaced without stopping and restarting your program.
6512 _if__(_VXWORKS__)
6513 For example, in VxWorks you can simply recompile a defective object file
6514 and keep on running.
6515 _fi__(_VXWORKS__)
6516 If you are running on one of these systems, you can allow _GDBN__ to
6517 reload the symbols for automatically relinked modules:
6518
6519 @table @code
6520 @kindex set symbol-reloading
6521 @item set symbol-reloading on
6522 Replace symbol definitions for the corresponding source file when an
6523 object file with a particular name is seen again.
6524
6525 @item set symbol-reloading off
6526 Do not replace symbol definitions when re-encountering object files of
6527 the same name. This is the default state; if you are not running on a
6528 system that permits automatically relinking modules, you should leave
6529 @code{symbol-reloading} off, since otherwise _GDBN__ may discard symbols
6530 when linking large programs, that may contain several modules (from
6531 different directories or libraries) with the same name.
6532
6533 @item show symbol-reloading
6534 Show the current @code{on} or @code{off} setting.
6535 @end table
6536
6537 @node Sequences, Emacs, Controlling _GDBN__, Top
6538 @chapter Canned Sequences of Commands
6539
6540 Aside from breakpoint commands (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint
6541 Command Lists}), _GDBN__ provides two ways to store sequences of commands
6542 for execution as a unit: user-defined commands and command files.
6543
6544 @menu
6545 * Define:: User-Defined Commands
6546 * Command Files:: Command Files
6547 * Output:: Commands for Controlled Output
6548 @end menu
6549
6550 @node Define, Command Files, Sequences, Sequences
6551 @section User-Defined Commands
6552
6553 @cindex user-defined command
6554 A @dfn{user-defined command} is a sequence of _GDBN__ commands to which you
6555 assign a new name as a command. This is done with the @code{define}
6556 command.
6557
6558 @table @code
6559 @item define @var{commandname}
6560 @kindex define
6561 Define a command named @var{commandname}. If there is already a command
6562 by that name, you are asked to confirm that you want to redefine it.
6563
6564 The definition of the command is made up of other _GDBN__ command lines,
6565 which are given following the @code{define} command. The end of these
6566 commands is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
6567
6568 @item document @var{commandname}
6569 @kindex document
6570 Give documentation to the user-defined command @var{commandname}. The
6571 command @var{commandname} must already be defined. This command reads
6572 lines of documentation just as @code{define} reads the lines of the
6573 command definition, ending with @code{end}. After the @code{document}
6574 command is finished, @code{help} on command @var{commandname} will print
6575 the documentation you have specified.
6576
6577 You may use the @code{document} command again to change the
6578 documentation of a command. Redefining the command with @code{define}
6579 does not change the documentation.
6580
6581 @item help user-defined
6582 @kindex help user-defined
6583 List all user-defined commands, with the first line of the documentation
6584 (if any) for each.
6585
6586 @item info user
6587 @itemx info user @var{commandname}
6588 @kindex info user
6589 Display the _GDBN__ commands used to define @var{commandname} (but not its
6590 documentation). If no @var{commandname} is given, display the
6591 definitions for all user-defined commands.
6592 @end table
6593
6594 User-defined commands do not take arguments. When they are executed, the
6595 commands of the definition are not printed. An error in any command
6596 stops execution of the user-defined command.
6597
6598 Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed
6599 without asking when used inside a user-defined command. Many _GDBN__ commands
6600 that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages
6601 when used in a user-defined command.
6602
6603 @node Command Files, Output, Define, Sequences
6604 @section Command Files
6605
6606 @cindex command files
6607 A command file for _GDBN__ is a file of lines that are _GDBN__ commands. Comments
6608 (lines starting with @kbd{#}) may also be included. An empty line in a
6609 command file does nothing; it does not mean to repeat the last command, as
6610 it would from the terminal.
6611
6612 @cindex init file
6613 @cindex @file{_GDBINIT__}
6614 When you start _GDBN__, it automatically executes commands from its
6615 @dfn{init files}. These are files named @file{_GDBINIT__}. _GDBN__ reads
6616 the init file (if any) in your home directory and then the init file
6617 (if any) in the current working directory. (The init files are not
6618 executed if you use the @samp{-nx} option; @pxref{Mode Options,
6619 ,Choosing Modes}.) You can also request the execution of a command
6620 file with the @code{source} command:
6621
6622 @table @code
6623 @item source @var{filename}
6624 @kindex source
6625 Execute the command file @var{filename}.
6626 @end table
6627
6628 The lines in a command file are executed sequentially. They are not
6629 printed as they are executed. An error in any command terminates execution
6630 of the command file.
6631
6632 Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed
6633 without asking when used in a command file. Many _GDBN__ commands that
6634 normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages
6635 when called from command files.
6636
6637 @node Output, , Command Files, Sequences
6638 @section Commands for Controlled Output
6639
6640 During the execution of a command file or a user-defined command, normal
6641 _GDBN__ output is suppressed; the only output that appears is what is
6642 explicitly printed by the commands in the definition. This section
6643 describes three commands useful for generating exactly the output you
6644 want.
6645
6646 @table @code
6647 @item echo @var{text}
6648 @kindex echo
6649 @c I do not consider backslash-space a standard C escape sequence
6650 @c because it is not in ANSI.
6651 Print @var{text}. Nonprinting characters can be included in
6652 @var{text} using C escape sequences, such as @samp{\n} to print a
6653 newline. @strong{No newline will be printed unless you specify one.}
6654 In addition to the standard C escape sequences, a backslash followed
6655 by a space stands for a space. This is useful for outputting a
6656 string with spaces at the beginning or the end, since leading and
6657 trailing spaces are otherwise trimmed from all arguments.
6658 To print @samp{@w{ }and foo =@w{ }}, use the command
6659 @samp{echo \@w{ }and foo = \@w{ }}.
6660
6661 A backslash at the end of @var{text} can be used, as in C, to continue
6662 the command onto subsequent lines. For example,
6663
6664 @example
6665 echo This is some text\n\
6666 which is continued\n\
6667 onto several lines.\n
6668 @end example
6669
6670 produces the same output as
6671
6672 @example
6673 echo This is some text\n
6674 echo which is continued\n
6675 echo onto several lines.\n
6676 @end example
6677
6678 @item output @var{expression}
6679 @kindex output
6680 Print the value of @var{expression} and nothing but that value: no
6681 newlines, no @samp{$@var{nn} = }. The value is not entered in the
6682 value history either. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information on
6683 expressions.
6684
6685 @item output/@var{fmt} @var{expression}
6686 Print the value of @var{expression} in format @var{fmt}. You can use
6687 the same formats as for @code{print}; @pxref{Output formats}, for more
6688 information.
6689
6690 @item printf @var{string}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
6691 @kindex printf
6692 Print the values of the @var{expressions} under the control of
6693 @var{string}. The @var{expressions} are separated by commas and may
6694 be either numbers or pointers. Their values are printed as specified
6695 by @var{string}, exactly as if your program were to execute
6696
6697 @example
6698 printf (@var{string}, @var{expressions}@dots{});
6699 @end example
6700
6701 For example, you can print two values in hex like this:
6702
6703 @example
6704 printf "foo, bar-foo = 0x%x, 0x%x\n", foo, bar-foo
6705 @end example
6706
6707 The only backslash-escape sequences that you can use in the format
6708 string are the simple ones that consist of backslash followed by a
6709 letter.
6710 @end table
6711
6712 @node Emacs, _GDBN__ Bugs, Sequences, Top
6713 @chapter Using _GDBN__ under GNU Emacs
6714
6715 @cindex emacs
6716 A special interface allows you to use GNU Emacs to view (and
6717 edit) the source files for the program you are debugging with
6718 _GDBN__.
6719
6720 To use this interface, use the command @kbd{M-x gdb} in Emacs. Give the
6721 executable file you want to debug as an argument. This command starts
6722 _GDBN__ as a subprocess of Emacs, with input and output through a newly
6723 created Emacs buffer.
6724
6725 Using _GDBN__ under Emacs is just like using _GDBN__ normally except for two
6726 things:
6727
6728 @itemize @bullet
6729 @item
6730 All ``terminal'' input and output goes through the Emacs buffer.
6731 @end itemize
6732
6733 This applies both to _GDBN__ commands and their output, and to the input
6734 and output done by the program you are debugging.
6735
6736 This is useful because it means that you can copy the text of previous
6737 commands and input them again; you can even use parts of the output
6738 in this way.
6739
6740 All the facilities of Emacs' Shell mode are available for interacting
6741 with your program. In particular, you can send signals the usual
6742 way---for example, @kbd{C-c C-c} for an interrupt, @kbd{C-c C-z} for a
6743 stop.
6744
6745 @itemize @bullet
6746 @item
6747 _GDBN__ displays source code through Emacs.
6748 @end itemize
6749
6750 Each time _GDBN__ displays a stack frame, Emacs automatically finds the
6751 source file for that frame and puts an arrow (_0__@samp{=>}_1__) at the
6752 left margin of the current line. Emacs uses a separate buffer for
6753 source display, and splits the window to show both your _GDBN__ session
6754 and the source.
6755
6756 Explicit _GDBN__ @code{list} or search commands still produce output as
6757 usual, but you probably will have no reason to use them.
6758
6759 @quotation
6760 @emph{Warning:} If the directory where your program resides is not your
6761 current directory, it can be easy to confuse Emacs about the location of
6762 the source files, in which case the auxiliary display buffer will not
6763 appear to show your source. _GDBN__ can find programs by searching your
6764 environment's @code{PATH} variable, so the _GDBN__ input and output
6765 session will proceed normally; but Emacs does not get enough information
6766 back from _GDBN__ to locate the source files in this situation. To
6767 avoid this problem, either start _GDBN__ mode from the directory where
6768 your program resides, or specify a full path name when prompted for the
6769 @kbd{M-x gdb} argument.
6770
6771 A similar confusion can result if you use the _GDBN__ @code{file} command to
6772 switch to debugging a program in some other location, from an existing
6773 _GDBN__ buffer in Emacs.
6774 @end quotation
6775
6776 By default, @kbd{M-x gdb} calls the program called @file{gdb}. If
6777 you need to call _GDBN__ by a different name (for example, if you keep
6778 several configurations around, with different names) you can set the
6779 Emacs variable @code{gdb-command-name}; for example,
6780
6781 @example
6782 (setq gdb-command-name "mygdb")
6783 @end example
6784
6785 @noindent
6786 (preceded by @kbd{ESC ESC}, or typed in the @code{*scratch*} buffer, or
6787 in your @file{.emacs} file) will make Emacs call the program named
6788 ``@code{mygdb}'' instead.
6789
6790 In the _GDBN__ I/O buffer, you can use these special Emacs commands in
6791 addition to the standard Shell mode commands:
6792
6793 @table @kbd
6794 @item C-h m
6795 Describe the features of Emacs' _GDBN__ Mode.
6796
6797 @item M-s
6798 Execute to another source line, like the _GDBN__ @code{step} command; also
6799 update the display window to show the current file and location.
6800
6801 @item M-n
6802 Execute to next source line in this function, skipping all function
6803 calls, like the _GDBN__ @code{next} command. Then update the display window
6804 to show the current file and location.
6805
6806 @item M-i
6807 Execute one instruction, like the _GDBN__ @code{stepi} command; update
6808 display window accordingly.
6809
6810 @item M-x gdb-nexti
6811 Execute to next instruction, using the _GDBN__ @code{nexti} command; update
6812 display window accordingly.
6813
6814 @item C-c C-f
6815 Execute until exit from the selected stack frame, like the _GDBN__
6816 @code{finish} command.
6817
6818 @item M-c
6819 Continue execution of your program, like the _GDBN__ @code{continue}
6820 command.
6821
6822 @emph{Warning:} In Emacs v19, this command is @kbd{C-c C-p}.
6823
6824 @item M-u
6825 Go up the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument
6826 (@pxref{Arguments, , Numeric Arguments, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}),
6827 like the _GDBN__ @code{up} command.
6828
6829 @emph{Warning:} In Emacs v19, this command is @kbd{C-c C-u}.
6830
6831 @item M-d
6832 Go down the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument, like the
6833 _GDBN__ @code{down} command.
6834
6835 @emph{Warning:} In Emacs v19, this command is @kbd{C-c C-d}.
6836
6837 @item C-x &
6838 Read the number where the cursor is positioned, and insert it at the end
6839 of the _GDBN__ I/O buffer. For example, if you wish to disassemble code
6840 around an address that was displayed earlier, type @kbd{disassemble};
6841 then move the cursor to the address display, and pick up the
6842 argument for @code{disassemble} by typing @kbd{C-x &}.
6843
6844 You can customize this further on the fly by defining elements of the list
6845 @code{gdb-print-command}; once it is defined, you can format or
6846 otherwise process numbers picked up by @kbd{C-x &} before they are
6847 inserted. A numeric argument to @kbd{C-x &} will both indicate that you
6848 wish special formatting, and act as an index to pick an element of the
6849 list. If the list element is a string, the number to be inserted is
6850 formatted using the Emacs function @code{format}; otherwise the number
6851 is passed as an argument to the corresponding list element.
6852 @end table
6853
6854 In any source file, the Emacs command @kbd{C-x SPC} (@code{gdb-break})
6855 tells _GDBN__ to set a breakpoint on the source line point is on.
6856
6857 If you accidentally delete the source-display buffer, an easy way to get
6858 it back is to type the command @code{f} in the _GDBN__ buffer, to
6859 request a frame display; when you run under Emacs, this will recreate
6860 the source buffer if necessary to show you the context of the current
6861 frame.
6862
6863 The source files displayed in Emacs are in ordinary Emacs buffers
6864 which are visiting the source files in the usual way. You can edit
6865 the files with these buffers if you wish; but keep in mind that _GDBN__
6866 communicates with Emacs in terms of line numbers. If you add or
6867 delete lines from the text, the line numbers that _GDBN__ knows will cease
6868 to correspond properly to the code.
6869
6870 @c The following dropped because Epoch is nonstandard. Reactivate
6871 @c if/when v19 does something similar. ---pesch@cygnus.com 19dec1990
6872 @ignore
6873 @kindex emacs epoch environment
6874 @kindex epoch
6875 @kindex inspect
6876
6877 Version 18 of Emacs has a built-in window system called the @code{epoch}
6878 environment. Users of this environment can use a new command,
6879 @code{inspect} which performs identically to @code{print} except that
6880 each value is printed in its own window.
6881 @end ignore
6882
6883 @node _GDBN__ Bugs, Renamed Commands, Emacs, Top
6884 @chapter Reporting Bugs in _GDBN__
6885 @cindex Bugs in _GDBN__
6886 @cindex Reporting Bugs in _GDBN__
6887
6888 Your bug reports play an essential role in making _GDBN__ reliable.
6889
6890 Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or it
6891 may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is to help
6892 the entire community by making the next version of _GDBN__ work better. Bug
6893 reports are your contribution to the maintenance of _GDBN__.
6894
6895 In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
6896 information that enables us to fix the bug.
6897
6898 @menu
6899 * Bug Criteria:: Have You Found a Bug?
6900 * Bug Reporting:: How to Report Bugs
6901 @end menu
6902
6903 @node Bug Criteria, Bug Reporting, _GDBN__ Bugs, _GDBN__ Bugs
6904 @section Have You Found a Bug?
6905 @cindex Bug Criteria
6906
6907 If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
6908
6909 @itemize @bullet
6910 @item
6911 @cindex Fatal Signal
6912 @cindex Core Dump
6913 If the debugger gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is a
6914 _GDBN__ bug. Reliable debuggers never crash.
6915
6916 @item
6917 @cindex error on Valid Input
6918 If _GDBN__ produces an error message for valid input, that is a bug.
6919
6920 @item
6921 @cindex Invalid Input
6922 If _GDBN__ does not produce an error message for invalid input,
6923 that is a bug. However, you should note that your idea of
6924 ``invalid input'' might be our idea of ``an extension'' or ``support
6925 for traditional practice''.
6926
6927 @item
6928 If you are an experienced user of debugging tools, your suggestions
6929 for improvement of _GDBN__ are welcome in any case.
6930 @end itemize
6931
6932 @node Bug Reporting, , Bug Criteria, _GDBN__ Bugs
6933 @section How to Report Bugs
6934 @cindex Bug Reports
6935 @cindex _GDBN__ Bugs, Reporting
6936
6937 A number of companies and individuals offer support for GNU products.
6938 If you obtained _GDBN__ from a support organization, we recommend you
6939 contact that organization first.
6940
6941 Contact information for many support companies and individuals is
6942 available in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the GNU Emacs distribution.
6943
6944 In any event, we also recommend that you send bug reports for _GDBN__ to one
6945 of these addresses:
6946
6947 @example
6948 bug-gdb@@prep.ai.mit.edu
6949 @{ucbvax|mit-eddie|uunet@}!prep.ai.mit.edu!bug-gdb
6950 @end example
6951
6952 @strong{Do not send bug reports to @samp{info-gdb}, or to
6953 @samp{help-gdb}, or to any newsgroups.} Most users of _GDBN__ do not want to
6954 receive bug reports. Those that do, have arranged to receive @samp{bug-gdb}.
6955
6956 The mailing list @samp{bug-gdb} has a newsgroup @samp{gnu.gdb.bug} which
6957 serves as a repeater. The mailing list and the newsgroup carry exactly
6958 the same messages. Often people think of posting bug reports to the
6959 newsgroup instead of mailing them. This appears to work, but it has one
6960 problem which can be crucial: a newsgroup posting often lacks a mail
6961 path back to the sender. Thus, if we need to ask for more information,
6962 we may be unable to reach you. For this reason, it is better to send
6963 bug reports to the mailing list.
6964
6965 As a last resort, send bug reports on paper to:
6966
6967 @example
6968 GNU Debugger Bugs
6969 Free Software Foundation
6970 545 Tech Square
6971 Cambridge, MA 02139
6972 @end example
6973
6974 The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
6975 @strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
6976 fact or leave it out, state it!
6977
6978 Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
6979 problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
6980 assume that the name of the variable you use in an example does not matter.
6981 Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is a
6982 stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where that
6983 name is stored in memory; perhaps, if the name were different, the contents
6984 of that location would fool the debugger into doing the right thing despite
6985 the bug. Play it safe and give a specific, complete example. That is the
6986 easiest thing for you to do, and the most helpful.
6987
6988 Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix
6989 the bug if it is new to us. It is not as important as what happens if
6990 the bug is already known. Therefore, always write your bug reports on
6991 the assumption that the bug has not been reported previously.
6992
6993 Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
6994 bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
6995 @emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
6996 bugs properly.
6997
6998 To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
6999
7000 @itemize @bullet
7001 @item
7002 The version of _GDBN__. _GDBN__ announces it if you start with no
7003 arguments; you can also print it at any time using @code{show version}.
7004
7005 Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
7006 the bug in the current version of _GDBN__.
7007
7008 @item
7009 The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
7010 version number.
7011
7012 @item
7013 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile _GDBN__---e.g.
7014 ``_GCC__-2.0''.
7015
7016 @item
7017 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the program you
7018 are debugging---e.g. ``_GCC__-2.0''.
7019
7020 @item
7021 The command arguments you gave the compiler to compile your example and
7022 observe the bug. For example, did you use @samp{-O}? To guarantee
7023 you will not omit something important, list them all. A copy of the
7024 Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
7025
7026 If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
7027 and then we might not encounter the bug.
7028
7029 @item
7030 A complete input script, and all necessary source files, that will
7031 reproduce the bug.
7032
7033 @item
7034 A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
7035 incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
7036
7037 Of course, if the bug is that _GDBN__ gets a fatal signal, then we will
7038 certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might not
7039 notice unless it is glaringly wrong. We are human, after all. You
7040 might as well not give us a chance to make a mistake.
7041
7042 Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
7043 say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as,
7044 your copy of _GDBN__ is out of synch, or you have encountered a
7045 bug in the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy
7046 might crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash,
7047 then when ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not
7048 happening for us. If you had not told us to expect a crash, then we
7049 would not be able to draw any conclusion from our observations.
7050
7051 @item
7052 If you wish to suggest changes to the _GDBN__ source, send us context
7053 diffs. If you even discuss something in the _GDBN__ source, refer to
7054 it by context, not by line number.
7055
7056 The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
7057 sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
7058 @end itemize
7059
7060 Here are some things that are not necessary:
7061
7062 @itemize @bullet
7063 @item
7064 A description of the envelope of the bug.
7065
7066 Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
7067 which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
7068 changes will not affect it.
7069
7070 This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
7071 will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
7072 with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
7073 We recommend that you save your time for something else.
7074
7075 Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
7076 of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
7077 output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
7078 less time, etc.
7079
7080 However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
7081 report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
7082
7083 @item
7084 A patch for the bug.
7085
7086 A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
7087 the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
7088 a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
7089 to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
7090
7091 Sometimes with a program as complicated as _GDBN__ it is very hard to
7092 construct an example that will make the program follow a certain path
7093 through the code. If you do not send us the example, we will not be able
7094 to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that the bug is fixed.
7095
7096 And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
7097 patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
7098 help us to understand.
7099
7100 @item
7101 A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
7102
7103 Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
7104 things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
7105 @end itemize
7106
7107 @c Note: no need to update nodes for rdl-apps.texi since it appears
7108 @c *only* in the TeX version of the manual.
7109 @c Note: eventually, make a cross reference to the readline Info nodes.
7110 @iftex
7111 @c appendices describing GNU readline. Distributed with readline code.
7112 @include rluser.texinfo
7113 @include inc-hist.texi
7114 @end iftex
7115
7116 @node Renamed Commands, Installing GDB, _GDBN__ Bugs, Top
7117 @appendix Renamed Commands
7118
7119 The following commands were renamed in GDB 4, in order to make the
7120 command set as a whole more consistent and easier to use and remember:
7121
7122 @kindex add-syms
7123 @kindex delete environment
7124 @kindex info copying
7125 @kindex info convenience
7126 @kindex info directories
7127 @kindex info editing
7128 @kindex info history
7129 @kindex info targets
7130 @kindex info values
7131 @kindex info version
7132 @kindex info warranty
7133 @kindex set addressprint
7134 @kindex set arrayprint
7135 @kindex set prettyprint
7136 @kindex set screen-height
7137 @kindex set screen-width
7138 @kindex set unionprint
7139 @kindex set vtblprint
7140 @kindex set demangle
7141 @kindex set asm-demangle
7142 @kindex set sevenbit-strings
7143 @kindex set array-max
7144 @kindex set caution
7145 @kindex set history write
7146 @kindex show addressprint
7147 @kindex show arrayprint
7148 @kindex show prettyprint
7149 @kindex show screen-height
7150 @kindex show screen-width
7151 @kindex show unionprint
7152 @kindex show vtblprint
7153 @kindex show demangle
7154 @kindex show asm-demangle
7155 @kindex show sevenbit-strings
7156 @kindex show array-max
7157 @kindex show caution
7158 @kindex show history write
7159 @kindex unset
7160
7161 @c TEXI2ROFF-KILL
7162 @ifinfo
7163 @c END TEXI2ROFF-KILL
7164 @example
7165 OLD COMMAND NEW COMMAND
7166 @c TEXI2ROFF-KILL
7167 --------------- -------------------------------
7168 @c END TEXI2ROFF-KILL
7169 add-syms add-symbol-file
7170 delete environment unset environment
7171 info convenience show convenience
7172 info copying show copying
7173 info directories show directories
7174 info editing show commands
7175 info history show values
7176 info targets help target
7177 info values show values
7178 info version show version
7179 info warranty show warranty
7180 set/show addressprint set/show print address
7181 set/show array-max set/show print elements
7182 set/show arrayprint set/show print array
7183 set/show asm-demangle set/show print asm-demangle
7184 set/show caution set/show confirm
7185 set/show demangle set/show print demangle
7186 set/show history write set/show history save
7187 set/show prettyprint set/show print pretty
7188 set/show screen-height set/show height
7189 set/show screen-width set/show width
7190 set/show sevenbit-strings set/show print sevenbit-strings
7191 set/show unionprint set/show print union
7192 set/show vtblprint set/show print vtbl
7193
7194 unset [No longer an alias for delete]
7195 @end example
7196 @c TEXI2ROFF-KILL
7197 @end ifinfo
7198
7199 @tex
7200 \vskip \parskip\vskip \baselineskip
7201 \halign{\tt #\hfil &\qquad#&\tt #\hfil\cr
7202 {\bf Old Command} &&{\bf New Command}\cr
7203 add-syms &&add-symbol-file\cr
7204 delete environment &&unset environment\cr
7205 info convenience &&show convenience\cr
7206 info copying &&show copying\cr
7207 info directories &&show directories \cr
7208 info editing &&show commands\cr
7209 info history &&show values\cr
7210 info targets &&help target\cr
7211 info values &&show values\cr
7212 info version &&show version\cr
7213 info warranty &&show warranty\cr
7214 set{\rm / }show addressprint &&set{\rm / }show print address\cr
7215 set{\rm / }show array-max &&set{\rm / }show print elements\cr
7216 set{\rm / }show arrayprint &&set{\rm / }show print array\cr
7217 set{\rm / }show asm-demangle &&set{\rm / }show print asm-demangle\cr
7218 set{\rm / }show caution &&set{\rm / }show confirm\cr
7219 set{\rm / }show demangle &&set{\rm / }show print demangle\cr
7220 set{\rm / }show history write &&set{\rm / }show history save\cr
7221 set{\rm / }show prettyprint &&set{\rm / }show print pretty\cr
7222 set{\rm / }show screen-height &&set{\rm / }show height\cr
7223 set{\rm / }show screen-width &&set{\rm / }show width\cr
7224 set{\rm / }show sevenbit-strings &&set{\rm / }show print sevenbit-strings\cr
7225 set{\rm / }show unionprint &&set{\rm / }show print union\cr
7226 set{\rm / }show vtblprint &&set{\rm / }show print vtbl\cr
7227 \cr
7228 unset &&\rm(No longer an alias for delete)\cr
7229 }
7230 @end tex
7231 @c END TEXI2ROFF-KILL
7232
7233 @node Installing GDB, Copying, Renamed Commands, Top
7234 @appendix Installing GDB
7235 @cindex configuring GDB
7236 @cindex installation
7237
7238 @iftex
7239 @c irrelevant in info file; it's as current as the code it lives with.
7240 @quotation
7241 @emph{Warning:} These installation instructions are current as of
7242 GDB version _GDB_VN__. If you're installing a more recent release
7243 of GDB, we may have improved the installation procedures since
7244 printing this manual; see the @file{README} file included in your
7245 release for the most recent instructions.
7246 @end quotation
7247 @end iftex
7248
7249 GDB comes with a @code{configure} script that automates the process
7250 of preparing GDB for installation; you can then use @code{make} to
7251 build the program.
7252
7253 The GDB distribution includes all the source code you need for GDB in
7254 a single directory, whose name is usually composed by appending the
7255 version number to @samp{gdb}.
7256
7257 For example, the GDB version _GDB_VN__ distribution is in the @file{gdb-_GDB_VN__}
7258 directory. That directory contains:
7259
7260 @table @code
7261 @item gdb-_GDB_VN__/configure @r{(and supporting files)}
7262 script for configuring GDB and all its supporting libraries.
7263
7264 @item gdb-_GDB_VN__/gdb
7265 the source specific to GDB itself
7266
7267 @item gdb-_GDB_VN__/bfd
7268 source for the Binary File Descriptor Library
7269
7270 @item gdb-_GDB_VN__/include
7271 GNU include files
7272
7273 @item gdb-_GDB_VN__/libiberty
7274 source for the @samp{-liberty} free software library
7275
7276 @item gdb-_GDB_VN__/readline
7277 source for the GNU command-line interface
7278 @end table
7279
7280 The simplest way to configure and build GDB is to run @code{configure}
7281 from the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory, which in
7282 this example is the @file{gdb-_GDB_VN__} directory.
7283
7284 First switch to the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory
7285 if you are not already in it; then run @code{configure}. Pass the
7286 identifier for the platform on which GDB will run as an
7287 argument.
7288
7289 For example:
7290
7291 @example
7292 cd gdb-_GDB_VN__
7293 ./configure @var{host}
7294 make
7295 @end example
7296
7297 @noindent
7298 where @var{host} is an identifier such as @samp{sun4} or
7299 @samp{decstation}, that identifies the platform where GDB will run.
7300
7301 These @code{configure} and @code{make} commands build the three libraries @file{bfd},
7302 @file{readline}, and @file{libiberty}, then @code{gdb} itself. The
7303 configured source files, and the binaries, are left in the
7304 corresponding source directories.
7305
7306 @code{configure} is a Bourne-shell (@code{/bin/sh}) script; if your
7307 system does not recognize this automatically when you run a different
7308 shell, you may need to run @code{sh} on it explicitly:
7309
7310 @example
7311 sh configure @var{host}
7312 @end example
7313
7314 If you run @code{configure} from a directory that contains source
7315 directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the
7316 @file{gdb-_GDB_VN__} source directory for version _GDB_VN__, @code{configure}
7317 creates configuration files for every directory level underneath (unless
7318 you tell it not to, with the @samp{--norecursion} option).
7319
7320 You can run the @code{configure} script from any of the
7321 subordinate directories in the GDB distribution, if you only want to
7322 configure that subdirectory; but be sure to specify a path to it.
7323
7324 For example, with version _GDB_VN__, type the following to configure only
7325 the @code{bfd} subdirectory:
7326
7327 @example
7328 @group
7329 cd gdb-_GDB_VN__/bfd
7330 ../configure @var{host}
7331 @end group
7332 @end example
7333
7334 You can install @code{_GDBP__} anywhere; it has no hardwired paths.
7335 However, you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by
7336 the @samp{SHELL} environment variable) is publicly readable. Remember
7337 that GDB uses the shell to start your program---some systems refuse to
7338 let GDB debug child processes whose programs are not readable.
7339
7340 @menu
7341 * Separate Objdir:: Compiling GDB in another directory
7342 * Config Names:: Specifying names for hosts and targets
7343 * configure Options:: Summary of options for configure
7344 * Formatting Documentation:: How to format and print GDB documentation
7345 @end menu
7346
7347 @node Separate Objdir, Config Names, Installing GDB, Installing GDB
7348 @section Compiling GDB in Another Directory
7349
7350 If you want to run GDB versions for several host or target machines,
7351 you'll need a different @code{gdb} compiled for each combination of
7352 host and target. @code{configure} is designed to make this easy by
7353 allowing you to generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory,
7354 rather than in the source directory. If your @code{make} program
7355 handles the @samp{VPATH} feature (GNU @code{make} does), running
7356 @code{make} in each of these directories then builds the @code{gdb}
7357 program specified there.
7358
7359 To build @code{gdb} in a separate directory, run @code{configure}
7360 with the @samp{--srcdir} option to specify where to find the source.
7361 (Remember, you'll also need to specify a path to find @code{configure}
7362 itself from your working directory.)
7363
7364 For example, with version _GDB_VN__, you can build GDB in a separate
7365 directory for a Sun 4 like this:
7366
7367 @example
7368 @group
7369 cd gdb-_GDB_VN__
7370 mkdir ../gdb-sun4
7371 cd ../gdb-sun4
7372 ../gdb-_GDB_VN__/configure --srcdir=../gdb-_GDB_VN__ sun4
7373 make
7374 @end group
7375 @end example
7376
7377 When @code{configure} builds a configuration using a remote source
7378 directory, it creates a tree for the binaries with the same structure
7379 (and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory. In
7380 the example, you'd find the Sun 4 library @file{libiberty.a} in the
7381 directory @file{gdb-sun4/libiberty}, and GDB itself in
7382 @file{gdb-sun4/gdb}.
7383
7384 One popular use for building several GDB configurations in separate
7385 directories is to configure GDB for cross-compiling (where GDB
7386 runs on one machine---the host---while debugging programs that run on
7387 another machine---the target). You specify a cross-debugging target by
7388 giving the @samp{--target=@var{target}} option to @code{configure}.
7389
7390 When you run @code{make} to build a program or library, you must run
7391 it in a configured directory---whatever directory you were in when you
7392 called @code{configure} (or one of its subdirectories).
7393
7394 The @code{Makefile} generated by @code{configure} for each source
7395 directory also runs recursively. If you type @code{make} in a source
7396 directory such as @file{gdb-_GDB_VN__} (or in a separate configured
7397 directory configured with @samp{--srcdir=@var{path}/gdb-_GDB_VN__}), you
7398 will build all the required libraries, then build GDB.
7399
7400 When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
7401 directories, you can run @code{make} on them in parallel (for example,
7402 if they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not interfere
7403 with each other.
7404
7405 @node Config Names, configure Options, Separate Objdir, Installing GDB
7406 @section Specifying Names for Hosts and Targets
7407
7408 The specifications used for hosts and targets in the @code{configure}
7409 script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short predefined
7410 aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme encodes three pieces
7411 of information in the following pattern:
7412
7413 @example
7414 @var{architecture}-@var{vendor}-@var{os}
7415 @end example
7416
7417 For example, you can use the alias @code{sun4} as a @var{host} argument
7418 or in a @code{--target=@var{target}} option, but the equivalent full name
7419 is @samp{sparc-sun-sunos4}.
7420
7421 The following table shows all the architectures, hosts, and OS
7422 prefixes that @code{configure} recognizes in GDB version _GDB_VN__. Entries
7423 in the ``OS prefix'' column ending in a @samp{*} may be followed by a
7424 release number.
7425
7426 @c FIXME! Update for gdb 4.4
7427 @c TEXI2ROFF-KILL
7428 @ifinfo
7429 @c END TEXI2ROFF-KILL
7430 @example
7431
7432 ARCHITECTURE VENDOR OS prefix
7433 @c TEXI2ROFF-KILL
7434 ------------+--------------------------+---------------------------
7435 @c END TEXI2ROFF-KILL
7436 | |
7437 580 | altos hp | aix* msdos*
7438 a29k | amd ibm | amigados newsos*
7439 alliant | amdahl intel | aout nindy*
7440 arm | aout isi | bout osf*
7441 c1 | apollo little | bsd* sco*
7442 c2 | att mips | coff sunos*
7443 cray2 | bcs motorola | ctix* svr4
7444 h8300 | bout ncr | dgux* sym*
7445 i386 | bull next | dynix* sysv*
7446 i860 | cbm nyu | ebmon ultrix*
7447 i960 | coff sco | esix* unicos*
7448 m68000 | convergent sequent | hds unos*
7449 m68k | convex sgi | hpux* uts
7450 m88k | cray sony | irix* v88r*
7451 mips | dec sun | isc* vms*
7452 ns32k | encore unicom | kern vxworks*
7453 pyramid | gould utek | mach*
7454 romp | hitachi wrs |
7455 rs6000 | |
7456 sparc | |
7457 tahoe | |
7458 tron | |
7459 vax | |
7460 xmp | |
7461 ymp | |
7462 @end example
7463
7464 @c TEXI2ROFF-KILL
7465 @end ifinfo
7466 @tex
7467 %\vskip\parskip
7468 \vskip \baselineskip
7469 \hfil\vbox{\offinterlineskip
7470 \halign{\strut\tt #\hfil\ &\vrule#&\strut\ \tt #\hfil\ &\strut\ \tt #\hfil
7471 \ &\vrule#&\strut\ \tt #\hfil\ &\strut\ \tt #\hfil \cr
7472 {\bf Architecture} &&{\bf Vendor} &&&{\bf OS prefix}\cr
7473 \multispan7\hrulefill\cr
7474 580 && altos & hp && aix* & msdos* \cr
7475 a29k && amd & ibm && amigados & newsos* \cr
7476 alliant && amdahl & intel && aout & nindy* \cr
7477 arm && aout & isi && bout & osf* \cr
7478 c1 && apollo & little && bsd* & sco* \cr
7479 c2 && att & mips && coff & sunos* \cr
7480 cray2 && bcs & motorola && ctix* & svr4 \cr
7481 h8300 && bout & ncr && dgux* & sym* \cr
7482 i386 && bull & next && dynix* & sysv* \cr
7483 i860 && cbm & nyu && ebmon & ultrix* \cr
7484 i960 && coff & sco && esix* & unicos* \cr
7485 m68000 && convergent& sequent && hds & unos* \cr
7486 m68k && convex & sgi && hpux* & uts \cr
7487 m88k && cray & sony && irix* & v88r* \cr
7488 mips && dec & sun && isc* & vms* \cr
7489 ns32k && encore & unicom && kern & vxworks* \cr
7490 pyramid && gould & utek && mach* & \cr
7491 romp && hitachi & wrs && & \cr
7492 rs6000 && & && & \cr
7493 sparc && & && & \cr
7494 tahoe && & && & \cr
7495 tron && & && & \cr
7496 vax && & && & \cr
7497 xmp && & && & \cr
7498 ymp && & && & \cr
7499 }\hfil}
7500 @end tex
7501 @c END TEXI2ROFF-KILL
7502
7503 @quotation
7504 @emph{Warning:} @code{configure} can represent a very large number of
7505 combinations of architecture, vendor, and OS. There is by no means
7506 support available for all possible combinations!
7507 @end quotation
7508
7509 The @code{configure} script accompanying GDB does not provide
7510 any query facility to list all supported host and target names or
7511 aliases. @code{configure} calls the Bourne shell script
7512 @code{config.sub} to map abbreviations to full names; you can read the
7513 script, if you wish, or you can use it to test your guesses on
7514 abbreviations---for example:
7515
7516 @example
7517 % sh config.sub sun4
7518 sparc-sun-sunos4
7519 % sh config.sub sun3
7520 m68k-sun-sunos4
7521 % sh config.sub decstation
7522 mips-dec-ultrix
7523 % sh config.sub hp300bsd
7524 m68k-hp-bsd
7525 % sh config.sub i386v
7526 i386-none-sysv
7527 % sh config.sub i786v
7528 *** Configuration "i786v" not recognized
7529 @end example
7530
7531 @noindent
7532 @code{config.sub} is also distributed in the GDB source
7533 directory (@file{gdb-_GDB_VN__}, for version _GDB_VN__).
7534
7535 @node configure Options, Formatting Documentation, Config Names, Installing GDB
7536 @section @code{configure} Options
7537
7538 Here is a summary of all the @code{configure} options and arguments that
7539 you might use for building GDB:
7540
7541 @example
7542 configure @r{[}--destdir=@var{dir}@r{]} @r{[}--srcdir=@var{path}@r{]}
7543 @r{[}--norecursion@r{]} @r{[}--rm@r{]}
7544 @r{[}--target=@var{target}@r{]} @var{host}
7545 @end example
7546
7547 @noindent
7548 You may introduce options with a single @samp{-} rather than
7549 @samp{--} if you prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use
7550 @samp{--}.
7551
7552 @table @code
7553 @item --destdir=@var{dir}
7554 @var{dir} is an installation directory @emph{path prefix}. After you
7555 configure with this option, @code{make install} will install GDB as
7556 @file{@var{dir}/bin/gdb}, and the libraries in @file{@var{dir}/lib}.
7557 If you specify @samp{--destdir=/usr/local}, for example, @code{make
7558 install} creates @file{/usr/local/bin/gdb}.
7559
7560 @item --srcdir=@var{path}
7561 Use this option to make configurations in directories separate from the
7562 GDB source directories. Among other things, you can use this to
7563 build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously, in separate
7564 directories. @code{configure} writes configuration specific files in
7565 the current directory, but arranges for them to use the source in the
7566 directory @var{path}. @code{configure} will create directories under
7567 the working directory in parallel to the source directories below
7568 @var{path}.
7569
7570 @item --norecursion
7571 Configure only the directory level where @code{configure} is executed; do not
7572 propagate configuration to subdirectories.
7573
7574 @item --rm
7575 Remove the configuration that the other arguments specify.
7576
7577 @c This does not work (yet if ever). FIXME.
7578 @c @item --parse=@var{lang} @dots{}
7579 @c Configure the GDB expression parser to parse the listed languages.
7580 @c @samp{all} configures GDB for all supported languages. To get a
7581 @c list of all supported languages, omit the argument. Without this
7582 @c option, GDB is configured to parse all supported languages.
7583
7584 @item --target=@var{target}
7585 Configure GDB for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
7586 @var{target}. Without this option, GDB is configured to debug
7587 programs that run on the same machine (@var{host}) as GDB itself.
7588
7589 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available targets.
7590
7591 @item @var{host} @dots{}
7592 Configure GDB to run on the specified @var{host}.
7593
7594 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available hosts.
7595 @end table
7596
7597 @noindent
7598 @code{configure} accepts other options, for compatibility with
7599 configuring other GNU tools recursively; but these are the only
7600 options that affect GDB or its supporting libraries.
7601
7602 @node Formatting Documentation, , configure Options, Installing GDB
7603 @section Formatting the Documentation
7604
7605 All the documentation for GDB, including this manual, comes as part of
7606 the distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format,
7607 which is a documentation system that uses a single source file to
7608 produce both on-line information and a printed manual. You can use
7609 one of the Info formatting commands to create the on-line version of
7610 the documentation and @TeX{} (or @code{texi2roff}) to typeset the
7611 printed version.
7612
7613 GDB includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info version of
7614 this manual in the @file{gdb} subdirectory. The main Info file is
7615 @file{gdb-@var{version-number}/gdb/gdb.info}, and it refers to
7616 subordinate files matching @samp{gdb.info*} in the same directory.
7617
7618 If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
7619 Info formatting programs, such as @code{texinfo-format-buffer} or
7620 @code{makeinfo}.
7621
7622 If you have @code{makeinfo} installed, and are in the top level GDB
7623 source directory (@file{gdb-_GDB_VN__}, in the case of version _GDB_VN__), you can
7624 make the Info file by typing:
7625
7626 @example
7627 cd gdb
7628 make gdb.info
7629 @end example
7630
7631 If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need
7632 @TeX{}, a printing program such as @code{lpr}, and @file{texinfo.tex},
7633 the Texinfo definitions file.
7634
7635 @TeX{} is typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
7636 produces output files called @sc{dvi} files. To print a typeset
7637 document, you need a program to print @sc{dvi} files. If your system
7638 has @TeX{} installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise
7639 command to use depends on your system; @kbd{lpr -d} is common; another
7640 is @kbd{dvips}. The @sc{dvi} print command may require a file name
7641 without any extension or a @samp{.dvi} extension.
7642
7643 @TeX{} also requires a macro definitions file called
7644 @file{texinfo.tex}. This file tells @TeX{} how to typeset a document
7645 written in Texinfo format. On its own, @TeX{} cannot read, much less
7646 typeset a Texinfo file. @file{texinfo.tex} is distributed with GDB
7647 and is located in the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}/texinfo}
7648 directory.
7649
7650 If you have @TeX{} and a @sc{dvi} printer program installed, you can
7651 typeset and print this manual. First switch to the the @file{gdb}
7652 subdirectory of the main source directory (for example, to
7653 @file{gdb-_GDB_VN__/gdb}) and then type:
7654
7655 @example
7656 make gdb.dvi
7657 @end example
7658
7659 @cindex GDB reference card
7660 @cindex reference card
7661 In addition to the manual, the GDB 4 release includes a three-column
7662 reference card. Format the GDB reference card by typing:
7663
7664 @example
7665 make refcard.dvi
7666 @end example
7667
7668 The GDB reference card is designed to print in landscape mode on US
7669 ``letter'' size paper; that is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches
7670 high. You will need to specify this form of printing as an option to
7671 your @sc{dvi} output program.
7672
7673 The GDB 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready
7674 for printing on a PostScript or GhostScript printer, in the @file{gdb}
7675 subdirectory of the main source directory---in
7676 @file{gdb-4.2/gdb/refcard.ps} of the version 4.2 release. If you have
7677 a PostScript or GhostScript printer, you can print the reference card
7678 by just sending @file{refcard.ps} to the printer.
7679
7680 @node Copying, Index, Installing GDB, Top
7681 @unnumbered GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
7682 @center Version 2, June 1991
7683
7684 @display
7685 Copyright @copyright{} 1989, 1991 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
7686 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
7687
7688 Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies
7689 of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.
7690 @end display
7691
7692 @unnumberedsec Preamble
7693
7694 The licenses for most software are designed to take away your
7695 freedom to share and change it. By contrast, the GNU General Public
7696 License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free
7697 software---to make sure the software is free for all its users. This
7698 General Public License applies to most of the Free Software
7699 Foundation's software and to any other program whose authors commit to
7700 using it. (Some other Free Software Foundation software is covered by
7701 the GNU Library General Public License instead.) You can apply it to
7702 your programs, too.
7703
7704 When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not
7705 price. Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you
7706 have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for
7707 this service if you wish), that you receive source code or can get it
7708 if you want it, that you can change the software or use pieces of it
7709 in new free programs; and that you know you can do these things.
7710
7711 To protect your rights, we need to make restrictions that forbid
7712 anyone to deny you these rights or to ask you to surrender the rights.
7713 These restrictions translate to certain responsibilities for you if you
7714 distribute copies of the software, or if you modify it.
7715
7716 For example, if you distribute copies of such a program, whether
7717 gratis or for a fee, you must give the recipients all the rights that
7718 you have. You must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the
7719 source code. And you must show them these terms so they know their
7720 rights.
7721
7722 We protect your rights with two steps: (1) copyright the software, and
7723 (2) offer you this license which gives you legal permission to copy,
7724 distribute and/or modify the software.
7725
7726 Also, for each author's protection and ours, we want to make certain
7727 that everyone understands that there is no warranty for this free
7728 software. If the software is modified by someone else and passed on, we
7729 want its recipients to know that what they have is not the original, so
7730 that any problems introduced by others will not reflect on the original
7731 authors' reputations.
7732
7733 Finally, any free program is threatened constantly by software
7734 patents. We wish to avoid the danger that redistributors of a free
7735 program will individually obtain patent licenses, in effect making the
7736 program proprietary. To prevent this, we have made it clear that any
7737 patent must be licensed for everyone's free use or not licensed at all.
7738
7739 The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution and
7740 modification follow.
7741
7742 @iftex
7743 @unnumberedsec TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION
7744 @end iftex
7745 @ifinfo
7746 @center TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION
7747 @end ifinfo
7748
7749 @enumerate
7750 @item
7751 This License applies to any program or other work which contains
7752 a notice placed by the copyright holder saying it may be distributed
7753 under the terms of this General Public License. The ``Program'', below,
7754 refers to any such program or work, and a ``work based on the Program''
7755 means either the Program or any derivative work under copyright law:
7756 that is to say, a work containing the Program or a portion of it,
7757 either verbatim or with modifications and/or translated into another
7758 language. (Hereinafter, translation is included without limitation in
7759 the term ``modification''.) Each licensee is addressed as ``you''.
7760
7761 Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not
7762 covered by this License; they are outside its scope. The act of
7763 running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the Program
7764 is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the
7765 Program (independent of having been made by running the Program).
7766 Whether that is true depends on what the Program does.
7767
7768 @item
7769 You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Program's
7770 source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you
7771 conspicuously and appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate
7772 copyright notice and disclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the
7773 notices that refer to this License and to the absence of any warranty;
7774 and give any other recipients of the Program a copy of this License
7775 along with the Program.
7776
7777 You may charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy, and
7778 you may at your option offer warranty protection in exchange for a fee.
7779
7780 @item
7781 You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion
7782 of it, thus forming a work based on the Program, and copy and
7783 distribute such modifications or work under the terms of Section 1
7784 above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions:
7785
7786 @enumerate a
7787 @item
7788 You must cause the modified files to carry prominent notices
7789 stating that you changed the files and the date of any change.
7790
7791 @item
7792 You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in
7793 whole or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any
7794 part thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third
7795 parties under the terms of this License.
7796
7797 @item
7798 If the modified program normally reads commands interactively
7799 when run, you must cause it, when started running for such
7800 interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an
7801 announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a
7802 notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide
7803 a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under
7804 these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this
7805 License. (Exception: if the Program itself is interactive but
7806 does not normally print such an announcement, your work based on
7807 the Program is not required to print an announcement.)
7808 @end enumerate
7809
7810 These requirements apply to the modified work as a whole. If
7811 identifiable sections of that work are not derived from the Program,
7812 and can be reasonably considered independent and separate works in
7813 themselves, then this License, and its terms, do not apply to those
7814 sections when you distribute them as separate works. But when you
7815 distribute the same sections as part of a whole which is a work based
7816 on the Program, the distribution of the whole must be on the terms of
7817 this License, whose permissions for other licensees extend to the
7818 entire whole, and thus to each and every part regardless of who wrote it.
7819
7820 Thus, it is not the intent of this section to claim rights or contest
7821 your rights to work written entirely by you; rather, the intent is to
7822 exercise the right to control the distribution of derivative or
7823 collective works based on the Program.
7824
7825 In addition, mere aggregation of another work not based on the Program
7826 with the Program (or with a work based on the Program) on a volume of
7827 a storage or distribution medium does not bring the other work under
7828 the scope of this License.
7829
7830 @item
7831 You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it,
7832 under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of
7833 Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:
7834
7835 @enumerate a
7836 @item
7837 Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable
7838 source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections
7839 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,
7840
7841 @item
7842 Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three
7843 years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your
7844 cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete
7845 machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be
7846 distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium
7847 customarily used for software interchange; or,
7848
7849 @item
7850 Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer
7851 to distribute corresponding source code. (This alternative is
7852 allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you
7853 received the program in object code or executable form with such
7854 an offer, in accord with Subsection b above.)
7855 @end enumerate
7856
7857 The source code for a work means the preferred form of the work for
7858 making modifications to it. For an executable work, complete source
7859 code means all the source code for all modules it contains, plus any
7860 associated interface definition files, plus the scripts used to
7861 control compilation and installation of the executable. However, as a
7862 special exception, the source code distributed need not include
7863 anything that is normally distributed (in either source or binary
7864 form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the
7865 operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component
7866 itself accompanies the executable.
7867
7868 If distribution of executable or object code is made by offering
7869 access to copy from a designated place, then offering equivalent
7870 access to copy the source code from the same place counts as
7871 distribution of the source code, even though third parties are not
7872 compelled to copy the source along with the object code.
7873
7874 @item
7875 You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Program
7876 except as expressly provided under this License. Any attempt
7877 otherwise to copy, modify, sublicense or distribute the Program is
7878 void, and will automatically terminate your rights under this License.
7879 However, parties who have received copies, or rights, from you under
7880 this License will not have their licenses terminated so long as such
7881 parties remain in full compliance.
7882
7883 @item
7884 You are not required to accept this License, since you have not
7885 signed it. However, nothing else grants you permission to modify or
7886 distribute the Program or its derivative works. These actions are
7887 prohibited by law if you do not accept this License. Therefore, by
7888 modifying or distributing the Program (or any work based on the
7889 Program), you indicate your acceptance of this License to do so, and
7890 all its terms and conditions for copying, distributing or modifying
7891 the Program or works based on it.
7892
7893 @item
7894 Each time you redistribute the Program (or any work based on the
7895 Program), the recipient automatically receives a license from the
7896 original licensor to copy, distribute or modify the Program subject to
7897 these terms and conditions. You may not impose any further
7898 restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein.
7899 You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties to
7900 this License.
7901
7902 @item
7903 If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent
7904 infringement or for any other reason (not limited to patent issues),
7905 conditions are imposed on you (whether by court order, agreement or
7906 otherwise) that contradict the conditions of this License, they do not
7907 excuse you from the conditions of this License. If you cannot
7908 distribute so as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this
7909 License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you
7910 may not distribute the Program at all. For example, if a patent
7911 license would not permit royalty-free redistribution of the Program by
7912 all those who receive copies directly or indirectly through you, then
7913 the only way you could satisfy both it and this License would be to
7914 refrain entirely from distribution of the Program.
7915
7916 If any portion of this section is held invalid or unenforceable under
7917 any particular circumstance, the balance of the section is intended to
7918 apply and the section as a whole is intended to apply in other
7919 circumstances.
7920
7921 It is not the purpose of this section to induce you to infringe any
7922 patents or other property right claims or to contest validity of any
7923 such claims; this section has the sole purpose of protecting the
7924 integrity of the free software distribution system, which is
7925 implemented by public license practices. Many people have made
7926 generous contributions to the wide range of software distributed
7927 through that system in reliance on consistent application of that
7928 system; it is up to the author/donor to decide if he or she is willing
7929 to distribute software through any other system and a licensee cannot
7930 impose that choice.
7931
7932 This section is intended to make thoroughly clear what is believed to
7933 be a consequence of the rest of this License.
7934
7935 @item
7936 If the distribution and/or use of the Program is restricted in
7937 certain countries either by patents or by copyrighted interfaces, the
7938 original copyright holder who places the Program under this License
7939 may add an explicit geographical distribution limitation excluding
7940 those countries, so that distribution is permitted only in or among
7941 countries not thus excluded. In such case, this License incorporates
7942 the limitation as if written in the body of this License.
7943
7944 @item
7945 The Free Software Foundation may publish revised and/or new versions
7946 of the General Public License from time to time. Such new versions will
7947 be similar in spirit to the present version, but may differ in detail to
7948 address new problems or concerns.
7949
7950 Each version is given a distinguishing version number. If the Program
7951 specifies a version number of this License which applies to it and ``any
7952 later version'', you have the option of following the terms and conditions
7953 either of that version or of any later version published by the Free
7954 Software Foundation. If the Program does not specify a version number of
7955 this License, you may choose any version ever published by the Free Software
7956 Foundation.
7957
7958 @item
7959 If you wish to incorporate parts of the Program into other free
7960 programs whose distribution conditions are different, write to the author
7961 to ask for permission. For software which is copyrighted by the Free
7962 Software Foundation, write to the Free Software Foundation; we sometimes
7963 make exceptions for this. Our decision will be guided by the two goals
7964 of preserving the free status of all derivatives of our free software and
7965 of promoting the sharing and reuse of software generally.
7966
7967 @iftex
7968 @heading NO WARRANTY
7969 @end iftex
7970 @ifinfo
7971 @center NO WARRANTY
7972 @end ifinfo
7973
7974 @item
7975 BECAUSE THE PROGRAM IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY
7976 FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN
7977 OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES
7978 PROVIDE THE PROGRAM ``AS IS'' WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED
7979 OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
7980 MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS
7981 TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE
7982 PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING,
7983 REPAIR OR CORRECTION.
7984
7985 @item
7986 IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING
7987 WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR
7988 REDISTRIBUTE THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES,
7989 INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING
7990 OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED
7991 TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY
7992 YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER
7993 PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
7994 POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
7995 @end enumerate
7996
7997 @iftex
7998 @heading END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
7999 @end iftex
8000 @ifinfo
8001 @center END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
8002 @end ifinfo
8003
8004 @page
8005 @unnumberedsec Applying These Terms to Your New Programs
8006
8007 If you develop a new program, and you want it to be of the greatest
8008 possible use to the public, the best way to achieve this is to make it
8009 free software which everyone can redistribute and change under these terms.
8010
8011 To do so, attach the following notices to the program. It is safest
8012 to attach them to the start of each source file to most effectively
8013 convey the exclusion of warranty; and each file should have at least
8014 the ``copyright'' line and a pointer to where the full notice is found.
8015
8016 @smallexample
8017 @var{one line to give the program's name and an idea of what it does.}
8018 Copyright (C) 19@var{yy} @var{name of author}
8019
8020 This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
8021 modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
8022 as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
8023 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
8024
8025 This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
8026 but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
8027 MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
8028 GNU General Public License for more details.
8029
8030 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
8031 along with this program; if not, write to the
8032 Free Software Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave,
8033 Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
8034 @end smallexample
8035
8036 Also add information on how to contact you by electronic and paper mail.
8037
8038 If the program is interactive, make it output a short notice like this
8039 when it starts in an interactive mode:
8040
8041 @smallexample
8042 Gnomovision version 69, Copyright (C) 19@var{yy} @var{name of author}
8043 Gnomovision comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details
8044 type `show w'. This is free software, and you are welcome
8045 to redistribute it under certain conditions; type `show c'
8046 for details.
8047 @end smallexample
8048
8049 The hypothetical commands @samp{show w} and @samp{show c} should show
8050 the appropriate parts of the General Public License. Of course, the
8051 commands you use may be called something other than @samp{show w} and
8052 @samp{show c}; they could even be mouse-clicks or menu items---whatever
8053 suits your program.
8054
8055 You should also get your employer (if you work as a programmer) or your
8056 school, if any, to sign a ``copyright disclaimer'' for the program, if
8057 necessary. Here is a sample; alter the names:
8058
8059 @example
8060 Yoyodyne, Inc., hereby disclaims all copyright
8061 interest in the program `Gnomovision'
8062 (which makes passes at compilers) written
8063 by James Hacker.
8064
8065 @var{signature of Ty Coon}, 1 April 1989
8066 Ty Coon, President of Vice
8067 @end example
8068
8069 This General Public License does not permit incorporating your program into
8070 proprietary programs. If your program is a subroutine library, you may
8071 consider it more useful to permit linking proprietary applications with the
8072 library. If this is what you want to do, use the GNU Library General
8073 Public License instead of this License.
8074
8075 @node Index, , Copying, Top
8076 @unnumbered Index
8077
8078 @printindex cp
8079
8080 @tex
8081 % I think something like @colophon should be in texinfo. In the
8082 % meantime:
8083 \long\def\colophon{\hbox to0pt{}\vfill
8084 \centerline{The body of this manual is set in}
8085 \centerline{\fontname\tenrm,}
8086 \centerline{with headings in {\bf\fontname\tenbf}}
8087 \centerline{and examples in {\tt\fontname\tentt}.}
8088 \centerline{{\it\fontname\tenit\/},}
8089 \centerline{{\bf\fontname\tenbf}, and}
8090 \centerline{{\sl\fontname\tensl\/}}
8091 \centerline{are used for emphasis.}\vfill}
8092 \page\colophon
8093 % Blame: pesch@cygnus.com, 1991.
8094 @end tex
8095
8096 @contents
8097 @bye
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