Re: [PATCH] Accept DWARF 3-format debug info

[David Anderson <davea42@earthlink.net>]

Damiel writes, about a supposed change in DW_FORM_ref_addr:

>References that use the attribute form DW_FORM_ref_addr are specified
        >to be four bytes in the DWARF 32-bit format and eight bytes in
        the
        >DWARF 64-bit format, while DWARF Version 2 specifies that such
        >references have the same size as an address on the target
        system >(see Sections 7.4 and 7.5.4).
        
        
This is a correct observation, but *the dwarf 2 document was wrong*.

We did this late in 1992 and simply botched the document.
Confusion and tiredness :-(
Same size as an address simply makes no sense, never did.

Till very recently I don't think anyone used DW_FORM_ref_addr.
I did get an inquiry from one person (about dwarfdump) that proved
one compiler supplier believes the dwarf2 document on this point. Recent
inquiry, I mean.

There should still be  FAQ on dwarf.freestandards.org which
says the DWARF2 doc was/is wrong (I wrote that FAQ).

What the dwarf3 doc says is what we always intended. It's an offset,
not an address. Misleading name of the form...

David Anderson (davea@sgi.com, writing from home)