Re: [patch/rfc] Eliminate TARGET_BYTE_ORDER_SELECTABLE

Andrew Cagney
2002-01-19T16:57:11Z

> On Sat, Jan 19, 2002 at 12:58:36AM -0500, Andrew Cagney wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> All multi-arch targets (yep, including the i386) allow the byte order to
>> be selected at run time. This means that the macro
>> TARGET_BYTE_ORDER_SELECTABLE which was used by non-multi-arch targets is
>> obsolete.
>>
>> The attached patch eliminates that macro. I've tested it on a
>> multi-arch target and I don't think it breaks non-multi-arch targets.
>>
>> Anyway, I intend committing this in a few days.
>> Andrew
>
>
> Hmm, I don't know. Do we really want to do this? This allows, for
> instance, 'set endian big' on i386. That may someday make someone
> think that GDB supports such a beast, on the off chance one is ever
> made.

Ah, but we live in dangerous times :-)

TARGET_BYTE_ORDER_SELECTABLE, TARGET_BYTE_ORDER_SELECTABLE_P and even
TARGET_BYTE_ORDER_DEFAULT are all there just to prop up old pre-
multi-arch targets. They are not used by a multi-arch GDB.

All multi-arch architectures allow both big and little byte orders
(regardless of what the spec says). This lets the user do things like:

(gdb) print network_structure
(gdb) set endian big
(gdb) print network_structure

enjoy,
Andrew