Re: [PATCH] add-symbol-file-from-memory command

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@elta.co.il>]

> Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 19:38:26 -0800
> From: Roland McGrath <roland@redhat.com>
> 
> This patch hasn't changed since the last time I posted it.  But I'm hoping
> that it will be approved this time.  This support (the underlying function,
> not the user command) is the last nontrivial piece required for backtraces
> from system calls to work right with vanilla Linux 2.6 kernels.  The only
> objections previously were not apropos, and noone said anything about the
> content of the code itself.  If there is valid cause not to put this in
> now, I hope I can see it stated clearly.

I have a couple of minor comments regarding the documentation and the
user interface:

> +  c = add_cmd ("add-symbol-file-from-memory", class_files,
> +	       add_symbol_file_from_memory_command,
> +	       "Usage: add-symbol-file-from-memory ADDR\n\
> +Load the symbols out of memory from a dynamically loaded object file.\n\
> +ADDR is the starting address of the file's shared object file header.",
> +	       &cmdlist);
> +

There are two problems with this command definition:

  . The first line of the doc string, up until the first \n, should
    be a short description of the command, since that is what GDB
    displays when several commands are listed (e.g., by `apropos' or
    `help files' commands).  [Yes, I know: `add-symbol-file' that is
    already there has the same problem.]

  . It is not entirely clear what could ADDR be.  Is that a numerical
    address, or something more flexible?  The reason that this is
    important is that the command's completion function should be set
    according to the possible arguments it could accept; as written,
    the command's completion will try to complete on symbol names,
    which I'm not sure to be appropriate.

Also, if this code is approved, please add to the manual a
description of the new command.

TIA

P.S.  This command is undocumented.  Could someone of the symfile.c
maintainers please document it?

>    c = add_cmd ("add-shared-symbol-files", class_files,
>  	       add_shared_symbol_files_command,
>     "Load the symbols from shared objects in the dynamic linker's link map.",