Re: [RFC PATCH 7/8] gdb/ctf: don't use psymtabs, create symtabs directly

Tom Tromey
2026-02-03T14:36:18Z

>>>>> "Jan" == Jan Vrany <jan@vrany.io> writes:

>> In order to access the symtabs, elfctf_build_symtabs installs the
>> expanded_symbols_functions quick_symbol_functions implementation, which
>> essentially searches in the existing symtabs.  I am pretty sure this is
>> not 100% correct, because this would search unrelated symtabs, if for
>> instance the CTF debug info co-existed with DWARF info.  But it's good
>> enough for a prototype.

Jan> True, but does that matter? Should that matter?

If it's possible then it could matter.

Consider if you have both a CTF and a DWARF "readnow" implementation
attached to an objfile. Now all searches are done twice -- probably
won't be incorrect but it will be slower.

In some earlier thread I proposed fixing this by adding a marker to the
compunit_symtab to record where it came from. Then the "expanded
symbols for JIT" expanded-symbols instance could limit its search.

However:

Jan> Also it seems to me that this version does not allow for both CTF and
Jan> DWARF in single objfile:

... do we have any spot any more that records symbols from multiple
readers? Since another option would be to get rid of that ability;
unless we think it'll be used again.

Tom