Two feature suggestions

Two feature suggestions

[Tom Tromey]

While debugging libgcj today I ran across a couple features I would
find useful.  These are applicable to both C++ and Java.

First, if you have a large inheritance tree, sometimes you don't know
the class which actually defines a given method.  For instance, in my
case I want to set a breakpoint on the `validate' method.  I'm looking
at an object of type `Window'.  Window doesn't implement validate, it
inherits it from its superclass.

I'd like to be able to type `b java.awt.Window.validate' and have gdb
find the actual implementation for me.  Traversing the inheritance
tree is more easily done by gdb than by me.

Also, in my case I only want a breakpoint for that method for my
particular window.  I'd like to be able to type something like:

    b <expression>.validate

and have it do something like:

    b java.awt.Window.validate
    cond this == <value of expression>

That is, set an object-specific breakpoint on the actual `validate'
method that will be called on the object I'm interested in.

These are both convenience operations -- I can do them by hand, but
I'd prefer that gdb do the lookups and such for me.

Tom

Re: Two feature suggestions

[Daniel Jacobowitz]

On Sat, Nov 09, 2002 at 03:25:43PM -0700, Tom Tromey wrote:
> While debugging libgcj today I ran across a couple features I would
> find useful.  These are applicable to both C++ and Java.
> 
> First, if you have a large inheritance tree, sometimes you don't know
> the class which actually defines a given method.  For instance, in my
> case I want to set a breakpoint on the `validate' method.  I'm looking
> at an object of type `Window'.  Window doesn't implement validate, it
> inherits it from its superclass.
> 
> I'd like to be able to type `b java.awt.Window.validate' and have gdb
> find the actual implementation for me.  Traversing the inheritance
> tree is more easily done by gdb than by me.

It should already do this.  If it doesn't then that's just one of many
ways our C++ support isn't coping with Java.

> Also, in my case I only want a breakpoint for that method for my
> particular window.  I'd like to be able to type something like:
> 
>     b <expression>.validate
> 
> and have it do something like:
> 
>     b java.awt.Window.validate
>     cond this == <value of expression>
> 
> That is, set an object-specific breakpoint on the actual `validate'
> method that will be called on the object I'm interested in.
> 
> These are both convenience operations -- I can do them by hand, but
> I'd prefer that gdb do the lookups and such for me.

I'm not so sure about this one; since you can already say this and it
will just breakpoint on the method...

-- 
Daniel Jacobowitz
MontaVista Software                         Debian GNU/Linux Developer