Re: gdb breaking down at printing variable

["André Pönitz" <andre.poenitz@nokia.com>]

On Thursday 26 August 2010 13:41:29 ext Vikas Mishra wrote:
> Hello Folks,
> 
> I am new to C++ but have used gdb in the past. I am using the python
> pretty print extensions to the GDB to print STL containers. I wanted
> to check with the mailing list about an issue that I was seeing
> recently.  I am seeing the issue both on Cygwin as well as in Linux.
> 
> Problem : Unable to print a vector during debugging.
> 
> How to reproduce it : I have attached a program which has two
> functions - main and split, It is a very simple program that takes a
> string and splits it into words (like Perl's split function). I am not
> able to print the variable "ret" anywhere in the "split" function.

This is most likely http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=44731 
i.e. not gdb's fault.

> What is observed : Error seen is "virtual memory exahusted: can't
> allocate xxxx bytes".
> 
> If I try to print "list_of_words" anywhere in the main function, it is
> behaving as expected.

This a consequence of above (gdb trying to read data from a wrong
location, triggered by the faulty debug information) but I am pretty
sure it can be triggered independently by uninitialized or corrupted
data in the "real" vector object containing the same "noise".

You should be able to verify that by creating such an object and
purposely corrupt it by overwriting it with the data you currently
get with, say,  p {char[12]}&ret.

Andre'