GDB paper accepted for GCC summit

PAUL GILLIAM
2006-03-17T22:02:56Z

I have not received official word yet, but the following URL strongly
suggests that my proposal for a paper at the upcoming gcc summit has
been accepted.

http://www.gccsummit.org/2006/speakers.php

I was afraid that might happen.

Here is the abstract:

Recent Developments in GDB

Many programmers on many platforms depend on GDB to help them
find and fix bugs in their programs. Some of these programmers
use GDB directly and others indirectly through one of several
available graphical front-ends.

This paper summarizes major changes in GDB over the last few
years, starting with the release of GDB 6.0. These changes were
made in a number of areas, including: support for additional
architectures; internal changes and reorganizations aimed at
better supporting current and future architectures; new features
to help programmers debug their programs; and enhancements to
make GDB easier to use both for those who use it directly and
for those who write and maintain front ends.

Also included is an overview of the GDB community and how it
operates, touching on a recent overhaul in the way the community
interrelates to improve GDB.

I would really like to just be the editor and let *you*, the real GDB
experts, write it. I think that would be best for the GDB community,
and definitely for me 8-).

Failing that, I would like suggestions of which developments I should
research, using the News file, mailing lists, ChangeLog, and source code
as the sources.

Either way, I am depending on the GDB community to review the paper and
keep me from making a total fool of myself.

I will be gone all next week, so *please* send me your ideas, sentences,
paragraphs, sections, or heckles so that I can get a running start when
I begin work on the paper when I return.

-=# Paul Gilliam #=-

PS: Here is what I have so far, with out doing any research; depending
on my sieve-like memory.

New architectures and systems:

????

Internal changes and reorganizations:

* New framework for stack unwinding.
* More object-oriented ideas. Example: observers.

New user features:

* Checkpoints.

Enhancements:

* More robust and useful MI interface.
* Support for ADA (or is this a new user feature?)

Community reorganization:

* Patch champions.

As you can see, I have a lot of work to do and I really need your help.
(I'm not begging too much, am I?)