Re: -var-list --locals proposal

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> From: Vladimir Prus <ghost@cs.msu.su>
> Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2007 14:12:54 +0300
> Cc: gdb@sources.redhat.com
> > 
> > As you explain further, this will actually list all variables that are
> > visible in the current scope.  So a better name for this command would
> > be something like "-var-list --scope FRAME" or "-var-list --frame FRAME".
> 
> At the moment, the "KIND" option to -var-list is document as the kind of
> objects for which varobjs are creates. Say
> 
> 	-var-list --registers ...
> 
> creates varobjs for registers and
> 
> 	-var-list --locals
> 
> will create varobjs for locals. On the contrary,
> 
> 	-var-list --frame
> 
> would be somewhat inconsistent -- it does not create varobjs for frames.

Then perhaps we shouldn't reuse -var-list for this, but instead create
a new command entirely.

> > > I think that to avoid creating and destroying variable
> > > objects as we step though inner blocks, -var-list should construct
> > > varobjs for all variables in all blocks of a function.
> > 
> > Won't lazy creation (on as needed basis) be a better strategy?
> 
> It might be more efficient. However, different frontend have different ideas
> how to show local vars. I believe that XCode, for example, shows all
> locals as soon as you enter the function. Lazy creation would prevent such
> usage.

We shouldn't punish all front-ends because of what one of them does.
We could cater to XCode by providing a switch to do what it wants.