This is gdb.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.1 from ./gdb.texinfo.

INFO-DIR-SECTION Programming & development tools.
START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
* Gdb: (gdb).                     The GNU debugger.
END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY

   This file documents the GNU debugger GDB.

   This is the Ninth Edition, December 2001, of `Debugging with GDB:
the GNU Source-Level Debugger' for GDB Version 5.2.1.

   Copyright (C) 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996,
1998,
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

   Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
Invariant Sections being "Free Software" and "Free Software Needs Free
Documentation", with the Front-Cover Texts being "A GNU Manual," and
with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below.

   (a) The Free Software Foundation's Back-Cover Text is: "You have
freedom to copy and modify this GNU Manual, like GNU software.  Copies
published by the Free Software Foundation raise funds for GNU
development."


File: gdb.info,  Node: Create and Delete Tracepoints,  Next: Enable and Disable Tracepoints,  Up: Set Tracepoints

Create and Delete Tracepoints
-----------------------------

`trace'
     The `trace' command is very similar to the `break' command.  Its
     argument can be a source line, a function name, or an address in
     the target program.  *Note Set Breaks::.  The `trace' command
     defines a tracepoint, which is a point in the target program where
     the debugger will briefly stop, collect some data, and then allow
     the program to continue.  Setting a tracepoint or changing its
     commands doesn't take effect until the next `tstart' command;
     thus, you cannot change the tracepoint attributes once a trace
     experiment is running.

     Here are some examples of using the `trace' command:

          (gdb) trace foo.c:121    // a source file and line number
          
          (gdb) trace +2           // 2 lines forward
          
          (gdb) trace my_function  // first source line of function
          
          (gdb) trace *my_function // EXACT start address of function
          
          (gdb) trace *0x2117c4    // an address

     You can abbreviate `trace' as `tr'.

     The convenience variable `$tpnum' records the tracepoint number of
     the most recently set tracepoint.

`delete tracepoint [NUM]'
     Permanently delete one or more tracepoints.  With no argument, the
     default is to delete all tracepoints.

     Examples:

          (gdb) delete trace 1 2 3 // remove three tracepoints
          
          (gdb) delete trace       // remove all tracepoints

     You can abbreviate this command as `del tr'.


File: gdb.info,  Node: Enable and Disable Tracepoints,  Next: Tracepoint Passcounts,  Prev: Create and Delete Tracepoints,  Up: Set Tracepoints

Enable and Disable Tracepoints
------------------------------

`disable tracepoint [NUM]'
     Disable tracepoint NUM, or all tracepoints if no argument NUM is
     given.  A disabled tracepoint will have no effect during the next
     trace experiment, but it is not forgotten.  You can re-enable a
     disabled tracepoint using the `enable tracepoint' command.

`enable tracepoint [NUM]'
     Enable tracepoint NUM, or all tracepoints.  The enabled
     tracepoints will become effective the next time a trace experiment
     is run.


File: gdb.info,  Node: Tracepoint Passcounts,  Next: Tracepoint Actions,  Prev: Enable and Disable Tracepoints,  Up: Set Tracepoints

Tracepoint Passcounts
---------------------

`passcount [N [NUM]]'
     Set the "passcount" of a tracepoint.  The passcount is a way to
     automatically stop a trace experiment.  If a tracepoint's
     passcount is N, then the trace experiment will be automatically
     stopped on the N'th time that tracepoint is hit.  If the
     tracepoint number NUM is not specified, the `passcount' command
     sets the passcount of the most recently defined tracepoint.  If no
     passcount is given, the trace experiment will run until stopped
     explicitly by the user.

     Examples:

          (gdb) passcount 5 2 // Stop on the 5th execution of
                                        `// tracepoint 2'

          (gdb) passcount 12  // Stop on the 12th execution of the
                                        `// most recently defined tracepoint.'
          (gdb) trace foo
          (gdb) pass 3
          (gdb) trace bar
          (gdb) pass 2
          (gdb) trace baz
          (gdb) pass 1        // Stop tracing when foo has been
                                         `// executed 3 times OR when bar has'
     `// been executed 2 times'
     `// OR when baz has been executed 1 time.'


File: gdb.info,  Node: Tracepoint Actions,  Next: Listing Tracepoints,  Prev: Tracepoint Passcounts,  Up: Set Tracepoints

Tracepoint Action Lists
-----------------------

`actions [NUM]'
     This command will prompt for a list of actions to be taken when the
     tracepoint is hit.  If the tracepoint number NUM is not specified,
     this command sets the actions for the one that was most recently
     defined (so that you can define a tracepoint and then say
     `actions' without bothering about its number).  You specify the
     actions themselves on the following lines, one action at a time,
     and terminate the actions list with a line containing just `end'.
     So far, the only defined actions are `collect' and
     `while-stepping'.

     To remove all actions from a tracepoint, type `actions NUM' and
     follow it immediately with `end'.

          (gdb) collect DATA // collect some data
          
          (gdb) while-stepping 5 // single-step 5 times, collect data
          
          (gdb) end              // signals the end of actions.

     In the following example, the action list begins with `collect'
     commands indicating the things to be collected when the tracepoint
     is hit.  Then, in order to single-step and collect additional data
     following the tracepoint, a `while-stepping' command is used,
     followed by the list of things to be collected while stepping.  The
     `while-stepping' command is terminated by its own separate `end'
     command.  Lastly, the action list is terminated by an `end'
     command.

          (gdb) trace foo
          (gdb) actions
          Enter actions for tracepoint 1, one per line:
          > collect bar,baz
          > collect $regs
          > while-stepping 12
            > collect $fp, $sp
            > end
          end

`collect EXPR1, EXPR2, ...'
     Collect values of the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit.
     This command accepts a comma-separated list of any valid
     expressions.  In addition to global, static, or local variables,
     the following special arguments are supported:

    `$regs'
          collect all registers

    `$args'
          collect all function arguments

    `$locals'
          collect all local variables.

     You can give several consecutive `collect' commands, each one with
     a single argument, or one `collect' command with several arguments
     separated by commas: the effect is the same.

     The command `info scope' (*note info scope: Symbols.) is
     particularly useful for figuring out what data to collect.

`while-stepping N'
     Perform N single-step traces after the tracepoint, collecting new
     data at each step.  The `while-stepping' command is followed by
     the list of what to collect while stepping (followed by its own
     `end' command):

          > while-stepping 12
            > collect $regs, myglobal
            > end
          >

     You may abbreviate `while-stepping' as `ws' or `stepping'.


File: gdb.info,  Node: Listing Tracepoints,  Next: Starting and Stopping Trace Experiment,  Prev: Tracepoint Actions,  Up: Set Tracepoints

Listing Tracepoints
-------------------

`info tracepoints [NUM]'
     Display information about the tracepoint NUM.  If you don't specify
     a tracepoint number, displays information about all the tracepoints
     defined so far.  For each tracepoint, the following information is
     shown:

        * its number

        * whether it is enabled or disabled

        * its address

        * its passcount as given by the `passcount N' command

        * its step count as given by the `while-stepping N' command

        * where in the source files is the tracepoint set

        * its action list as given by the `actions' command

          (gdb) info trace
          Num Enb Address    PassC StepC What
          1   y   0x002117c4 0     0     <gdb_asm>
          2   y   0x0020dc64 0     0     in g_test at g_test.c:1375
          3   y   0x0020b1f4 0     0     in get_data at ../foo.c:41
          (gdb)

     This command can be abbreviated `info tp'.


File: gdb.info,  Node: Starting and Stopping Trace Experiment,  Prev: Listing Tracepoints,  Up: Set Tracepoints

Starting and Stopping Trace Experiment
--------------------------------------

`tstart'
     This command takes no arguments.  It starts the trace experiment,
     and begins collecting data.  This has the side effect of
     discarding all the data collected in the trace buffer during the
     previous trace experiment.

`tstop'
     This command takes no arguments.  It ends the trace experiment, and
     stops collecting data.

     *Note:* a trace experiment and data collection may stop
     automatically if any tracepoint's passcount is reached (*note
     Tracepoint Passcounts::), or if the trace buffer becomes full.

`tstatus'
     This command displays the status of the current trace data
     collection.

   Here is an example of the commands we described so far:

     (gdb) trace gdb_c_test
     (gdb) actions
     Enter actions for tracepoint #1, one per line.
     > collect $regs,$locals,$args
     > while-stepping 11
       > collect $regs
       > end
     > end
     (gdb) tstart
     	[time passes ...]
     (gdb) tstop


File: gdb.info,  Node: Analyze Collected Data,  Next: Tracepoint Variables,  Prev: Set Tracepoints,  Up: Tracepoints

Using the collected data
========================

   After the tracepoint experiment ends, you use GDB commands for
examining the trace data.  The basic idea is that each tracepoint
collects a trace "snapshot" every time it is hit and another snapshot
every time it single-steps.  All these snapshots are consecutively
numbered from zero and go into a buffer, and you can examine them
later.  The way you examine them is to "focus" on a specific trace
snapshot.  When the remote stub is focused on a trace snapshot, it will
respond to all GDB requests for memory and registers by reading from
the buffer which belongs to that snapshot, rather than from _real_
memory or registers of the program being debugged.  This means that
*all* GDB commands (`print', `info registers', `backtrace', etc.) will
behave as if we were currently debugging the program state as it was
when the tracepoint occurred.  Any requests for data that are not in
the buffer will fail.

* Menu:

* tfind::                       How to select a trace snapshot
* tdump::                       How to display all data for a snapshot
* save-tracepoints::            How to save tracepoints for a future run


File: gdb.info,  Node: tfind,  Next: tdump,  Up: Analyze Collected Data

`tfind N'
---------

   The basic command for selecting a trace snapshot from the buffer is
`tfind N', which finds trace snapshot number N, counting from zero.  If
no argument N is given, the next snapshot is selected.

   Here are the various forms of using the `tfind' command.

`tfind start'
     Find the first snapshot in the buffer.  This is a synonym for
     `tfind 0' (since 0 is the number of the first snapshot).

`tfind none'
     Stop debugging trace snapshots, resume _live_ debugging.

`tfind end'
     Same as `tfind none'.

`tfind'
     No argument means find the next trace snapshot.

`tfind -'
     Find the previous trace snapshot before the current one.  This
     permits retracing earlier steps.

`tfind tracepoint NUM'
     Find the next snapshot associated with tracepoint NUM.  Search
     proceeds forward from the last examined trace snapshot.  If no
     argument NUM is given, it means find the next snapshot collected
     for the same tracepoint as the current snapshot.

`tfind pc ADDR'
     Find the next snapshot associated with the value ADDR of the
     program counter.  Search proceeds forward from the last examined
     trace snapshot.  If no argument ADDR is given, it means find the
     next snapshot with the same value of PC as the current snapshot.

`tfind outside ADDR1, ADDR2'
     Find the next snapshot whose PC is outside the given range of
     addresses.

`tfind range ADDR1, ADDR2'
     Find the next snapshot whose PC is between ADDR1 and ADDR2.

`tfind line [FILE:]N'
     Find the next snapshot associated with the source line N.  If the
     optional argument FILE is given, refer to line N in that source
     file.  Search proceeds forward from the last examined trace
     snapshot.  If no argument N is given, it means find the next line
     other than the one currently being examined; thus saying `tfind
     line' repeatedly can appear to have the same effect as stepping
     from line to line in a _live_ debugging session.

   The default arguments for the `tfind' commands are specifically
designed to make it easy to scan through the trace buffer.  For
instance, `tfind' with no argument selects the next trace snapshot, and
`tfind -' with no argument selects the previous trace snapshot.  So, by
giving one `tfind' command, and then simply hitting <RET> repeatedly
you can examine all the trace snapshots in order.  Or, by saying `tfind
-' and then hitting <RET> repeatedly you can examine the snapshots in
reverse order.  The `tfind line' command with no argument selects the
snapshot for the next source line executed.  The `tfind pc' command with
no argument selects the next snapshot with the same program counter
(PC) as the current frame.  The `tfind tracepoint' command with no
argument selects the next trace snapshot collected by the same
tracepoint as the current one.

   In addition to letting you scan through the trace buffer manually,
these commands make it easy to construct GDB scripts that scan through
the trace buffer and print out whatever collected data you are
interested in.  Thus, if we want to examine the PC, FP, and SP
registers from each trace frame in the buffer, we can say this:

     (gdb) tfind start
     (gdb) while ($trace_frame != -1)
     > printf "Frame %d, PC = %08X, SP = %08X, FP = %08X\n", \
               $trace_frame, $pc, $sp, $fp
     > tfind
     > end
     
     Frame 0, PC = 0020DC64, SP = 0030BF3C, FP = 0030BF44
     Frame 1, PC = 0020DC6C, SP = 0030BF38, FP = 0030BF44
     Frame 2, PC = 0020DC70, SP = 0030BF34, FP = 0030BF44
     Frame 3, PC = 0020DC74, SP = 0030BF30, FP = 0030BF44
     Frame 4, PC = 0020DC78, SP = 0030BF2C, FP = 0030BF44
     Frame 5, PC = 0020DC7C, SP = 0030BF28, FP = 0030BF44
     Frame 6, PC = 0020DC80, SP = 0030BF24, FP = 0030BF44
     Frame 7, PC = 0020DC84, SP = 0030BF20, FP = 0030BF44
     Frame 8, PC = 0020DC88, SP = 0030BF1C, FP = 0030BF44
     Frame 9, PC = 0020DC8E, SP = 0030BF18, FP = 0030BF44
     Frame 10, PC = 00203F6C, SP = 0030BE3C, FP = 0030BF14

   Or, if we want to examine the variable `X' at each source line in
the buffer:

     (gdb) tfind start
     (gdb) while ($trace_frame != -1)
     > printf "Frame %d, X == %d\n", $trace_frame, X
     > tfind line
     > end
     
     Frame 0, X = 1
     Frame 7, X = 2
     Frame 13, X = 255


File: gdb.info,  Node: tdump,  Next: save-tracepoints,  Prev: tfind,  Up: Analyze Collected Data

`tdump'
-------

   This command takes no arguments.  It prints all the data collected at
the current trace snapshot.

     (gdb) trace 444
     (gdb) actions
     Enter actions for tracepoint #2, one per line:
     > collect $regs, $locals, $args, gdb_long_test
     > end
     
     (gdb) tstart
     
     (gdb) tfind line 444
     #0  gdb_test (p1=0x11, p2=0x22, p3=0x33, p4=0x44, p5=0x55, p6=0x66)
     at gdb_test.c:444
     444        printp( "%s: arguments = 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X\n", )
     
     (gdb) tdump
     Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 1:
     d0             0xc4aa0085       -995491707
     d1             0x18     24
     d2             0x80     128
     d3             0x33     51
     d4             0x71aea3d        119204413
     d5             0x22     34
     d6             0xe0     224
     d7             0x380035 3670069
     a0             0x19e24a 1696330
     a1             0x3000668        50333288
     a2             0x100    256
     a3             0x322000 3284992
     a4             0x3000698        50333336
     a5             0x1ad3cc 1758156
     fp             0x30bf3c 0x30bf3c
     sp             0x30bf34 0x30bf34
     ps             0x0      0
     pc             0x20b2c8 0x20b2c8
     fpcontrol      0x0      0
     fpstatus       0x0      0
     fpiaddr        0x0      0
     p = 0x20e5b4 "gdb-test"
     p1 = (void *) 0x11
     p2 = (void *) 0x22
     p3 = (void *) 0x33
     p4 = (void *) 0x44
     p5 = (void *) 0x55
     p6 = (void *) 0x66
     gdb_long_test = 17 '\021'
     
     (gdb)


File: gdb.info,  Node: save-tracepoints,  Prev: tdump,  Up: Analyze Collected Data

`save-tracepoints FILENAME'
---------------------------

   This command saves all current tracepoint definitions together with
their actions and passcounts, into a file `FILENAME' suitable for use
in a later debugging session.  To read the saved tracepoint
definitions, use the `source' command (*note Command Files::).


File: gdb.info,  Node: Tracepoint Variables,  Prev: Analyze Collected Data,  Up: Tracepoints

Convenience Variables for Tracepoints
=====================================

`(int) $trace_frame'
     The current trace snapshot (a.k.a. "frame") number, or -1 if no
     snapshot is selected.

`(int) $tracepoint'
     The tracepoint for the current trace snapshot.

`(int) $trace_line'
     The line number for the current trace snapshot.

`(char []) $trace_file'
     The source file for the current trace snapshot.

`(char []) $trace_func'
     The name of the function containing `$tracepoint'.

   Note: `$trace_file' is not suitable for use in `printf', use
`output' instead.

   Here's a simple example of using these convenience variables for
stepping through all the trace snapshots and printing some of their
data.

     (gdb) tfind start
     
     (gdb) while $trace_frame != -1
     > output $trace_file
     > printf ", line %d (tracepoint #%d)\n", $trace_line, $tracepoint
     > tfind
     > end


File: gdb.info,  Node: Overlays,  Next: Languages,  Prev: Tracepoints,  Up: Top

Debugging Programs That Use Overlays
************************************

   If your program is too large to fit completely in your target
system's memory, you can sometimes use "overlays" to work around this
problem.  GDB provides some support for debugging programs that use
overlays.

* Menu:

* How Overlays Work::              A general explanation of overlays.
* Overlay Commands::               Managing overlays in GDB.
* Automatic Overlay Debugging::    GDB can find out which overlays are
                                   mapped by asking the inferior.
* Overlay Sample Program::         A sample program using overlays.


File: gdb.info,  Node: How Overlays Work,  Next: Overlay Commands,  Up: Overlays

How Overlays Work
=================

   Suppose you have a computer whose instruction address space is only
64 kilobytes long, but which has much more memory which can be accessed
by other means: special instructions, segment registers, or memory
management hardware, for example.  Suppose further that you want to
adapt a program which is larger than 64 kilobytes to run on this system.

   One solution is to identify modules of your program which are
relatively independent, and need not call each other directly; call
these modules "overlays".  Separate the overlays from the main program,
and place their machine code in the larger memory.  Place your main
program in instruction memory, but leave at least enough space there to
hold the largest overlay as well.

   Now, to call a function located in an overlay, you must first copy
that overlay's machine code from the large memory into the space set
aside for it in the instruction memory, and then jump to its entry point
there.

         Data             Instruction            Larger
     Address Space       Address Space        Address Space
     +-----------+       +-----------+        +-----------+
     |           |       |           |        |           |
     +-----------+       +-----------+        +-----------+<-- overlay 1
     | program   |       |   main    |   .----| overlay 1 | load address
     | variables |       |  program  |   |    +-----------+
     | and heap  |       |           |   |    |           |
     +-----------+       |           |   |    +-----------+<-- overlay 2
     |           |       +-----------+   |    |           | load address
     +-----------+       |           |   |  .-| overlay 2 |
                         |           |   |  | |           |
              mapped --->+-----------+   |  | +-----------+
              address    |           |   |  | |           |
                         |  overlay  | <-'  | |           |
                         |   area    |  <---' +-----------+<-- overlay 3
                         |           | <---.  |           | load address
                         +-----------+     `--| overlay 3 |
                         |           |        |           |
                         +-----------+        |           |
                                              +-----------+
                                              |           |
                                              +-----------+
     
                         A code overlay

   The diagram (*note A code overlay::) shows a system with separate
data and instruction address spaces.  To map an overlay, the program
copies its code from the larger address space to the instruction
address space.  Since the overlays shown here all use the same mapped
address, only one may be mapped at a time.  For a system with a single
address space for data and instructions, the diagram would be similar,
except that the program variables and heap would share an address space
with the main program and the overlay area.

   An overlay loaded into instruction memory and ready for use is
called a "mapped" overlay; its "mapped address" is its address in the
instruction memory.  An overlay not present (or only partially present)
in instruction memory is called "unmapped"; its "load address" is its
address in the larger memory.  The mapped address is also called the
"virtual memory address", or "VMA"; the load address is also called the
"load memory address", or "LMA".

   Unfortunately, overlays are not a completely transparent way to
adapt a program to limited instruction memory.  They introduce a new
set of global constraints you must keep in mind as you design your
program:

   * Before calling or returning to a function in an overlay, your
     program must make sure that overlay is actually mapped.
     Otherwise, the call or return will transfer control to the right
     address, but in the wrong overlay, and your program will probably
     crash.

   * If the process of mapping an overlay is expensive on your system,
     you will need to choose your overlays carefully to minimize their
     effect on your program's performance.

   * The executable file you load onto your system must contain each
     overlay's instructions, appearing at the overlay's load address,
     not its mapped address.  However, each overlay's instructions must
     be relocated and its symbols defined as if the overlay were at its
     mapped address.  You can use GNU linker scripts to specify
     different load and relocation addresses for pieces of your
     program; see *Note Overlay Description: (ld.info)Overlay
     Description.

   * The procedure for loading executable files onto your system must
     be able to load their contents into the larger address space as
     well as the instruction and data spaces.


   The overlay system described above is rather simple, and could be
improved in many ways:

   * If your system has suitable bank switch registers or memory
     management hardware, you could use those facilities to make an
     overlay's load area contents simply appear at their mapped address
     in instruction space.  This would probably be faster than copying
     the overlay to its mapped area in the usual way.

   * If your overlays are small enough, you could set aside more than
     one overlay area, and have more than one overlay mapped at a time.

   * You can use overlays to manage data, as well as instructions.  In
     general, data overlays are even less transparent to your design
     than code overlays: whereas code overlays only require care when
     you call or return to functions, data overlays require care every
     time you access the data.  Also, if you change the contents of a
     data overlay, you must copy its contents back out to its load
     address before you can copy a different data overlay into the same
     mapped area.



File: gdb.info,  Node: Overlay Commands,  Next: Automatic Overlay Debugging,  Prev: How Overlays Work,  Up: Overlays

Overlay Commands
================

   To use GDB's overlay support, each overlay in your program must
correspond to a separate section of the executable file.  The section's
virtual memory address and load memory address must be the overlay's
mapped and load addresses.  Identifying overlays with sections allows
GDB to determine the appropriate address of a function or variable,
depending on whether the overlay is mapped or not.

   GDB's overlay commands all start with the word `overlay'; you can
abbreviate this as `ov' or `ovly'.  The commands are:

`overlay off'
     Disable GDB's overlay support.  When overlay support is disabled,
     GDB assumes that all functions and variables are always present at
     their mapped addresses.  By default, GDB's overlay support is
     disabled.

`overlay manual'
     Enable "manual" overlay debugging.  In this mode, GDB relies on
     you to tell it which overlays are mapped, and which are not, using
     the `overlay map-overlay' and `overlay unmap-overlay' commands
     described below.

`overlay map-overlay OVERLAY'
`overlay map OVERLAY'
     Tell GDB that OVERLAY is now mapped; OVERLAY must be the name of
     the object file section containing the overlay.  When an overlay
     is mapped, GDB assumes it can find the overlay's functions and
     variables at their mapped addresses.  GDB assumes that any other
     overlays whose mapped ranges overlap that of OVERLAY are now
     unmapped.

`overlay unmap-overlay OVERLAY'
`overlay unmap OVERLAY'
     Tell GDB that OVERLAY is no longer mapped; OVERLAY must be the
     name of the object file section containing the overlay.  When an
     overlay is unmapped, GDB assumes it can find the overlay's
     functions and variables at their load addresses.

`overlay auto'
     Enable "automatic" overlay debugging.  In this mode, GDB consults
     a data structure the overlay manager maintains in the inferior to
     see which overlays are mapped.  For details, see *Note Automatic
     Overlay Debugging::.

`overlay load-target'
`overlay load'
     Re-read the overlay table from the inferior.  Normally, GDB
     re-reads the table GDB automatically each time the inferior stops,
     so this command should only be necessary if you have changed the
     overlay mapping yourself using GDB.  This command is only useful
     when using automatic overlay debugging.

`overlay list-overlays'
`overlay list'
     Display a list of the overlays currently mapped, along with their
     mapped addresses, load addresses, and sizes.

   Normally, when GDB prints a code address, it includes the name of
the function the address falls in:

     (gdb) print main
     $3 = {int ()} 0x11a0 <main>

When overlay debugging is enabled, GDB recognizes code in unmapped
overlays, and prints the names of unmapped functions with asterisks
around them.  For example, if `foo' is a function in an unmapped
overlay, GDB prints it this way:

     (gdb) overlay list
     No sections are mapped.
     (gdb) print foo
     $5 = {int (int)} 0x100000 <*foo*>

When `foo''s overlay is mapped, GDB prints the function's name normally:

     (gdb) overlay list
     Section .ov.foo.text, loaded at 0x100000 - 0x100034,
             mapped at 0x1016 - 0x104a
     (gdb) print foo
     $6 = {int (int)} 0x1016 <foo>

   When overlay debugging is enabled, GDB can find the correct address
for functions and variables in an overlay, whether or not the overlay
is mapped.  This allows most GDB commands, like `break' and
`disassemble', to work normally, even on unmapped code.  However, GDB's
breakpoint support has some limitations:

   * You can set breakpoints in functions in unmapped overlays, as long
     as GDB can write to the overlay at its load address.

   * GDB can not set hardware or simulator-based breakpoints in
     unmapped overlays.  However, if you set a breakpoint at the end of
     your overlay manager (and tell GDB which overlays are now mapped,
     if you are using manual overlay management), GDB will re-set its
     breakpoints properly.


File: gdb.info,  Node: Automatic Overlay Debugging,  Next: Overlay Sample Program,  Prev: Overlay Commands,  Up: Overlays

Automatic Overlay Debugging
===========================

   GDB can automatically track which overlays are mapped and which are
not, given some simple co-operation from the overlay manager in the
inferior.  If you enable automatic overlay debugging with the `overlay
auto' command (*note Overlay Commands::), GDB looks in the inferior's
memory for certain variables describing the current state of the
overlays.

   Here are the variables your overlay manager must define to support
GDB's automatic overlay debugging:

`_ovly_table':
     This variable must be an array of the following structures:

          struct
          {
            /* The overlay's mapped address.  */
            unsigned long vma;
          
            /* The size of the overlay, in bytes.  */
            unsigned long size;
          
            /* The overlay's load address.  */
            unsigned long lma;
          
            /* Non-zero if the overlay is currently mapped;
               zero otherwise.  */
            unsigned long mapped;
          }

`_novlys':
     This variable must be a four-byte signed integer, holding the total
     number of elements in `_ovly_table'.

   To decide whether a particular overlay is mapped or not, GDB looks
for an entry in `_ovly_table' whose `vma' and `lma' members equal the
VMA and LMA of the overlay's section in the executable file.  When GDB
finds a matching entry, it consults the entry's `mapped' member to
determine whether the overlay is currently mapped.

   In addition, your overlay manager may define a function called
`_ovly_debug_event'.  If this function is defined, GDB will silently
set a breakpoint there.  If the overlay manager then calls this
function whenever it has changed the overlay table, this will enable
GDB to accurately keep track of which overlays are in program memory,
and update any breakpoints that may be set in overlays.  This will
allow breakpoints to work even if the overlays are kept in ROM or other
non-writable memory while they are not being executed.


File: gdb.info,  Node: Overlay Sample Program,  Prev: Automatic Overlay Debugging,  Up: Overlays

Overlay Sample Program
======================

   When linking a program which uses overlays, you must place the
overlays at their load addresses, while relocating them to run at their
mapped addresses.  To do this, you must write a linker script (*note
Overlay Description: (ld.info)Overlay Description.).  Unfortunately,
since linker scripts are specific to a particular host system, target
architecture, and target memory layout, this manual cannot provide
portable sample code demonstrating GDB's overlay support.

   However, the GDB source distribution does contain an overlaid
program, with linker scripts for a few systems, as part of its test
suite.  The program consists of the following files from
`gdb/testsuite/gdb.base':

`overlays.c'
     The main program file.

`ovlymgr.c'
     A simple overlay manager, used by `overlays.c'.

`foo.c'
`bar.c'
`baz.c'
`grbx.c'
     Overlay modules, loaded and used by `overlays.c'.

`d10v.ld'
`m32r.ld'
     Linker scripts for linking the test program on the `d10v-elf' and
     `m32r-elf' targets.

   You can build the test program using the `d10v-elf' GCC
cross-compiler like this:

     $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c overlays.c
     $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c ovlymgr.c
     $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c foo.c
     $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c bar.c
     $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c baz.c
     $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c grbx.c
     $ d10v-elf-gcc -g overlays.o ovlymgr.o foo.o bar.o \
                       baz.o grbx.o -Wl,-Td10v.ld -o overlays

   The build process is identical for any other architecture, except
that you must substitute the appropriate compiler and linker script for
the target system for `d10v-elf-gcc' and `d10v.ld'.


File: gdb.info,  Node: Languages,  Next: Symbols,  Prev: Overlays,  Up: Top

Using GDB with Different Languages
**********************************

   Although programming languages generally have common aspects, they
are rarely expressed in the same manner.  For instance, in ANSI C,
dereferencing a pointer `p' is accomplished by `*p', but in Modula-2,
it is accomplished by `p^'.  Values can also be represented (and
displayed) differently.  Hex numbers in C appear as `0x1ae', while in
Modula-2 they appear as `1AEH'.

   Language-specific information is built into GDB for some languages,
allowing you to express operations like the above in your program's
native language, and allowing GDB to output values in a manner
consistent with the syntax of your program's native language.  The
language you use to build expressions is called the "working language".

* Menu:

* Setting::                     Switching between source languages
* Show::                        Displaying the language
* Checks::                      Type and range checks
* Support::                     Supported languages


File: gdb.info,  Node: Setting,  Next: Show,  Up: Languages

Switching between source languages
==================================

   There are two ways to control the working language--either have GDB
set it automatically, or select it manually yourself.  You can use the
`set language' command for either purpose.  On startup, GDB defaults to
setting the language automatically.  The working language is used to
determine how expressions you type are interpreted, how values are
printed, etc.

   In addition to the working language, every source file that GDB
knows about has its own working language.  For some object file
formats, the compiler might indicate which language a particular source
file is in.  However, most of the time GDB infers the language from the
name of the file.  The language of a source file controls whether C++
names are demangled--this way `backtrace' can show each frame
appropriately for its own language.  There is no way to set the
language of a source file from within GDB, but you can set the language
associated with a filename extension.  *Note Displaying the language:
Show.

   This is most commonly a problem when you use a program, such as
`cfront' or `f2c', that generates C but is written in another language.
In that case, make the program use `#line' directives in its C output;
that way GDB will know the correct language of the source code of the
original program, and will display that source code, not the generated
C code.

* Menu:

* Filenames::                   Filename extensions and languages.
* Manually::                    Setting the working language manually
* Automatically::               Having GDB infer the source language


File: gdb.info,  Node: Filenames,  Next: Manually,  Up: Setting

List of filename extensions and languages
-----------------------------------------

   If a source file name ends in one of the following extensions, then
GDB infers that its language is the one indicated.

`.c'
     C source file

`.C'
`.cc'
`.cp'
`.cpp'
`.cxx'
`.c++'
     C++ source file

`.f'
`.F'
     Fortran source file

`.ch'
`.c186'
`.c286'
     CHILL source file

`.mod'
     Modula-2 source file

`.s'
`.S'
     Assembler source file.  This actually behaves almost like C, but
     GDB does not skip over function prologues when stepping.

   In addition, you may set the language associated with a filename
extension.  *Note Displaying the language: Show.


File: gdb.info,  Node: Manually,  Next: Automatically,  Prev: Filenames,  Up: Setting

Setting the working language
----------------------------

   If you allow GDB to set the language automatically, expressions are
interpreted the same way in your debugging session and your program.

   If you wish, you may set the language manually.  To do this, issue
the command `set language LANG', where LANG is the name of a language,
such as `c' or `modula-2'.  For a list of the supported languages, type
`set language'.

   Setting the language manually prevents GDB from updating the working
language automatically.  This can lead to confusion if you try to debug
a program when the working language is not the same as the source
language, when an expression is acceptable to both languages--but means
different things.  For instance, if the current source file were
written in C, and GDB was parsing Modula-2, a command such as:

     print a = b + c

might not have the effect you intended.  In C, this means to add `b'
and `c' and place the result in `a'.  The result printed would be the
value of `a'.  In Modula-2, this means to compare `a' to the result of
`b+c', yielding a `BOOLEAN' value.


File: gdb.info,  Node: Automatically,  Prev: Manually,  Up: Setting

Having GDB infer the source language
------------------------------------

   To have GDB set the working language automatically, use `set
language local' or `set language auto'.  GDB then infers the working
language.  That is, when your program stops in a frame (usually by
encountering a breakpoint), GDB sets the working language to the
language recorded for the function in that frame.  If the language for
a frame is unknown (that is, if the function or block corresponding to
the frame was defined in a source file that does not have a recognized
extension), the current working language is not changed, and GDB issues
a warning.

   This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written
entirely in one source language.  However, program modules and libraries
written in one source language can be used by a main program written in
a different source language.  Using `set language auto' in this case
frees you from having to set the working language manually.


File: gdb.info,  Node: Show,  Next: Checks,  Prev: Setting,  Up: Languages

Displaying the language
=======================

   The following commands help you find out which language is the
working language, and also what language source files were written in.

`show language'
     Display the current working language.  This is the language you
     can use with commands such as `print' to build and compute
     expressions that may involve variables in your program.

`info frame'
     Display the source language for this frame.  This language becomes
     the working language if you use an identifier from this frame.
     *Note Information about a frame: Frame Info, to identify the other
     information listed here.

`info source'
     Display the source language of this source file.  *Note Examining
     the Symbol Table: Symbols, to identify the other information
     listed here.

   In unusual circumstances, you may have source files with extensions
not in the standard list.  You can then set the extension associated
with a language explicitly:

`set extension-language .EXT LANGUAGE'
     Set source files with extension .EXT to be assumed to be in the
     source language LANGUAGE.

`info extensions'
     List all the filename extensions and the associated languages.


File: gdb.info,  Node: Checks,  Next: Support,  Prev: Show,  Up: Languages

Type and range checking
=======================

     _Warning:_ In this release, the GDB commands for type and range
     checking are included, but they do not yet have any effect.  This
     section documents the intended facilities.

   Some languages are designed to guard you against making seemingly
common errors through a series of compile- and run-time checks.  These
include checking the type of arguments to functions and operators, and
making sure mathematical overflows are caught at run time.  Checks such
as these help to ensure a program's correctness once it has been
compiled by eliminating type mismatches, and providing active checks
for range errors when your program is running.

   GDB can check for conditions like the above if you wish.  Although
GDB does not check the statements in your program, it can check
expressions entered directly into GDB for evaluation via the `print'
command, for example.  As with the working language, GDB can also
decide whether or not to check automatically based on your program's
source language.  *Note Supported languages: Support, for the default
settings of supported languages.

* Menu:

* Type Checking::               An overview of type checking
* Range Checking::              An overview of range checking


File: gdb.info,  Node: Type Checking,  Next: Range Checking,  Up: Checks

An overview of type checking
----------------------------

   Some languages, such as Modula-2, are strongly typed, meaning that
the arguments to operators and functions have to be of the correct type,
otherwise an error occurs.  These checks prevent type mismatch errors
from ever causing any run-time problems.  For example,

     1 + 2 => 3
but
     error--> 1 + 2.3

   The second example fails because the `CARDINAL' 1 is not
type-compatible with the `REAL' 2.3.

   For the expressions you use in GDB commands, you can tell the GDB
type checker to skip checking; to treat any mismatches as errors and
abandon the expression; or to only issue warnings when type mismatches
occur, but evaluate the expression anyway.  When you choose the last of
these, GDB evaluates expressions like the second example above, but
also issues a warning.

   Even if you turn type checking off, there may be other reasons
related to type that prevent GDB from evaluating an expression.  For
instance, GDB does not know how to add an `int' and a `struct foo'.
These particular type errors have nothing to do with the language in
use, and usually arise from expressions, such as the one described
above, which make little sense to evaluate anyway.

   Each language defines to what degree it is strict about type.  For
instance, both Modula-2 and C require the arguments to arithmetical
operators to be numbers.  In C, enumerated types and pointers can be
represented as numbers, so that they are valid arguments to mathematical
operators.  *Note Supported languages: Support, for further details on
specific languages.

   GDB provides some additional commands for controlling the type
checker:

`set check type auto'
     Set type checking on or off based on the current working language.
     *Note Supported languages: Support, for the default settings for
     each language.

`set check type on'
`set check type off'
     Set type checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
     current working language.  Issue a warning if the setting does not
     match the language default.  If any type mismatches occur in
     evaluating an expression while type checking is on, GDB prints a
     message and aborts evaluation of the expression.

`set check type warn'
     Cause the type checker to issue warnings, but to always attempt to
     evaluate the expression.  Evaluating the expression may still be
     impossible for other reasons.  For example, GDB cannot add numbers
     and structures.

`show type'
     Show the current setting of the type checker, and whether or not
     GDB is setting it automatically.


File: gdb.info,  Node: Range Checking,  Prev: Type Checking,  Up: Checks

An overview of range checking
-----------------------------

   In some languages (such as Modula-2), it is an error to exceed the
bounds of a type; this is enforced with run-time checks.  Such range
checking is meant to ensure program correctness by making sure
computations do not overflow, or indices on an array element access do
not exceed the bounds of the array.

   For expressions you use in GDB commands, you can tell GDB to treat
range errors in one of three ways: ignore them, always treat them as
errors and abandon the expression, or issue warnings but evaluate the
expression anyway.

   A range error can result from numerical overflow, from exceeding an
array index bound, or when you type a constant that is not a member of
any type.  Some languages, however, do not treat overflows as an error.
In many implementations of C, mathematical overflow causes the result
to "wrap around" to lower values--for example, if M is the largest
integer value, and S is the smallest, then

     M + 1 => S

   This, too, is specific to individual languages, and in some cases
specific to individual compilers or machines.  *Note Supported
languages: Support, for further details on specific languages.

   GDB provides some additional commands for controlling the range
checker:

`set check range auto'
     Set range checking on or off based on the current working language.
     *Note Supported languages: Support, for the default settings for
     each language.

`set check range on'
`set check range off'
     Set range checking on or off, overriding the default setting for
     the current working language.  A warning is issued if the setting
     does not match the language default.  If a range error occurs and
     range checking is on, then a message is printed and evaluation of
     the expression is aborted.

`set check range warn'
     Output messages when the GDB range checker detects a range error,
     but attempt to evaluate the expression anyway.  Evaluating the
     expression may still be impossible for other reasons, such as
     accessing memory that the process does not own (a typical example
     from many Unix systems).

`show range'
     Show the current setting of the range checker, and whether or not
     it is being set automatically by GDB.


File: gdb.info,  Node: Support,  Prev: Checks,  Up: Languages

Supported languages
===================

   GDB supports C, C++, Fortran, Java, Chill, assembly, and Modula-2.
Some GDB features may be used in expressions regardless of the language
you use: the GDB `@' and `::' operators, and the `{type}addr' construct
(*note Expressions: Expressions.) can be used with the constructs of
any supported language.

   The following sections detail to what degree each source language is
supported by GDB.  These sections are not meant to be language
tutorials or references, but serve only as a reference guide to what the
GDB expression parser accepts, and what input and output formats should
look like for different languages.  There are many good books written
on each of these languages; please look to these for a language
reference or tutorial.

* Menu:

* C::           C and C++
* Modula-2::    Modula-2
* Chill::        Chill


File: gdb.info,  Node: C,  Next: Modula-2,  Up: Support

C and C++
---------

   Since C and C++ are so closely related, many features of GDB apply
to both languages.  Whenever this is the case, we discuss those
languages together.

   The C++ debugging facilities are jointly implemented by the C++
compiler and GDB.  Therefore, to debug your C++ code effectively, you
must compile your C++ programs with a supported C++ compiler, such as
GNU `g++', or the HP ANSI C++ compiler (`aCC').

   For best results when using GNU C++, use the stabs debugging format.
You can select that format explicitly with the `g++' command-line
options `-gstabs' or `-gstabs+'.  See *Note Options for Debugging Your
Program or GNU CC: (gcc.info)Debugging Options, for more information.

* Menu:

* C Operators::                 C and C++ operators
* C Constants::                 C and C++ constants
* C plus plus expressions::     C++ expressions
* C Defaults::                  Default settings for C and C++
* C Checks::                    C and C++ type and range checks
* Debugging C::                 GDB and C
* Debugging C plus plus::       GDB features for C++

