[cdt-debug-dev] Silent Failures When Watchpoint Cannot be Set

["Chen, Tim C" <tim.c.chen@xxxxxxxxx>]

Title: Message

Currently, CDT (v1.2.1), watchpoint representation could be misleading.  When CDT fails to

install a watchpoint in GDB or when a watchpoint is removed by GDB, the watchpoint

still shows itself as being enabled in the breakpoint view.  In reality, that watchpoint

is not there and will no longer function.  So it should either be deleted or be shown

as disabled by CDT.  Right now it still appears as enabled in the breakpoint view.

This happens when one is setting up a watchpoint for a local variable and I find

the global variable watchpoint to behave correctly.

 

In current CDT (1.2.1), watchpoint on a local variable can only be set when the variable

is in view of the execution thread as GDB allows only local variable watchpoint

to be set in such a way.  The consequence is that

once the variable is outside the scope of the thread, or when the program terminates,

the local variable watchpoint is silently deleted in GDB.  However, that watchpoint

still shows up in CDT's watchpoint view and will not get re-installed again.

 

As a side note, I wonder if local variable watchpoint could be made

more user friendly.  Usually I have to set a breakpoint at the place when the variable being

watched is in scope and set the watchpoint when the breakpoint hits.  Once the variable is

out of scope, the process will have to be repeated to set the watchpoint again.  If the local

variable occurs within a function getting called mutiple times, then things are pretty much

impossible.  It will be nice if CDT could automate the process to reinstall local variable watchpoint

into GDB.

 

Tim Chen

tim.c.chen@xxxxxxxxx

 

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The opinions are mine only.  They do not reflect the view of my employer.