[platform-debug-dev] Common debug services

[Haim Cohen <haim.cohen@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

I am developing a DSP IDE based on Eclipse.
I would like to suggest adding to the debug plugin few services which I 
think should be supported by the plugin.

Overview:
Currently, in order to use the plugin to create special debugger, there 
is a need to have some command line debugger first.
The CDT ( for example ) is using gdb as its inferior debugger.
In the project I involve in, we use Simulator as the debug target.
This simulator can not be integrated into gdb, since this is a system 
simulator which can simulate more than one DSP connected.
Therefore, we used gdb only in static program context - for symbols 
locations, line<->pc, etc.
My suggest, is to add static information support services in the debug 
plugin:
- ELF reader (or other executables formats)
- Dwarf2 reader (or other debug formats)
Since the Dwarf2 is extendable, the extensions to the Dwarf2 formats can 
be in the form of ... extension points!
I think that this kind of Dwarf reader should supply high level of debug 
information such as static scope information, types information, etc.

I will be happy to hear your comments about this.
I also have a ready answer to the reply : "Why don't you implement it 
yourself and contribute ?" My answer : I have already implemented it 
using gdb+debug plugin, but I think that cleaner and more reusable 
implementation can be supplied by the debug-plugin developers.

Haim

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________________________________________
Haim Cohen
Software Engineer
haim.cohen@xxxxxxxxxx
Analog Devices
Israel
(972) - 9 - 9715 406