Pretty Printers
From Code::Blocks
Revision as of 17:28, 25 October 2012 by GravityWe11 (talk | contribs)
GDB Pretty Printers for STL output nicely formatted variables, even for vectors and maps. This works in GDB, and if enabled, in the hover pop-up and watch window in Code::Blocks.
Step 1 - Test with GDB
- Install a python-enabled GDB. For Windows, you can install MinGW-Builds over MinGW (consider backing up MinGW first). This updates GCC to 4.7.2 and includes a Python enabled GDB.
- Create a GDB Command File to enable the printer. Store in c:\mingw\bin\pp.gdb (or wherever you want). Here is a sample command file. Replace the path with your path to printers.py. NOTE: A Python STL printer.py is included with MinGW and MinGW-Builds, so there is no need to download one. It only needs to be turned on, which is the purpose of the command file
python import os, sys lib_path = os.path.abspath('c:/MinGW/share/gcc-4.7.0/python/libstdcxx/v6') sys.path.append(lib_path) #print 'path is [%s]' % ', '.join(map(str, sys.path)) from printers import register_libstdcxx_printers register_libstdcxx_printers (None) end
- Test
- Set a breakpoint in a program and debug
- Run GDB command file (can use Codeblocks debugger tab command, or GDB from console) (substitute your path if necessary)
(gdb) source c:\MinGW\bin\pp.gdb
- Test the printer - example:
(gdb) print words2 $1 = std::vector of length 3, capacity 4 = {"one", "two", "three"}
Step 2 - Add to Codeblocks
Once the printer works in GDB, there are two steps to activate in Codeblocks:
- Set debugger initialization command:
Codeblocks->Settings->Debugger->Default->Debugger initialization commands
source $(TARGET_COMPILER_DIR)bin\pp.gdb
- Comment out the Codeblocks gdb handler:
- Edit the file (path to Codeblocks)\share\CodeBlocks\scripts\gdb_types.script
- Add comments as follows:
/* STL String driver.RegisterType( _T("STL String"), _T("[^[:alnum:]_]*string[^[:alnum:]_]*"), _T("Evaluate_StlString"), _T("Parse_StlString") );*/ /* STL Vector driver.RegisterType( _T("STL Vector"), _T("[^[:alnum:]_]*vector<.*"), _T("Evaluate_StlVector"), _T("Parse_StlVector") ); */
Other Info
Links:
To Do
The third column in the Codeblocks popup and watch window displays a long unformatted string. Codeblocks is calling the GDB whatis command. Can this command be Pretty-Printed?