The 'frame' command, and thanks to code reuse the 'info frame' and
'select-frame' commands, currently have an overloaded mechanism for
selecting a frame.
These commands take one or two parameters, if it's one parameter then
we first try to use the parameter as an integer to select a frame by
level (or depth in the stack). If that fails then we treat the
parameter as an address and try to select a stack frame by
stack-address. If we still have not selected a stack frame, or we
initially had two parameters, then GDB allows the user to view a stack
frame that is not part of the current backtrace. Internally, a new
frame is created with the given stack and pc addresses, and this is
shown to the user.
The result of this is that a typo by the user, entering the wrong stack
frame level for example, can result in a brand new frame being viewed
rather than an error.
The purpose of this commit is to remove this overloading, while still
offering the same functionality through some new sub-commands. By
making the default behaviour of 'frame' (and friends) be to select a
stack frame by level index, it is hoped that enough
backwards-compatibility is maintained that users will not be overly
inconvenienced.
The 'frame', 'select-frame', and 'info frame' commands now all take a
frame specification string as an argument, this string can be any of the
following:
(1) An integer. This is treated as a frame level. If a frame for
that level does not exist then the user gets an error.
(2) A string like 'level <LEVEL>', where <LEVEL> is a frame level
as in option (1) above.
(3) A string like 'address <STACK-ADDRESS>', where <STACK-ADDRESS>
is a stack-frame address. If there is no frame for this address
then the user gets an error.
(4) A string like 'function <NAME>', where <NAME> is a function name,
the inner most frame for function <NAME> is selected. If there is no
frame for function <NAME> then the user gets an error.
(5) A string like 'view <STACK-ADDRESS>', this views a new frame
with stack address <STACK-ADDRESS>.
(6) A string like 'view <STACK-ADDRESS> <PC-ADDRESS>', this views
a new frame with stack address <STACK-ADDRESS> and the pc <PC-ADDRESS>.
This change assumes that the most common use of the commands like
'frame' is to select a frame by frame level, it is for this reason
that this is the behaviour that is kept for backwards compatibility.
Any of the alternative behaviours, which are assumed to be less used,
now require a change in user behaviour.
The MI command '-stack-select-frame' has not been changed. This
ensures that we maintain backwards compatibility for existing
frontends.
gdb/ChangeLog:
(NEWS): Mention changes to frame related commands.
* cli/cli-decode.c (add_cmd_suppress_notification): New function.
(add_prefix_cmd_suppress_notification): New function.
(add_com_suppress_notification): Call
add_cmd_suppress_notification.
* command.h (add_cmd_suppress_notification): Declare.
(add_prefix_cmd_suppress_notification): Declare.
* mi/mi-cmd-stack.c: Add 'safe-ctype.h' include.
(parse_frame_specification): Moved from stack.c, with
simplification to handle a single argument.
(mi_cmd_stack_select_frame): Use parse_frame_specification, the
switch to the selected frame. Add a header comment.
* stack.c: Remove 'safe-ctype.h' include.
(find_frame_for_function): Add declaration.
(find_frame_for_address): New function.
(parse_frame_specification): Moved into mi/mi-cmd-stack.c.
(frame_selection_by_function_completer): New function.
(info_frame_command): Rename to...
(info_frame_command_core): ...this, and update parameter types.
(select_frame_command): Rename to...
(select_frame_command_core): ...this, and update parameter types.
(frame_command): Rename to...
(frame_command_core): ...this, and update parameter types.
(class frame_command_helper): New class to wrap implementations of
frame related sub-commands.
(frame_apply_cmd_list): New static global.
(frame_cmd_list): Make static.
(select_frame_cmd_list): New global for sub-commands.
(info_frame_cmd_list): New global for sub-commands.
(_initialize_stack): Register sub-commands for 'frame',
'select-frame', and 'info frame'. Update 'frame apply' commands
to use frame_apply_cmd_list. Move function local static
frame_apply_list to file static frame_apply_cmd_list for
consistency.
* stack.h (select_frame_command): Delete declarationn.
(select_frame_for_mi): Declare new function.
gdb/doc/ChangeLog:
* gdb.texinfo (Frames): Rewrite the description of 'frame number'
to highlight that the number is also the frame's level.
(Selection): Rewrite documentation for 'frame' and 'select-frame'
commands.
(Frame Info): Rewrite documentation for 'info frame' command.
gdb/testsuite/ChangeLog:
* gdb.base/frame-selection.exp: New file.
* gdb.base/frame-selection.c: New file.
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