C++ – How to enter commands to a gdb prompt while debugging with Eclipse CDT

ceclipse-cdtgdb

I'm using Eclipse (Helios SR1) CDT for my C++ development. Eclipse interfaces with GDB for debugging, but I can't figure out how to manually enter commands to GDB while debugging through the Eclipse interface. For example, it would be nice to be able to enter p myVar instead of having to click and scroll through the local variables window.

Note: The only reason I'd like to use the Eclipse interface for debugging is because I like how it shows the code that is being stepped through. So if anyone has an alternative to suggest that would allow me to view the code that's being stepped through, please suggest! (I've used DDD, but I don't especially like it.)

Best Answer

It is actually very simple.

Start debugging (eclipse will switch to Debug Perspective). Then make sure Console View is shown. If it's not show it (Window->Show view...). In that view you will find "Display selected console" icon. Select down arrow next to it an select console named "gdb" (not gdb traces!).

What you enter in this console is forwarded directly to gdb (you can use all gdb commands).

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You need a version of GDB capable of using python to pretty print structures. I know at least on windows using mingw that this is not provided in the default install.

Pretty Printers are python modules which tell gdb how to display a given structure. You can write your own, but there are already printers for STL available for download.

To Get Pretty Printers working on Windows (instructions should be similiar for other OS's):

Prerequisites

Make sure you have you have Python 2.7 installed and in the system path.

http://www.python.org/download/
Make sure MinGW-get is installed

http://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw/files/Installer/mingw-get-inst/
Make sure you have an SVN client are installed

Installation:

Open a command Shell and type:
```
mingw-get install gdb-python
```
When its finished cd to a local directory and install the printers by typing:
```
svn co svn://gcc.gnu.org/svn/gcc/trunk/libstdc++-v3/python
```
Open the .gdbinit (create it in a text editor if need be) and type the following replaceing "C:/directory" with the folder that you checked the printers into.

Python
import sys
sys.path.insert(0, 'C:/directory')
from libstdcxx.v6.printers import register_libstdcxx_printers
register_libstdcxx_printers (None)
end

Eclipse Setup

Go To Windows > Preferences > C/C++ > Debug > GDB
Where it Says GDB Debugger put the path to the python enabled GDB it will most likely be in the mingw /bin folder with a name like gdb-python27.exe
Where it says GDB Command File put the path to the .gdb init file you made earlier.

That's it, debug like normal, the stl structures should be much easier to read.

C++ – How to compile and run C++ with MinGW using Eclipse and CDT

Does Setting up Eclipse CDT on Windows, Linux/Unix, Mac OS X work for you?

Best Answer

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