Re: Question concerning comment in symtab.h

[Paul Hilfinger <hilfingr at gnat dot com>]

>   Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 20:21:26 -0400
>   From: Daniel Berlin <dan@cgsoftware.com>
>
>   On Wednesday, May 9, 2001, at 08:04 PM, Paul N. Hilfinger wrote:
>
>   >        ....  As of 16 Apr 93, this flag is never used to distinguish
>   >        between gcc2 and the native compiler.
>   >	    ...
>   >
>   >     unsigned char gcc_compile_flag;
>   >
>   > Am I correct that this comment is wrong?  ...
>   >
>   > [I ask because we may have another use for BLOCK_GCC_COMPILED, ...
>
>   What do you want to do with BLOCK_GCC_COMPILED?

It's a bit complicated, and since it also involves GCC, I don't have the 
complete story.  On the PA-RISC platform, GCC does not entirely conform to
HP's published material about stack unwinding information, as a result of
which there is some confusion for programs that use both GCC-compiled and
HP-native-compiled subprograms and that use alloca.  A complete fix to GCC
is (I'm told) rather involved.  For some period of time, therefore, we 
intend to also make some changes to GDB.  Whether these get into the 
public tree as is or are partially overtaken by events (i.e., changes to
GCC) remains to be seen.  However, in any case I need to understand what is 
going on.

>   I was just getting ready to remove it.
>   As the comment says, you shouldn't be using it to distinguish between 
>   gcc and something else past the symbol reading.

Right, and that's our intention.   So, during symbol reading, one is now
supposed to reference gcc_compile_flag directly (and not reference it at
all elsewhere)?

And, again, my original question: Is the "As of 16 Apr 93" comment above
indeed incorrect, or am I misunderstanding its intent?

P. Hilfinger