[RFC] A new command 'explore'

[Siva Chandra <sivachandra at google dot com>]

Hello,

Attached is a patch which implements a new command 'explore' using the
GDB Python API. The idea behind this 'explore' command is as follows:
Often, when exploring a new code base which has complicated data
structures, we would like to explore the data structure values
top-down. For example, if a struct is part of a struct/union is part
of another struct/union, then we typically explore the top-level
struct/union in the first pass. In subsequent passes, we might want to
go deeper by exploring the structs/unions embedded in the top level
struct. We might infact want to explore all the way up to the leaf
values. The ‘explore’ command enables a user to do such a top-down
exploration of data structures interactively.

I will add the documentation to gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo once the basics of
this patch are approved.

2011-12-19 Siva Chandra <sivachandra@google.com>

        New command 'explore' which helps explore values in scope.
        * data-directory/Makefile.in: Add gdb/command/explore.py
        * python/lib/gdb/command/explore.py: Implemention of the 'explore'
        command using the GDB Python API.
        * testsuite/gdb.python/Makefile.in: Add py-explore to EXECUTABLES
        * testsuite/gdb.python/py-explore.c: C program used for testing
        the new 'explore' command.
        * testsuite/gdb-python/py-explore.exp: Tests for the new 'explore'
        command.

Thanks,
Siva Chandra

Attachment: explore_command_patch.txt
Description: Text document