Re: GDB/XMI (XML Machine Interface)

[Daniel Jacobowitz <drow at false dot org>]

On Fri, Aug 20, 2004 at 03:24:58PM -0400, Bob Rossi wrote:
> > > > Heck, parse it into XML if you'd like.
> > > 
> > > I don't want the data to be in XML. I just want the data without writing
> > > a parser. and a protocol that is backwards compatible. This seems like a
> > > simple think to ask for.
> > > 
> > > If GDB expects to have one common MI library, than it should distribute
> > > a library that is responsible for reading it's own output, and giving
> > > the user some data structures that will be backwards compatible. Thus, a
> > > library to link against.
> > 
> > So, it would be a waste of your time to write a parser that all future
> > front ends could use, but not a waste of GDB developers' time to carry
> > out major incompatible surgery on GDB's output format for people that
> > already parse MI?
> 
> What? I am saying that if GDB wants to stick with this self invented
> grammer and decides that it is obviously silly to have all of the
> consumers reinventing the wheel, it should write a library that parses
> the MI output and give it to the user in some sort of ADT. Making the
> protocol transparent. If this existed, I would be satisfied.
> 
> I wouldn't expect anyone but myself and people that believed in the idea
> to carry out the surgery. I am not asking for a present.

That's what I was suggesting you do - write that library.

> I feel that an XML approach will save developers time over the long run
> and that inventing a grammer to parse on output was a mistake in the
> first place. 
> 
> Is the *main* argument to stick with MI because there is already a
> customer base?

There's no "main" argument, but there seem to be lots of existing
arguments.  Myself, I don't have much reason to care, but I agree with
Chris that typiing XML by hand is a real pain, but MI is manageable
(and I do it periodically).

I don't think that using XML would change anything.  Several people
have already presented my opinion better than I could.

-- 
Daniel Jacobowitz