Created attachment 14321 [details] Patch against 154f2735ad4 SUMMARY The '--simple-values' argument to '-stack-list-arguments' and similar GDB/MI commands does not take reference types into account, so that references to arbitrarily large structures are considered "simple" and printed. This means that the '--simple-values' argument cannot be used by IDEs when tracing the stack due to the time taken to print large structures passed by reference. DETAILS Various GDB/MI commands ('-stack-list-arguments', '-stack-list-locals', '-stack-list-variables' and so on) take a PRINT-VALUES argument which may be '--no-values' (0), '--all-values' (1) or '--simple-values' (2). In the '--simple-values' case, the command is supposed to print the name, type, and value of variables with simple types, and print only the name and type of variables with compound types. The '--simple-values' argument ought to be suitable for IDEs that need to update their user interface with the program's call stack every time the program stops. However, it does not take C++ reference types into account, and this makes the argument unsuitable for this purpose. For example, consider the following C++ program: struct s { int v[10]; }; int sum(const struct s &s) { int total = 0; for (int i = 0; i < 10; ++i) total += s.v[i]; return total; } int main(void) { struct s s = { { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 } }; return sum(s); } If we start GDB in MI mode and continue to 'sum', the behaviour of '-stack-list-arguments' is as follows: (gdb) -stack-list-arguments --simple-values ^done,stack-args=[frame={level="0",args=[{name="s",type="const s &",value="@0x7fffffffe310: {v = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}}"}]},frame={level="1",args=[]}] Note that the value of the argument 's' was printed, even though 's' is a reference to a structure, which is not a simple value. See https://github.com/microsoft/MIEngine/pull/673 for a case where this behaviour caused Microsoft to avoid the use of '--simple-values' in their MIEngine debug adapter, because it caused Visual Studio Code to take too long to refresh the call stack in the user interface. SOLUTIONS There are two ways we could fix this problem, depending on whether we consider the current behaviour to be a bug. 1. If the current behaviour is a bug, then we can update the behaviour of '--simple-values' so that it takes reference types into account: that is, a value is simple if it is neither an array, struct, or union, nor a reference to an array, struct or union. In this case we must add a feature to the '-list-features' command so that IDEs can detect that it is safe to use the '--simple-values' argument when refreshing the call stack. 2. If the current behaviour is not a bug, then we can add a new option for the PRINT-VALUES argument, for example, '--simplest-values' (3), that would be suitable for use by IDEs. In this case we must add a feature to the '-list-features' command so that IDEs can detect that the '--simplest-values' argument is available for use when refreshing the call stack. PATCH The attached patch implements solution (1) as I think the current behaviour of not printing structures, but printing references to structures, is surprising. However, if you prefer solution (2) I would be happy to implement that instead.
Created attachment 14324 [details] Corrected patch against 154f2735ad My first patch was backwards due to getting the "git diff" command wrong. New patch is the right way round.
Created attachment 14329 [details] Patch against 154f2735ad implementing solution (2) Here's an alternative patch implementing solution (2), adding a '--scalar-values' option for the PRINT-VALUES argument to '-stack-list-arguments' and similar commands. This option prints the value only for scalars and so matches the behaviour of the 'scalars' argument to the 'set print frame-arguments' command. References to structures are not scalars, and so the option is suitable for use by IDEs.
Created attachment 14379 [details] Corrected patch against 154f2735ad implementing solution (2) Here's a patch implementing solution (2), corrected after review by Eli Zaretskii.
Created attachment 14408 [details] Corrected patch against 154f2735ad implementing solution (2) Here's a patch implementing solution (2), corrected after review by Eli Zaretskii and Andrew Burgess.
The master branch has been updated by Tom Tromey <tromey@sourceware.org>: https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git;h=51f8dafba8175a8d59716f220a46de4e626e5073 commit 51f8dafba8175a8d59716f220a46de4e626e5073 Author: Gareth Rees <grees@undo.io> Date: Sat Mar 11 11:49:34 2023 +0000 Don't treat references to compound values as "simple". SUMMARY The '--simple-values' argument to '-stack-list-arguments' and similar GDB/MI commands does not take reference types into account, so that references to arbitrarily large structures are considered "simple" and printed. This means that the '--simple-values' argument cannot be used by IDEs when tracing the stack due to the time taken to print large structures passed by reference. DETAILS Various GDB/MI commands ('-stack-list-arguments', '-stack-list-locals', '-stack-list-variables' and so on) take a PRINT-VALUES argument which may be '--no-values' (0), '--all-values' (1) or '--simple-values' (2). In the '--simple-values' case, the command is supposed to print the name, type, and value of variables with simple types, and print only the name and type of variables with compound types. The '--simple-values' argument ought to be suitable for IDEs that need to update their user interface with the program's call stack every time the program stops. However, it does not take C++ reference types into account, and this makes the argument unsuitable for this purpose. For example, consider the following C++ program: struct s { int v[10]; }; int sum(const struct s &s) { int total = 0; for (int i = 0; i < 10; ++i) total += s.v[i]; return total; } int main(void) { struct s s = { { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 } }; return sum(s); } If we start GDB in MI mode and continue to 'sum', the behaviour of '-stack-list-arguments' is as follows: (gdb) -stack-list-arguments --simple-values ^done,stack-args=[frame={level="0",args=[{name="s",type="const s &",value="@0x7fffffffe310: {v = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}}"}]},frame={level="1",args=[]}] Note that the value of the argument 's' was printed, even though 's' is a reference to a structure, which is not a simple value. See https://github.com/microsoft/MIEngine/pull/673 for a case where this behaviour caused Microsoft to avoid the use of '--simple-values' in their MIEngine debug adapter, because it caused Visual Studio Code to take too long to refresh the call stack in the user interface. SOLUTIONS There are two ways we could fix this problem, depending on whether we consider the current behaviour to be a bug. 1. If the current behaviour is a bug, then we can update the behaviour of '--simple-values' so that it takes reference types into account: that is, a value is simple if it is neither an array, struct, or union, nor a reference to an array, struct or union. In this case we must add a feature to the '-list-features' command so that IDEs can detect that it is safe to use the '--simple-values' argument when refreshing the call stack. 2. If the current behaviour is not a bug, then we can add a new option for the PRINT-VALUES argument, for example, '--scalar-values' (3), that would be suitable for use by IDEs. In this case we must add a feature to the '-list-features' command so that IDEs can detect that the '--scalar-values' argument is available for use when refreshing the call stack. PATCH This patch implements solution (1) as I think the current behaviour of not printing structures, but printing references to structures, is contrary to reasonable expectation. Bug: https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=29554
I think this is fixed now.