Re: [RFA] Implement 'print -raw-values' and 'set print raw-values on|off'

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz at gnu dot org>]

> From: Philippe Waroquiers <philippe.waroquiers@skynet.be>
> Cc: Philippe Waroquiers <philippe.waroquiers@skynet.be>
> Date: Wed,  7 Aug 2019 21:39:24 +0200
> 
> diff --git a/gdb/NEWS b/gdb/NEWS
> index fa01adf6e8..8f27b102ea 100644
> --- a/gdb/NEWS
> +++ b/gdb/NEWS
> @@ -101,6 +101,12 @@ show print max-depth
>    The default max-depth is 20, but this can be set to unlimited to get
>    the old behavior back.
>  
> +set print raw-values [on|off]
> +show print raw-values
> +  By default, GDB applies the enabled pretty printers when printing a
> +  value.  This allows to ignore the enabled pretty printers for a series
> +  of commands.  The default is 'off'.
> +
>  set logging debugredirect [on|off]
>    By default, GDB debug output will go to both the terminal and the logfile.
>    Set if you want debug output to go only to the log file.
> @@ -200,6 +206,7 @@ maint show test-options-completion-result
>        -null-stop [on|off]
>        -object [on|off]
>        -pretty [on|off]
> +      -raw-values [on|off]
>        -repeats NUMBER|unlimited
>        -static-members [on|off]
>        -symbol [on|off]
> @@ -244,11 +251,11 @@ maint show test-options-completion-result
>     "on" if omitted.  This allows writing compact command invocations,
>     like for example:
>  
> -    (gdb) p -r -p -o 0 -- *myptr
> +    (gdb) p -ra -p -o 0 -- *myptr
>  
>     The above is equivalent to:
>  
> -    (gdb) print -raw -pretty -object off -- *myptr
> +    (gdb) print -raw-values -pretty -object off -- *myptr
>  
>    ** The "info types" command now supports the '-q' flag to disable
>       printing of some header information in a similar fashion to "info

This part is OK.

> +@item set print raw-values off
> +Print values in pretty-printed form, if there is a pretty-printer
> +for the value (@pxref{Pretty Printing}),
> +otherwise print the value in raw form.
> +This is the default.

I suggest a slight rewording:

  +@anchor{set print raw-values}
  +@item set print raw-values on
  +Print values in raw form, without applying the pretty
  +printers for the value.
  +
  +@item set print raw-values off
  +Print values in pretty-printed form, if there is a pretty-printer
  +for the value (@pxref{Pretty Printing}),
  +otherwise print the value in raw form.
  +
  +The default setting is OFF.

> +The print option @code{-raw-values} and @value{GDBN} setting @xref{set
> +print raw-values} can be used to print values without applying the

This use of @xref is a bad idea, because the printed output and even
the Info output that result from this look like a typo.  For starters,
@xref produces a capitalized "See", which is inappropriate in the
middle of a sentence.

My suggestion is to use the following style:

  The print option @code{-raw-values} and @value{GDBN} setting
  @code{set print raw-values} (@pxref{set print raw-values}) can be
  used to print ...

Yes, this repeats some of the text, but there's nothing much we can do
about that.

> +Similarly, the backtrace option @code{-raw-frame-arguments} and
> +@value{GDBN} setting @xref{set print raw-frame-arguments} can be used
> +to ignore the enabled pretty printers when printing frame argument
> +values

Likewise here.  Also, a period is missing at the end of the last
sentence.

Thanks.