Re: symbol readers cleanup?

[Daniel Berlin <dan at cgsoftware dot com>]

Elena Zannoni <ezannoni@cygnus.com> writes:

> Hi,
> 
> I am in the process of trying to clean up the intefaces between the
> various modules that deal with reading object file formats, debugging
> symbols, and the like.
> 
> It seems that gdb has come to a state of really high entropy in this
> area (if you thought that wait_for_inferior was mess, try looking at
> this code!).
> 
> There are files that should deal with object files formats 
> dbxread.c -- aout
> xcoffread.c -- xcoff
> coffread.c -- coff
> somread.c -- som
> nlmread.c -- NetWare
> dstread.c -- Apollo
> mipsread.c -- ecoff
> os9kread.c -- os9k
> elfread.c -- elf
> 
> And files that should deal with debug formats:
> stabsread.c
> mdebugread.c
> hpread.c
> dwarfread.c
> dwarf2read.c
> 
> The distinction however is fuzzy. The interfaces are not clean.
> Several cases refer to stabs functions even though stab is not the
> debug format in use, etc.  Some platform specific files are all self
> contained, like nlm and dst.  In all this mess there is partial-stab.h
> as well.
> 
> 
> Mind if I clean up a bit?
> 

Please, do.
mdebugread, for instance, still hasn't changed since before the
interfaces to build partial symbols and  symbol blocks moved into
buildsym.
It still makes them by hand.


> Elena

-- 
"You know how it is when you're reading a book and falling
asleep, you're reading, reading...  And all of a sudden you
notice your eyes are closed?  I'm like that all the time.
"-Steven Wright