RE: MI error msgs and localization

["Bjarke Viksoe" <bviksoe at hotmail dot com>]

>  > For instance, a cleanup must be done to make sure all errors are still
>  > reported through MI in English ? including the more exceptional ones
>  > (especially during startup). For instance, I am actively interpreting 
> raw
>  > console-stream output for the following strings:
>  >
>  > No debugging symbols found
>  > Unable to attach to process
>  > No such process
>  > No symbol table is loaded
>  > No such file
>  > gdb: unrecognized option
>  > An internal GDB error was detected.
>  > Thread x has terminated.
>  > No executable file specified
>  > No executable specified, use?
>
> These messages appear to be part of the CLI output intended for the user 
> and
> not MI.  It seems natural to translate them.

I really don't agree at all. Very few output in MI mode is/should be 
intended for users only. You have got get past the stage where you think of 
the front-end as a "dumb automated shell" and into thinking "integrated 
environment with user friendly error messages". Preferrably these messages 
should have been streamed out as a MI result-records.

I translate "No symbol table loaded..." into asking the user to switch to 
debug-mode in my tool. "Unrecognized option" pop ups that the GDB version is 
too old, reinstall needed. "Thread x has terminated" refreshed the thread 
list etc etc etc. No user behind a front-end will understand "No such 
process." or "No executable file specified" by itself when the cause of this 
is some magic done by the controlling front-end.

> Patches are welcome for any further MI commands that you would like to see
> implemented.
>
> As stated in the manual, MI is still evolving.  The best way to make it do
> the things you want is to participate in its development.

Unfortunately I see this reply too often here. The number of MI questions 
are steadily increasing in this maillist. I believe that the MI interface 
will be the dominant way of using GDB in the future since more people will 
realise that there finally is a not-so-arcane way to interface with it and 
thus integration into the various editor tools becomes wide-spread. So it's 
sad to see the same basic functions with "N/A" in the documentation still.

I would love to participate but I'm primarily a Windows developer and tries 
to focus on UI in my spare time and ancient C programs/style just scares me. 
I really appreciate the work that has been done, just hope that GDB team 
will keep focus on making MI integration a primarily target so the tool is 
not just accessible for geeky developers that fathoms 2-letter shortcut 
commands, but also to mainstream developers using high-level development 
tools.

Sorry, just a litte frustrated that MI doesn't seem to move forward. I do 
really appreciate the work that has been done on GDB already.

regards, bjarke viksoe
GMail Drive - http://www.viksoe.dk/gmail/