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command help: start/run?
- From: Gary Funck <gary at intrepid dot com>
- To: GDB List <gdb at sources dot redhat dot com>
- Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2007 19:50:29 -0800
- Subject: command help: start/run?
Reading through infcmd.c, I just realized that there is a
"start" command in addition to "run".
The help messages might be a bit inconsistent, however:
(gdb) help run
Start debugged program. You may specify arguments to give it.
Args may include "*", or "[...]"; they are expanded using "sh".
Input and output redirection with ">", "<", or ">>" are also allowed.
With no arguments, uses arguments last specified (with "run" or "set args").
To cancel previous arguments and run with no arguments,
use "set args" without arguments.
(gdb) help start
Run the debugged program until the beginning of the main procedure.
You may specify arguments to give to your program, just as with the
"run" command.
Above, "run" says that it will "Start debugged program", but
"start" says that it will "Run the debugged program". Seems
inconsistent/confusing.
Presumably, "start" will also re-use the last arguments
spcified, if no arguments are supplied to the "start"
command? But, because the "run" command help only talks
about "run", this behaviour isn't explicitly described.
It might be clearer if both help messages began with
"Run the debugged program"? Also, as a matter of style,
it would be more helpful if the user wasn't referred back
to the help message for "run" (the "run" description of the
arguments could simply be repeated in the "start" help message).
If there's agreement on making these improvements to the
help strings for "run" and "start", I'll submit a patch.