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Re: [RFC] [PATCH] Provide the ability to write the frame unwinder in Python
- From: Doug Evans <dje at google dot com>
- To: Andy Wingo <wingo at igalia dot com>
- Cc: Alexander Smundak <asmundak at google dot com>, gdb-patches <gdb-patches at sourceware dot org>
- Date: Fri, 20 Mar 2015 11:32:05 -0700
- Subject: Re: [RFC] [PATCH] Provide the ability to write the frame unwinder in Python
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Andy Wingo writes:
> Hi,
>
> Thanks for taking the time to look at the patches, Doug!
>
> On Fri 20 Mar 2015 01:15, Doug Evans <dje@google.com> writes:
>
> > 2) IIUC, setting aside hitting the outermost frame and such,
> > it's a rule that some unwinder will recognize the frame.
> > Therefore "ephemeral" isn't quite right, even "real"
> > frames are ephemeral since we toss the frame cache when
> > the inferior resumes. OTOH, we need to make progress
> > and I'm just throwing this out there. "ephemeral" is
> > fine with me: we don't use that term for anything else
> > which is nice.
>
> Just to throw out some other names -- PendingFrame. Alexander mentioned
> InspectedFrame. IntermediateFrame. FrameTemplate. SkeletonFrame.
> MinimalFrame. FrameStub.
>
> Dunno, just some ideas :)
I like PendingFrame.
It's a frame, but not a real one yet.
> > 3) We need to allow sniffers to record anything they
> > want in gdb.UnwindInfo/<gdb:unwind-info>.
>
> I see from your point (4) later that you are thinking that if we add
> some kind of callback interface to UnwindInfo that e.g. Guile code might
> need to fetch arbitrary data from the UnwindInfo.
>
> You also note correctly that this is not currently something that the
> patches require -- the UnwindInfo contains all of the information, and
> the C prev_register/this_id callbacks just look into the UnwindInfo
> data.
>
> If we did add a callback interface I don't think there would be a
> problem.
Cool.
> Let's say we want to add a way for prev_register to call back into
> Guile. If the prev-register callback is added to the unwind info via
> unwind-info-set-prev-register-callback! or something then the callback
> can be a closure that captures the data it needs. Or it can use an
> external weak hash table. Or when we add the
> set-prev-register-callback! interface, we can add some other associated
> interface to store data in the unwind-info. There are multiple fine
> options here.
>
> > 5) The docs don't make any mention of target endianness
> > in the saved register values. They probably should.
>
> +1 to Alexander's answer -- as they are GDB values, there shouldn't be
> an issue, should there?
Well, as I wrote in my reply to Alexander,
we can't control how the user will create these values.
They *might* want to do something off the beaten path, so to speak.
We should specify what's required.
> > 6) I noticed several routines for building frame ids in Python.
> > Both Python and Guile support keyword based arguments to functions.
> > Can we just have one frame id builder function and each take
> > sp and pc (and special if we need to) as keyword arguments?
> > E.g. (make-unwind-info ephem-frame #:sp sp #:pc pc)
> > But see (7) below.
> >
> > 7) If we ever need to use frame ids in the extension language
> > IWBN if they were their own object, in which case we might have
> > (make-unwind-info ephem-frame #:frame-id frame-id)
>
> This would be fine; and actually at this point the kwarg is unnecessary.
I'd have make-frame-id take kwargs though.
> (make-unwind-info ephem-frame frame-id)
>
> > but then I'm wondering if there should be an
> > unwind-info-set-frame-id! function and move sp,pc there.
>
> I agree with Alexander that this isn't great. The only thing that an
> unwinder *must* do is set a frame ID. It must produce a frame_id at the
> same time as the sniffer returns TRUE. (They are different callbacks
> but always called one after the other.) Therefore it makes sense to
> have the invariant:
>
> Is it an UnwindInfo? Then it definitely has a frame ID.
>
> That way it takes away one possible error case.
I recognize these points, but I guess in this particular case
I don't feel as strongly. But I don't mind making
frame-id a required argument to make-unwind-info.
So go for it.
> Also you wouldn't want
> to set the frame ID on an UnwindInfo twice, it doesn't make sense.
One could say the same of saved registers.
> > I'm not sure where to put the UnwindInfo creator (factory method).
> > Do we need one? Can we just create them via normal object construction?
>
> In Guile you have to give it a name of course -- make-unwind-info. But
> in Python I liked Alexander's use of a factory method. But I dunno,
> I'll leave the Python discussion to you all :)
A factory method is a layer of abstraction
which is nice (e.g., if later we need to change/extend things
it'd be easier to add a new method or whatever than to play
with the constructor). So ok let's use a factory method.
> > 8) Re: set_previous_frame_register vs unwind-info-add-saved-register!
> >
> > Dunno. On this particular point I guess I don't have a strong
> > enough interesting in being consistent.
> > I'll let you guys decide.
>
> If you don't have such an interest on being consistent for this piece
> then I guess the easy way is to leave these as they are then. Avoids
> multiple-day awkward backs and forths :) But if you decide they need to
> be the same let us know.
>
> Speaking for myself I prefer the Guile one of course, but I prefer
> executive decisions over having to endure more days of naming
> discussions over email :)
I'll make an executive decision to let you guys decide. 1/2 :-)
"But seriously, ..."
Let's go with add_saved_register / unwind-info-add-saved-register!
Sorry Alexander. :-)
I have to pause whenever I read "previous" vs "next": the meaning
is clear in frame-unwind.h, but it just doesn't stick.
E.g., The next frame to unwind is the previous frame on the stack.
Thank goodness frame.c uses all of next/down/inner/younger
and prev/up/outer/older.