How to Enable GDB Pretty Printing for C STL Objects in Eclipse CDT?

Enabling GDB Pretty Printing for C STL Objects in Eclipse CDT

Debugging C programs with STL objects can be challenging when the default GDB output is not readily interpretable. Enabling pretty printing addresses this issue by providing a more user-friendly representation of STL data structures.

Prerequisites

• Install the latest version of GDB with Python scripting support.
• Obtain the Python pretty printers by checking out the "libstdcxx-v3/python" directory from the GCC SVN repository.

Setting Up Pretty Printing

1. Configure GDBinit File: Create a .gdbinit file in your project directory and add the following content:

   <code class="python">import sys
   sys.path.insert(0, '/home/<path_to_pretty_printers>')
   from libstdcxx.v6.printers import register_libstdcxx_printers
   register_libstdcxx_printers(None)</path_to_pretty_printers></code>

2. Enable Pretty Printing in Eclipse CDT: In Eclipse, navigate to Window -> Preferences -> C/C -> Debug -> GDB.

   • Set the path to GDB and .gdbinit file.
   • Enable the "Pretty Printing" option.

3. Additional GDB Commands: For further customization, execute these commands in GDB:

   set print pretty on
   set print object on
   set print static-members on
   set print vtbl on
   set print demangle on
   set demangle-style gnu-v3
   set print sevenbit-strings off

Additional Tips

• For older projects, ensure that the source code is compiled with at least GCC 4.9 or later to support the required Python module.
• If you encounter the Python module import error, make sure the module path in your gdbinit file is correct and the module is installed in the specified location.

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