some suggestions

[wm]

Hi,

Just found zerobugs today, it's a great tool. I played with it a
little bit, here are some suggestions:

1) GUI layout: http://www.zero-bugs.com/images/suse.png

I think the most important info I want to see when my program crash
are:
-- source code
-- stack trace
-- my local variables (not registers, just as zerobugs is intended as
an application debugger, not a kernel debugger)

So I hope the default layout show the local variable value instead of
register value; right now, when I change the stack frame I want to
exam, I need to an extra click to see the local variable tab.

Also I'd like the 3 windows layout like this:

================= | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
================= | |
| |
================= | |

The reason is that when people exam variable values, he need to expand
the variable tree, we should give variable window more vertical space.

And function names (in the stack window) is typically the same width
as the code itself.

I hope you are convinced of my arguments; if not, at least make every
window dockable, so I can re-arrange the widow the way I like it
(currently I can't).


2) command line interface: why not simulate the gdb convention:
-- treat 'return' as repeat last command
-- use short names, e.g. 'p' is same as 'print', 'n' as 'next'
This will save lots of typing.

[cristiv]

Hi,

I agree with the fact that each person has different debugging styles
and needs.

And I have been experimenting with movable tabs, i.e. you can drag
them from the horizontal to the vertical window and back.

This feature however requires a newer version of Gtk that is not (yet)
ubiquitously deployed. It works fine on Ubuntu 7.10 but not on other
distros, so the jury is still out.

Another option is for me to implement yet another layout strategy
following your suggestions (strategy as in "the Strategy Design
Pattern").

As a stop gap you may try the "Classic" layout (Edit-->Options--
>Layout), see snapshot here: http://the-free-meme.blogspot.com/2007/11/zerobugs-on-powerpc.html.
Would that work for you?

As for the command line, it was intended by design as minimalistic. I
mainly use to script debugger engine unit tests. After all, zero is
not intended to be a drop-in replacement of GDB. And it does support
tab auto-completion and history navigation, so you are still able to
save some typing.

That being said, the command line may be customized by means of Python
script. Here is an example of extending the command line to support
the Debugger Machine Interface standard: http://zero-bugs.com/examples/dmi.py
(see http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/DMI for DMI specs). The code
is not complete and maybe dated, but it is good enough to illustrate
the concept.

Thank you for your comments. I will try to sketch out some UI ideas
and I hope to continue this conversation.

Best regards,
Cristian

[wm]

> This feature however requires a newer version of Gtk that is not (yet)
> ubiquitously deployed. It works fine on Ubuntu 7.10 but not on other
> distros, so the jury is still out.

Oh, I'm using 6.06; is the new features released in 7.10 so I can
download and play with?

> here:http://the-free-meme.blogspot.com/2007/11/zerobugs-on-powerpc.html.
>
> Would that work for you?

I checked all the screenshots on your web page, but didn't find the
one I like.

The font size distorted my previous graph, let me try again:


| |===================
| |
| |
| | code
| |
| |
| |===================
| | stack trace
| |
| |===================
^
| local variables


My main concern is that the local variable window should take the
whole vertical space, because the need to drill down class/struct
variables, which will expand vertically.

[cristiv]

I see, what you would like looks somewhat like this
http://zero-bugs.com/images/left_tab.png, correct?

[wm]

Yes, this looks great! can I get a temporary build :-)

BTW, I noticed you put the "registers" tab to the bottom. It's better
to be in the same "variable window". i.e. the "variable window" holds
all the tabs that display variable.


On Feb 23, 3:03 am, cristiv <cristi.vlasce...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I see, what you would like looks somewhat like thishttp://zero-bugs.com/images/left_tab.png, correct?