Re: gdb-ui, dedicated windows

[Nick Roberts]

Tom Tromey writes:
 > >> Another smaller annoyance: IMHO the separate IO buffer shouldn't be in a
 > >> dedicated window even if `gdb-many-windows' is t.  It just takes to much
 > >> space and makes it hard to look at two source files at the same time.
 > 
 > Nick> If it takes up too much room why use a separate buffer?  If you need a
 > Nick> separate buffer, why not put it in another frame?
 > 
 > The effect I would like is to have a single, screen-filling "gdb UI"
 > frame show up when I start debugging, and have it go away when I
 > finish debugging.  And, I'd like to be able to arrange the windows in
 > this frame the way I like.

Killing the GUD buffer kills the associated buffers.  Maybe that's not obvious
but it is mentioned in the manual.

 > The "one frame" approach is vaguely reminiscent of an Eclipse
 > perspective.  FWIW I think it is reasonable for some people to want
 > multiple frames and some to want a single frame.
 > 
 > To achieve this, a few changes are needed.  First, Emacs needs a new
 > way to maximize a frame so it doesn't overshadow the panel.  Second,
 > gdb-ui needs some window layout code.

I'm not sure what you mean.  Emacs appears maximise a frame like any other
application and the (Gnome) planel always remains visible for me.

 > >> BTW, how about some key bindings to move around / display the gdb-ui
 > >> windows?
 > 
 > Nick> It would be nice to be able to move the buffers around like
 > Nick> views in Eclipse but that would be a substantial task.  Emacs 23
 > Nick> has tabs in the header line of some buffers.  Do you have any
 > Nick> concrete ideas?
 > 
 > A while back I wrote the appended.  It isn't perfect, but the idea is
 > that you can rearrange the windows by hand, then save the state.
 > Then, next time, M-x gdb-frame-restore-windows will use this window
 > layout instead of the built-in one.

Yes it would be nice to have something like this, although I generally don't
want to start with the same window arrangement that I finished with in the
previous sessiion.  Whenever possible I recompile and stay in the same session
and that way I keep breakpoints, command history etc.


 > A few unimplemented refinements: have gdb-ui do this automatically,
 > save the window configuration, and allow multiple "source" windows w/
 > LRU replacement.

For the source window I think this would need to save the source buffer and use
gdb-display-source-buffer.

-- 
Nick                                           http://www.inet.net.nz/~nickrob