Repost: emacs/'gud' debugger interface?

Kenneth Manheimer (klm@nist.gov)
Tue, 26 Jul 1994 19:41:47 GMT

I've been using both the pdb and wdb debuggers. They're nice, but for
a screen debugger, wdb is a bit awkward. I constantly have to adjust
the multiple windows, changing their size and position, having to move
the mouse and do keystrokes (for stepping, etc), and losing windows
when a context is departed, among other things. I can't help
mentioning that it would still be a big win to have an emacs 'gud'
interface for python debugging.

For anyone that doesn't know, gud ("Grand Unified Debugger"!-)
basically implements a generic debugging interface protocol, by which
emacs talks to your debugger (which is run as a subprocess) and vice
versa. (It may even be possible to integrate it with the python-mode
\C-! python subprocess, i'm not sure.) It provides things like
source-code stepping, variable watching, etc, with the added benefit
that:

- you can do it all with the keyboard (or use a mouse as well),
- you can get multiple windows and full compatability on character
terminals - ie, outside of x
- its inside of emacs.

I realize that the last point isn't a big seller with some people. I
don't mean to be provincial, but you do get a very extensive and
powerful environment when you integrate things into emacs, and the gud
debugging environment is a pretty good component in itself.

I certainly won't have the time to produce a gud interface - is there
anyone out there who has developed such a thing, or thinking about
enhancing one of the existing python debuggers, or developing their
own? I hope you'll consider emacs/gud, if you are...

Ken
ken.manheimer@nist.gov, 301 975-3539