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<title>Data - Debugging with GDB</title>
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Next: <a rel="next" accesskey="n" href="Optimized-Code.html#Optimized-Code">Optimized Code</a>,
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Previous: <a rel="previous" accesskey="p" href="Source.html#Source">Source</a>,
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Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="index.html#Top">Top</a>
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<h2 class="chapter">10 Examining Data</h2>
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<p><a name="index-printing-data-616"></a><a name="index-examining-data-617"></a><a name="index-print-618"></a><a name="index-inspect-619"></a>The usual way to examine data in your program is with the <code>print</code>
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command (abbreviated <code>p</code>), or its synonym <code>inspect</code>. It
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evaluates and prints the value of an expression of the language your
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program is written in (see <a href="Languages.html#Languages">Using <span class="sc">gdb</span> with Different Languages</a>). It may also print the expression using a
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Python-based pretty-printer (see <a href="Pretty-Printing.html#Pretty-Printing">Pretty Printing</a>).
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<dl>
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<dt><code>print </code><var>expr</var><dt><code>print /</code><var>f</var> <var>expr</var><dd><var>expr</var> is an expression (in the source language). By default the
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value of <var>expr</var> is printed in a format appropriate to its data type;
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you can choose a different format by specifying ‘<samp><span class="samp">/</span><var>f</var></samp>’, where
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<var>f</var> is a letter specifying the format; see <a href="Output-Formats.html#Output-Formats">Output Formats</a>.
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<br><dt><code>print</code><dt><code>print /</code><var>f</var><dd><a name="index-reprint-the-last-value-620"></a>If you omit <var>expr</var>, <span class="sc">gdb</span> displays the last value again (from the
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<dfn>value history</dfn>; see <a href="Value-History.html#Value-History">Value History</a>). This allows you to
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conveniently inspect the same value in an alternative format.
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</dl>
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<p>A more low-level way of examining data is with the <code>x</code> command.
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It examines data in memory at a specified address and prints it in a
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specified format. See <a href="Memory.html#Memory">Examining Memory</a>.
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<p>If you are interested in information about types, or about how the
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fields of a struct or a class are declared, use the <code>ptype </code><var>exp</var>
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command rather than <code>print</code>. See <a href="Symbols.html#Symbols">Examining the Symbol Table</a>.
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<p><a name="index-exploring-hierarchical-data-structures-621"></a><a name="index-explore-622"></a>Another way of examining values of expressions and type information is
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through the Python extension command <code>explore</code> (available only if
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the <span class="sc">gdb</span> build is configured with <code>--with-python</code>). It
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offers an interactive way to start at the highest level (or, the most
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abstract level) of the data type of an expression (or, the data type
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itself) and explore all the way down to leaf scalar values/fields
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embedded in the higher level data types.
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<dl>
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<dt><code>explore </code><var>arg</var><dd><var>arg</var> is either an expression (in the source language), or a type
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visible in the current context of the program being debugged.
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</dl>
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<p>The working of the <code>explore</code> command can be illustrated with an
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example. If a data type <code>struct ComplexStruct</code> is defined in your
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C program as
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<pre class="smallexample"> struct SimpleStruct
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{
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int i;
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double d;
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};
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struct ComplexStruct
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{
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struct SimpleStruct *ss_p;
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int arr[10];
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};
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</pre>
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<p class="noindent">followed by variable declarations as
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<pre class="smallexample"> struct SimpleStruct ss = { 10, 1.11 };
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struct ComplexStruct cs = { &ss, { 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 } };
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</pre>
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<p class="noindent">then, the value of the variable <code>cs</code> can be explored using the
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<code>explore</code> command as follows.
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<pre class="smallexample"> (gdb) explore cs
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The value of `cs' is a struct/class of type `struct ComplexStruct' with
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the following fields:
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ss_p = <Enter 0 to explore this field of type `struct SimpleStruct *'>
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arr = <Enter 1 to explore this field of type `int [10]'>
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Enter the field number of choice:
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</pre>
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<p class="noindent">Since the fields of <code>cs</code> are not scalar values, you are being
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prompted to chose the field you want to explore. Let's say you choose
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the field <code>ss_p</code> by entering <code>0</code>. Then, since this field is a
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pointer, you will be asked if it is pointing to a single value. From
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the declaration of <code>cs</code> above, it is indeed pointing to a single
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value, hence you enter <code>y</code>. If you enter <code>n</code>, then you will
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be asked if it were pointing to an array of values, in which case this
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field will be explored as if it were an array.
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<pre class="smallexample"> `cs.ss_p' is a pointer to a value of type `struct SimpleStruct'
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Continue exploring it as a pointer to a single value [y/n]: y
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The value of `*(cs.ss_p)' is a struct/class of type `struct
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SimpleStruct' with the following fields:
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i = 10 .. (Value of type `int')
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d = 1.1100000000000001 .. (Value of type `double')
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Press enter to return to parent value:
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</pre>
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<p class="noindent">If the field <code>arr</code> of <code>cs</code> was chosen for exploration by
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entering <code>1</code> earlier, then since it is as array, you will be
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prompted to enter the index of the element in the array that you want
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to explore.
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<pre class="smallexample"> `cs.arr' is an array of `int'.
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Enter the index of the element you want to explore in `cs.arr': 5
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`(cs.arr)[5]' is a scalar value of type `int'.
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(cs.arr)[5] = 4
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Press enter to return to parent value:
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</pre>
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<p>In general, at any stage of exploration, you can go deeper towards the
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leaf values by responding to the prompts appropriately, or hit the
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return key to return to the enclosing data structure (the <i>higher</i>
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level data structure).
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<p>Similar to exploring values, you can use the <code>explore</code> command to
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explore types. Instead of specifying a value (which is typically a
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variable name or an expression valid in the current context of the
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program being debugged), you specify a type name. If you consider the
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same example as above, your can explore the type
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<code>struct ComplexStruct</code> by passing the argument
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<code>struct ComplexStruct</code> to the <code>explore</code> command.
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<pre class="smallexample"> (gdb) explore struct ComplexStruct
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</pre>
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<p class="noindent">By responding to the prompts appropriately in the subsequent interactive
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session, you can explore the type <code>struct ComplexStruct</code> in a
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manner similar to how the value <code>cs</code> was explored in the above
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example.
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<p>The <code>explore</code> command also has two sub-commands,
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<code>explore value</code> and <code>explore type</code>. The former sub-command is
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a way to explicitly specify that value exploration of the argument is
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being invoked, while the latter is a way to explicitly specify that type
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exploration of the argument is being invoked.
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<dl>
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<dt><code>explore value </code><var>expr</var><dd><a name="index-explore-value-623"></a>This sub-command of <code>explore</code> explores the value of the
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expression <var>expr</var> (if <var>expr</var> is an expression valid in the
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current context of the program being debugged). The behavior of this
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command is identical to that of the behavior of the <code>explore</code>
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command being passed the argument <var>expr</var>.
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<br><dt><code>explore type </code><var>arg</var><dd><a name="index-explore-type-624"></a>This sub-command of <code>explore</code> explores the type of <var>arg</var> (if
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<var>arg</var> is a type visible in the current context of program being
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debugged), or the type of the value/expression <var>arg</var> (if <var>arg</var>
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is an expression valid in the current context of the program being
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debugged). If <var>arg</var> is a type, then the behavior of this command is
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identical to that of the <code>explore</code> command being passed the
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argument <var>arg</var>. If <var>arg</var> is an expression, then the behavior of
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this command will be identical to that of the <code>explore</code> command
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being passed the type of <var>arg</var> as the argument.
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</dl>
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<ul class="menu">
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<li><a accesskey="1" href="Expressions.html#Expressions">Expressions</a>: Expressions
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<li><a accesskey="2" href="Ambiguous-Expressions.html#Ambiguous-Expressions">Ambiguous Expressions</a>: Ambiguous Expressions
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<li><a accesskey="3" href="Variables.html#Variables">Variables</a>: Program variables
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<li><a accesskey="4" href="Arrays.html#Arrays">Arrays</a>: Artificial arrays
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<li><a accesskey="5" href="Output-Formats.html#Output-Formats">Output Formats</a>: Output formats
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<li><a accesskey="6" href="Memory.html#Memory">Memory</a>: Examining memory
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<li><a accesskey="7" href="Auto-Display.html#Auto-Display">Auto Display</a>: Automatic display
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<li><a accesskey="8" href="Print-Settings.html#Print-Settings">Print Settings</a>: Print settings
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<li><a accesskey="9" href="Pretty-Printing.html#Pretty-Printing">Pretty Printing</a>: Python pretty printing
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<li><a href="Value-History.html#Value-History">Value History</a>: Value history
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<li><a href="Convenience-Vars.html#Convenience-Vars">Convenience Vars</a>: Convenience variables
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<li><a href="Convenience-Funs.html#Convenience-Funs">Convenience Funs</a>: Convenience functions
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<li><a href="Registers.html#Registers">Registers</a>: Registers
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<li><a href="Floating-Point-Hardware.html#Floating-Point-Hardware">Floating Point Hardware</a>: Floating point hardware
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<li><a href="Vector-Unit.html#Vector-Unit">Vector Unit</a>: Vector Unit
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<li><a href="OS-Information.html#OS-Information">OS Information</a>: Auxiliary data provided by operating system
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<li><a href="Memory-Region-Attributes.html#Memory-Region-Attributes">Memory Region Attributes</a>: Memory region attributes
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<li><a href="Dump_002fRestore-Files.html#Dump_002fRestore-Files">Dump/Restore Files</a>: Copy between memory and a file
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<li><a href="Core-File-Generation.html#Core-File-Generation">Core File Generation</a>: Cause a program dump its core
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<li><a href="Character-Sets.html#Character-Sets">Character Sets</a>: Debugging programs that use a different
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character set than GDB does
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<li><a href="Caching-Target-Data.html#Caching-Target-Data">Caching Target Data</a>: Data caching for targets
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<li><a href="Searching-Memory.html#Searching-Memory">Searching Memory</a>: Searching memory for a sequence of bytes
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<li><a href="Value-Sizes.html#Value-Sizes">Value Sizes</a>: Managing memory allocated for values
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</ul>
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</body></html>
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