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From: Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid>
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Subject: Re: Intervention needed?
Date: Thu, 04 Apr 2019 00:22:13 -0700
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Date: 2019-04-04T00:22:13-07:00
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Maciej Sobczak <see.my.homepage@gmail.com> writes:
> The major use for debuggers that I see is in integration testing,
> where test procedures expect particular values in particular variables
> (or even exact memory locations) in particular circumstances.

You should really automate tests like that.

I find debuggers very useful for understanding how an unfamiliar piece
of poorly documented code works.  What are the conditions when this
function XYZ is called, and how does the program get there?  Load the
program into debugger, set breakpoint at XYZ, and run.  What happens in
case of this other input?  Set breakpoint earlier, run with other input
and single step to understand flow of the program, etc.

There will always be logic errors in programs too.  Sure you can debug
them with print statements and recompiles, but debuggers and breakpoints
basically give you a way to insert the print statements interactively
and dynamically while the program is running.

I managed to use gdb with Ada but I only tried it with a few simple and
small programs.  If there's trouble using it with bigger programs that's
not good and I'd hope Adacore would address it.