Re: GNAT debugger.

[dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar)]

Gary asks

"        Is there a graphical or command based debugger for gnat which allows
inspection of and stepping though ada code. For example the borland turbo
c++ debugger allows you to step through each line of code and displays
the values stored in variables as your code changes. It doesnt need to look
as good as the turbo interface.
        This help speed up the finding that an loop only goes through 9
times when you want it to loop 10 etc instead of tediously going line
by line through the source code.
"

The answer to your first question is yes, DDD, a freely available
GUI front end for GDB.

However, I suspect from your message that you have not yet learned a lot
of what gdb can do -- for instance do you know how to set conditoinal
breakpoints? If not you are seriously handicapped in your use of gdb.
There are many other facilities, many of them are worth learning.
Graphical user interfaces can be quite useful, but many people who
know gdb well and know its capabilities would not find them particularly
helpful. Certainly finding that "an loop only goes through 9 times when
you want it to loop 10 etc" does NOT require "tediously going line by
line through the source code".

You also must learn how to code gdb macros, and also use the call 
command in gdb. All these and many others are critical features to
make good use of this tool.

We often run into people who complain about gdb and it turns out they
simply don't know what it can do. There are many legitimate complaints
and suggestions for improvement, and I am certainly not suggesting
that all complaints are in this category. However, it is definitely
worth while learning GDB if you are using it. You may want to get hold
of the nice GDB manual and reference card from FSF. You can find these
in many bookstores, or order direct from FSF.