Re: [boost] Debugger Visualizers discussion

Subject: Re: [boost] Debugger Visualizers discussion
From: John Maddock (boost.regex_at_[hidden])
Date: 2014-08-18 12:47:12

> There is project that contains a bunch of XML files. Those files can be
> used to improve debugging on MSVC:
>
> For example:
> * using this project debug view of `boost::variant<int, float> i(1);` will
> show `1` instead of raw memory and internals of boost::variant.
> * optional<boost::container::string> will show string content or `none`
> instead of ram memory and some unreadable internals

The files on the Wiki are out of date and don't work with current VC++, 
for what it's worth I have a bunch of visualizers for VC12 sitting on my 
hard drive that I've been meaning to do something with.

> Maybe we should embed those files into the Boost? It would be great to have
> some magic bjam command `b2 install-debug` after which VisualStudio becomes
> aware of Boost classes.

I'm ambivalent about whether these need to part of the official Boost 
distribution - though I don't see why not.

> Files for pretty debugging could be also written for GDB. Will it be useful?

Yes, but how are they installed into GDB?

> Link o the project: https://github.com/KindDragon/CPPDebuggerVisualizers
> Files are located at
> https://github.com/KindDragon/CPPDebuggerVisualizers/tree/master/VS2013/Visualizers

Ah I see - you've updated the original visualizers - great!

I'll submit a few more then ;-)

My only (minor) quibble is that the project contains visualizers for 
things not in Boost, but this is definitely a great idea.

Thanks for these, John.