Re: [pushed] [gdb/cli] Add command: show logging active

[Tom de Vries <tdevries@suse.de>]

On 11/23/21 1:56 PM, Luis Machado wrote:
> On 11/23/21 9:49 AM, Luis Machado wrote:
>> On 11/23/21 8:46 AM, Tom de Vries via Gdb-patches wrote:
>>> Currently, there's no gdb command that shows whether logging is
>>> enabled or
>>> disabled.
>>>
>>> There's the show logging command, but output is identical in both cases.
>>> With logging disabled, we have:
>>> ...
>>> (gdb) set logging off
>>> (gdb) show logging
>>> logging debugredirect:  The logging output mode is off.
>>> logging file:  The current logfile is "gdb.txt".
>>> logging overwrite: \
>>>    Whether logging overwrites or appends to the log file is off.
>>> logging redirect:  The logging output mode is off.
>>> ...
>>> and with logging enabled we have:
>>> ...
>>> (gdb) set logging on
>>> Copying output to gdb.txt.
>>> Copying debug output to gdb.txt.
>>> (gdb) show logging
>>> logging debugredirect:  The logging output mode is off.
>>> logging file:  The current logfile is "gdb.txt".
>>> logging overwrite: \
>>>    Whether logging overwrites or appends to the log file is off.
>>> logging redirect:  The logging output mode is off.
>>> ...
>>>
>>> Add a "show logging active" command, such that we have:
>>> ...
>>> (gdb) show logging
>>> logging active:  Logging is disabled.
>>> logging debugredirect:  The logging output mode is off.
>>> logging file:  The current logfile is "gdb.txt".
>>> logging overwrite: \
>>>    Whether logging overwrites or appends to the log file is off.
>>> logging redirect:  The logging output mode is off.
>>> ...
>>
>> Sorry, I think these phrases need a revamp. The current text is very
>> confusing. I've cc-ed Eli for some feedback on documentation.
>>
>> "logging active:  Logging is disabled." reads very funny. Is logging
>> active? Or is it disabled? Why can't it say "Logging is active" or
>> "Logging is not active"?
>>
>> I think the same goes to some of the other lines.
>>
>> * "logging debugredirect:  The logging output mode is off."
>>
>> Why not say "Debug is not being redirected." or "Debug is being
>> redirected."?
>>
>> * "logging overwrite: Whether logging overwrites or appends to the log
>> file is off."
>>
>> Why not say "Logging overwrites contents of the log file" or "Logging
>> appends to the log file".
>>
>> * "logging redirect:  The logging output mode is off."
>>
>> I find the above cryptic as well. Why not "Log redirects <something>".
> 
> I just noticed these messages changed relatively recently. An older GDB
> would show the following:
> 
> Future logs will be written to gdb.txt.
> Logs will be appended to the log file.
> Output will be logged and displayed.
> Debug output will be logged and displayed.
> 
> The above is much clearer in my opinion. The newer ones seem very
> cryptic. It almost looks like a documentation regression, though I can
> understand that the code is probably simpler.

I've tried to address these issues here (
https://sourceware.org/pipermail/gdb-patches/2021-November/183750.html ).

Thanks,
- Tom