Re: [PATCH 4/6] Add `set print repeats' tests for C/C++ arrays

["Maciej W. Rozycki" <macro@embecosm.com>]

On Wed, 15 Dec 2021, Andrew Burgess wrote:

> > Add `set print repeats' tests for C/C++ arrays, complementing one for 
> > Fortran arrays and covering the different interpretation of the `set 
> > print elements' setting in particular where the per-dimension count of 
> > the elements handled is matched against the trigger rather than the 
> > total element count as with Fortran arrays.
> 
> I know we disagree on this topic, but I would, one day, like to see
> the C/C++ array printing behave as the Fortran array printing does, as
> that makes much more sense to me.

 I'm not sure if there's much disagreement between us really.  I just 
think there may be use cases, including existing ones, where the C/C++ 
printer's interpretation is required.  It must have been made this way for 
a reason after all -- if not for one, this code wouldn't have been written 
in the first place, would it?

 So what I think we're ultimately after it is a way to switch between the 
two variants regardless of the language being handled, possibly with the 
defaults remaining as they are now.

> But, adding tests for GDB's current behaviour is definitely a good
> thing, so I'm happy to see this going in, with one change...

 Well, I think we need coverage either way, because otherwise we can't 
easily see if things continue working the way intended.

> Given that the C and C++ tests are almost identical, I think you
> should consider just adding one copy in gdb.base and compiling it as
> both C and C++.
> 
> For inspiration you can look at these files:
> 
>   gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/infcall-nested-structs-c.exp
>   gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/infcall-nested-structs-c++.exp
>   gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/infcall-nested-structs.exp.tcl

 Thanks for the hint.  I chose to keep the C++ test in gdb.cp/ as I think 
it's the way it should be (and any existing mess ought to be cleaned up 
too) so that say "RUNTESTFLAGS=gdb.cp/*.exp" selects all the C++ testing, 
but otherwise followed the approach.

  Maciej