Re: gdb/mi or annotations detection

[Andrew Cagney <ac131313@redhat.com>]

> Hi,
> 
> How is the front end supposed to detect whether or not it should use
> annotations or GDB/MI? I think there needs to be a way of doing this
> besides starting it once for detection/failure for MI, and then starting
> it again for annotations.
> 
> Also, what about different versions of MI. As it progresses different
> versions will have different functionality. How will the front end know
> what functionality each version has?
> 
> ex.
>    In the first release of MI there might not be the
>    -symbol-info-linetable command. So, the front end will have to give
>    commands 'info line' over and over. Then, when this command becomes
>    available in the next release, the front end can start using it
>    instead.
> 
> The front end can not do a 'gdb --version' because usually there are
> gdb's installed that are cvs snapshots ( debian ).
> 
> Does anyone have any ideas?

You can start gdb with -i=miN for a specific version, but that doesn't 
handle your case - you want to know the most up-to-date version in a 
running GDB.

You'll also need to watch out for GDB's cut mid-branch.  The version is 
only rolled when formal gdb releases are made.

Andrew