Re: [anjuta-devel] Selecting and storing AVR debug platform and target device

[Lucas van Dijk <info return1 net>]

We have several possibilities for tuning the configure dialog depending on what you need to add.

1. Currently you can already choose different "configuration", each configuration corresponding to one set of arguments. You can have custom configurations. So, the easiest solution is just to add additional configuration, one for each target by example. This list of configuration is stored in the anjuta.session file that you create with the project wizard. You can already create a AVR project that will propose in the configuration dialog target1, target1+AVaRICE, target2, .... This need no code at all.

I don't completely follow you here, I think it's a good idea to modify the configure.ac, which checks for example if there's a target argument, and sets the compiler configuration accordingly. I don't think it's very user friendly if the user should type the argument itself (in the additional arguments textbox), I would like to have some UI for it. The best would be a dropdown select box, containing all supported targets of avr-gcc. The selected target will also be saved in the session.
 

4. If only a target name is needed, perhaps we can add it in the default configure dialog. It can be useful to compile a project for x386 or x64 by example.

I like this too, if some sort of loaded plugin implements a specific interface which can fill the combobox, then call it. For example, the AVR plugin would implement TargetsListInterface, and returns a list of supported devices of avr-gcc. If there's no plugin implementing the interface, hide the combobox.
 

5. Your plugin can replace completely the configure dialog, but it could be annoying if it is improved later.

Yeah I don't think this is a smart solution.
 

I think it would be better if the simulator is start automatically with the debugger or is there a need to launch the simulator without the debugger?

If you want to run your program without debug, the run option should be fine too.

Currently, it's possible to modify the command use to launch the debugger, so you can launch the simulator and then the debugger. But there is no interaction, so perhaps we need to improve something here.

Yeah it's better if the gdb server is also automatically started when the user clicks debug, if the command can be altered I don't think it's really hard.

1. Run AVaRICE / simulavr on a specific port
2. Start AVR-GDB
3. Make sure it debugs a remote target, on the right port

When the debug session stops, also close AVaRICE / simulavr.
 

Isn't it an option set in the configure dialog? If yes, I think there is no need to ask it a second time. Then, if this correspond to a "configuration", it is possible to know which is the active configuration so you can get this information when you want. And it's not possible to debug a program without setting it because it's needed before generating the program.

I think it's also a good idea, when the user starts the debug session for the first time, it will be asked what debug platform to use (showing a combobox with options like AVaRICE JTAG, simulavr etc). This setting will also be saved in session, so the next time the user starts debug, it doesn't have to ask again. But, there are some cases that the target selected by the user at the configure dialog, isn't supported by the debug platform the user selects when trying to start debugging. We can check if the selected target is supported by one of the debug platforms, and hide the debug platforms which don't support the target device. If no debug platforms remain, show a message that this target device can't be debugged.

With kind regards,
--
Lucas