Invoking dbXtra and dbxtra from the command line

The syntax for dbXtra and dbxtra is:

dbXtra [X11-options] [options] [objfile [corefile | processid]]
dbxtra [options] [objfile [corefile]]

The first form of the command is used within the X Window System Version 11 (X11). It invokes dbXtra(CP), the Motif version of the debugger, which uses various X11 and Motif objects. All X11-options are passed on to X11. See X(X).

You may need to set the environment variable DISPLAY in order to run dbXtra. This variable informs your system of the address of the X Window display you are using. See X(X).

The second form of the command invokes dbxtra(CP), the curses version of the debugger. That version is suitable for use with most common alphanumeric terminals as well as from within a terminal emulator window application (such as xterm) within X windows.

The object file specified by objfile contains the executable instructions of the program to be debugged. If objfile is not specified, you are prompted for the name of the file. If this object file was compiled with the -g flag, also included in the file are the symbol table information needed to identify the variables by their source names, and the line numbers and filenames of the source code for each executable source line. A warning is issued if the object file does not have this extra information.

The core file specified by corefile determines the state of the program when it faulted. If it is not specified, then the file named core in the current directory is used if it exists. If the core file does not coincide with the program being debugged, for example, if it was created when another program had faulted, it is ignored.

If the file .dbxtrarc exists in the current directory, then the debugger commands in it are executed. The debugger also checks for a .dbxtrarc in the user's home directory if there is not one in the current directory.

One or more of the following options may be specified in any order:

-C++

Invoke in C++ interaction mode; assumed by default. Use this option if the program being debugged was developed using C++. It has no effect if the program was written in C. Use of this option activates the dbXtra Options menu button C/C++, which toggles between C and C++ interaction modes.

For further information about debugging C++ programs, see ``C++ specific debugging features''.

-C

Invoke in C interaction mode only. C++ information is not read in and the dbXtra Options menu button C/C++ is not activated.

-F

Load only one symbol table entry for each unique definition of a structure or union or enum. This means that if more than one definition of an identifier, at the same scope, is present in a program (for example, if the definition is in an include file used by various modules), then all the definitions of the identifier are assumed to be the same.

The use of this option results in faster load time and requires significantly less memory for larger programs.

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NOTE: If the program contains non-unique definitions of the same identifier at the same scope, use of this option causes the symbol table of the debugger to be different from that of the program.

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-I dir

By default, the debugger searches for source files in the current directory and in the directory where objfile is located. The -I option adds the specified directory dir to the search path. Directories can also be added to the directory search path with the use command (Source menu button: Source Path). You can specify multiple -I options on the command line. The order of the directories in the search path is the same as the order specified on the command line.

-c file

Execute the debugging commands in the file before reading from standard input. These commands are read after any .dbxtrarc files are read.

-r

Execute objfile immediately. If it terminates successfully, the debugger exits. Otherwise, the reason for termination is reported and you are offered the option of entering the debugger or letting the program fault.

When -r is specified and standard input is not a terminal, the debugger reads from /dev/tty.

-s

For dbxtra only; do not invoke the screen manager. The debugger works in line mode only and does not respond to any of the screen-related commands (including screen).

-x

Ignore xref file when initializing.