Re: libtool --mode=execute gdb

[Ralf Wildenhues]

* Bruno Haible wrote on Tue, Jan 20, 2009 at 11:36:18PM CET:
> Thanks for this practical shorthand re-introduction!

Well, I was at least a bit hasty.

> > the requirement for a mode seems
> > to have been present for at least 10 years.
> 
> I could use "libtool gdb" in version 1.5.x; only since version 2.0 or 2.2
> it became necessary to use --mode=execute.

Ahh, thanks for this information.  That let me check in more detail.
Mode inference was removed here:
<http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/libtool-patches/2003-09/msg00062.html>
and deprecated here:
<http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/libtool-patches/2002-11/msg00007.html>
on the basis that inferral was unreliable.  I haven't found discussion
of reliability problems yet, I assume that the maintenance hassle
contributed to the decision to deprecate.

This deprecation has been a long time ago.  I don't see how this
reasoning has changed now; in fact, my proposed patch has only
reintroduced less reliable inferring than was previously available.
So it looks like a step backwards from 1.5.x.

I'm sorry, but this makes me reconsider this move: my patch does
not make things consistently better.  I'm not yet sure which way
to best proceed.

Please note that there is an alternative short-hand, in that you
can use (among others) the following equivalently:
  libtool --mode=execute PROG [ARGS]...
  libtool        execute PROG [ARGS]...
  libtool        exe     PROG [ARGS]...
  libtool        e       PROG [ARGS]...

Maybe that is sufficient for your needs, too.  This is documented
in "info Libtool 'Invoking libtool'", albeit rather briefly.

S'pose I'll be adding testsuite exposure to this feature.

Cheers,
Ralf