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 - <a name="Ambiguous-Expressions"></a>
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 - <p>
 - Next: <a href="Variables.html#Variables" accesskey="n" rel="next">Variables</a>, Previous: <a href="Expressions.html#Expressions" accesskey="p" rel="prev">Expressions</a>, Up: <a href="Data.html#Data" accesskey="u" rel="up">Data</a>   [<a href="index.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="Concept-Index.html#Concept-Index" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
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 - <a name="Ambiguous-Expressions-1"></a>
 - <h3 class="section">10.2 Ambiguous Expressions</h3>
 - <a name="index-ambiguous-expressions"></a>
 - 
 - <p>Expressions can sometimes contain some ambiguous elements.  For instance,
 - some programming languages (notably Ada, C<tt>++</tt> and Objective-C) permit
 - a single function name to be defined several times, for application in
 - different contexts.  This is called <em>overloading</em>.  Another example
 - involving Ada is generics.  A <em>generic package</em> is similar to C<tt>++</tt>
 - templates and is typically instantiated several times, resulting in
 - the same function name being defined in different contexts.
 - </p>
 - <p>In some cases and depending on the language, it is possible to adjust
 - the expression to remove the ambiguity.  For instance in C<tt>++</tt>, you
 - can specify the signature of the function you want to break on, as in
 - <kbd>break <var>function</var>(<var>types</var>)</kbd>.  In Ada, using the fully
 - qualified name of your function often makes the expression unambiguous
 - as well.
 - </p>
 - <p>When an ambiguity that needs to be resolved is detected, the debugger
 - has the capability to display a menu of numbered choices for each
 - possibility, and then waits for the selection with the prompt ‘<samp>></samp>’.
 - The first option is always ‘<samp>[0] cancel</samp>’, and typing <kbd>0 <span class="key">RET</span></kbd>
 - aborts the current command.  If the command in which the expression was
 - used allows more than one choice to be selected, the next option in the
 - menu is ‘<samp>[1] all</samp>’, and typing <kbd>1 <span class="key">RET</span></kbd> selects all possible
 - choices.
 - </p>
 - <p>For example, the following session excerpt shows an attempt to set a
 - breakpoint at the overloaded symbol <code>String::after</code>.
 - We choose three particular definitions of that function name:
 - </p>
 - <div class="smallexample">
 - <pre class="smallexample">(gdb) b String::after
 - [0] cancel
 - [1] all
 - [2] file:String.cc; line number:867
 - [3] file:String.cc; line number:860
 - [4] file:String.cc; line number:875
 - [5] file:String.cc; line number:853
 - [6] file:String.cc; line number:846
 - [7] file:String.cc; line number:735
 - > 2 4 6
 - Breakpoint 1 at 0xb26c: file String.cc, line 867.
 - Breakpoint 2 at 0xb344: file String.cc, line 875.
 - Breakpoint 3 at 0xafcc: file String.cc, line 846.
 - Multiple breakpoints were set.
 - Use the "delete" command to delete unwanted
 -  breakpoints.
 - (gdb)
 - </pre></div>
 - 
 - <dl compact="compact">
 - <dd><a name="index-set-multiple_002dsymbols"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>set multiple-symbols <var>mode</var></code></dt>
 - <dd><a name="index-multiple_002dsymbols-menu"></a>
 - 
 - <p>This option allows you to adjust the debugger behavior when an expression
 - is ambiguous.
 - </p>
 - <p>By default, <var>mode</var> is set to <code>all</code>.  If the command with which
 - the expression is used allows more than one choice, then <small>GDB</small>
 - automatically selects all possible choices.  For instance, inserting
 - a breakpoint on a function using an ambiguous name results in a breakpoint
 - inserted on each possible match.  However, if a unique choice must be made,
 - then <small>GDB</small> uses the menu to help you disambiguate the expression.
 - For instance, printing the address of an overloaded function will result
 - in the use of the menu.
 - </p>
 - <p>When <var>mode</var> is set to <code>ask</code>, the debugger always uses the menu
 - when an ambiguity is detected.
 - </p>
 - <p>Finally, when <var>mode</var> is set to <code>cancel</code>, the debugger reports
 - an error due to the ambiguity and the command is aborted.
 - </p>
 - <a name="index-show-multiple_002dsymbols"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>show multiple-symbols</code></dt>
 - <dd><p>Show the current value of the <code>multiple-symbols</code> setting.
 - </p></dd>
 - </dl>
 - 
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