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 - <title>Define (Debugging with GDB)</title>
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 - <a name="Define"></a>
 - <div class="header">
 - <p>
 - Next: <a href="Hooks.html#Hooks" accesskey="n" rel="next">Hooks</a>, Up: <a href="Sequences.html#Sequences" accesskey="u" rel="up">Sequences</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>
 - </div>
 - <hr>
 - <a name="User_002ddefined-Commands"></a>
 - <h4 class="subsection">23.1.1 User-defined Commands</h4>
 - 
 - <a name="index-user_002ddefined-command"></a>
 - <a name="index-arguments_002c-to-user_002ddefined-commands"></a>
 - <p>A <em>user-defined command</em> is a sequence of <small>GDB</small> commands to
 - which you assign a new name as a command.  This is done with the
 - <code>define</code> command.  User commands may accept an unlimited number of arguments
 - separated by whitespace.  Arguments are accessed within the user command
 - via <code>$arg0…$argN</code>.  A trivial example:
 - </p>
 - <div class="smallexample">
 - <pre class="smallexample">define adder
 -   print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
 - end
 - </pre></div>
 - 
 - <p>To execute the command use:
 - </p>
 - <div class="smallexample">
 - <pre class="smallexample">adder 1 2 3
 - </pre></div>
 - 
 - <p>This defines the command <code>adder</code>, which prints the sum of
 - its three arguments.  Note the arguments are text substitutions, so they may
 - reference variables, use complex expressions, or even perform inferior
 - functions calls.
 - </p>
 - <a name="index-argument-count-in-user_002ddefined-commands"></a>
 - <a name="index-how-many-arguments-_0028user_002ddefined-commands_0029"></a>
 - <p>In addition, <code>$argc</code> may be used to find out how many arguments have
 - been passed.
 - </p>
 - <div class="smallexample">
 - <pre class="smallexample">define adder
 -   if $argc == 2
 -     print $arg0 + $arg1
 -   end
 -   if $argc == 3
 -     print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
 -   end
 - end
 - </pre></div>
 - 
 - <p>Combining with the <code>eval</code> command (see <a href="Output.html#eval">eval</a>) makes it easier
 - to process a variable number of arguments:
 - </p>
 - <div class="smallexample">
 - <pre class="smallexample">define adder
 -   set $i = 0
 -   set $sum = 0
 -   while $i < $argc
 -     eval "set $sum = $sum + $arg%d", $i
 -     set $i = $i + 1
 -   end
 -   print $sum
 - end
 - </pre></div>
 - 
 - <dl compact="compact">
 - <dd>
 - <a name="index-define"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>define <var>commandname</var></code></dt>
 - <dd><p>Define a command named <var>commandname</var>.  If there is already a command
 - by that name, you are asked to confirm that you want to redefine it.
 - The argument <var>commandname</var> may be a bare command name consisting of letters,
 - numbers, dashes, dots, and underscores.  It may also start with any
 - predefined or user-defined prefix command.
 - For example, ‘<samp>define target my-target</samp>’ creates
 - a user-defined ‘<samp>target my-target</samp>’ command.
 - </p>
 - <p>The definition of the command is made up of other <small>GDB</small> command lines,
 - which are given following the <code>define</code> command.  The end of these
 - commands is marked by a line containing <code>end</code>.
 - </p>
 - <a name="index-document"></a>
 - <a name="index-end-_0028user_002ddefined-commands_0029"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>document <var>commandname</var></code></dt>
 - <dd><p>Document the user-defined command <var>commandname</var>, so that it can be
 - accessed by <code>help</code>.  The command <var>commandname</var> must already be
 - defined.  This command reads lines of documentation just as <code>define</code>
 - reads the lines of the command definition, ending with <code>end</code>.
 - After the <code>document</code> command is finished, <code>help</code> on command
 - <var>commandname</var> displays the documentation you have written.
 - </p>
 - <p>You may use the <code>document</code> command again to change the
 - documentation of a command.  Redefining the command with <code>define</code>
 - does not change the documentation.
 - </p>
 - <a name="index-define_002dprefix"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>define-prefix <var>commandname</var></code></dt>
 - <dd><p>Define or mark the command <var>commandname</var> as a user-defined prefix
 - command.  Once marked, <var>commandname</var> can be used as prefix command
 - by the  <code>define</code> command.
 - Note that <code>define-prefix</code> can be used with a not yet defined
 - <var>commandname</var>.  In such a case, <var>commandname</var> is defined as
 - an empty user-defined command.
 - In case you redefine a command that was marked as a user-defined
 - prefix command, the subcommands of the redefined command are kept
 - (and <small>GDB</small> indicates so to the user).
 - </p>
 - <p>Example:
 - </p><div class="example">
 - <pre class="example">(gdb) define-prefix abc
 - (gdb) define-prefix abc def
 - (gdb) define abc def
 - Type commands for definition of "abc def".
 - End with a line saying just "end".
 - >echo command initial def\n
 - >end
 - (gdb) define abc def ghi
 - Type commands for definition of "abc def ghi".
 - End with a line saying just "end".
 - >echo command ghi\n
 - >end
 - (gdb) define abc def
 - Keeping subcommands of prefix command "def".
 - Redefine command "def"? (y or n) y
 - Type commands for definition of "abc def".
 - End with a line saying just "end".
 - >echo command def\n
 - >end
 - (gdb) abc def ghi
 - command ghi
 - (gdb) abc def
 - command def
 - (gdb)
 - </pre></div>
 - 
 - <a name="index-dont_002drepeat-1"></a>
 - <a name="index-don_0027t-repeat-command"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>dont-repeat</code></dt>
 - <dd><p>Used inside a user-defined command, this tells <small>GDB</small> that this
 - command should not be repeated when the user hits <tt class="key">RET</tt>
 - (see <a href="Command-Syntax.html#Command-Syntax">repeat last command</a>).
 - </p>
 - <a name="index-help-user_002ddefined"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>help user-defined</code></dt>
 - <dd><p>List all user-defined commands and all python commands defined in class
 - COMMAND_USER.  The first line of the documentation or docstring is
 - included (if any).
 - </p>
 - <a name="index-show-user"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>show user</code></dt>
 - <dt><code>show user <var>commandname</var></code></dt>
 - <dd><p>Display the <small>GDB</small> commands used to define <var>commandname</var> (but
 - not its documentation).  If no <var>commandname</var> is given, display the
 - definitions for all user-defined commands.
 - This does not work for user-defined python commands.
 - </p>
 - <a name="index-infinite-recursion-in-user_002ddefined-commands"></a>
 - <a name="index-show-max_002duser_002dcall_002ddepth"></a>
 - <a name="index-set-max_002duser_002dcall_002ddepth"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>show max-user-call-depth</code></dt>
 - <dt><code>set max-user-call-depth</code></dt>
 - <dd><p>The value of <code>max-user-call-depth</code> controls how many recursion
 - levels are allowed in user-defined commands before <small>GDB</small> suspects an
 - infinite recursion and aborts the command.
 - This does not apply to user-defined python commands.
 - </p></dd>
 - </dl>
 - 
 - <p>In addition to the above commands, user-defined commands frequently
 - use control flow commands, described in <a href="Command-Files.html#Command-Files">Command Files</a>.
 - </p>
 - <p>When user-defined commands are executed, the
 - commands of the definition are not printed.  An error in any command
 - stops execution of the user-defined command.
 - </p>
 - <p>If used interactively, commands that would ask for confirmation proceed
 - without asking when used inside a user-defined command.  Many <small>GDB</small>
 - commands that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the
 - messages when used in a user-defined command.
 - </p>
 - <hr>
 - <div class="header">
 - <p>
 - Next: <a href="Hooks.html#Hooks" accesskey="n" rel="next">Hooks</a>, Up: <a href="Sequences.html#Sequences" accesskey="u" rel="up">Sequences</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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