Re: gdb-ui, dedicated windows

[Nick Roberts <nickrob@snap.net.nz>]

 > when `gdb-many-windows' is nil some windows (e.g. the window displaying
 > the stack buffer) are dedicated.
 > 
 > This may make sense with `gdb-many-windows' set to t but I find it
 > pretty annoying with a nil value.  I just looked at a long stack trace
 > displayed in the only window of the frame.

Dedicating windows gives some control over window configuration.  Even if
gdb-many-windows is nil the user might choose to display buffers manually
that give a similar configuration to when it is t.

 > When I hit RET to jump to the interesting source Emacs popped up a new
 > frame.  IMHO it's very bad behavior to pop up a frame unless explicitly
 > asked to do so.

I use gdb-many-windows with a nil value and often just display the stack trace
in a separate frame (via the menubar) and I don't see this.  There must be
other factors like pop-up-frames being t, or the GUD and/or source buffer
killed or not being visible etc.

In order for me to accommodate your pattern of use, you need to provide a
recipe that illustrates the problem.

 > Do these windows have to be dedicated?

Not making them dedicated might fix your specific problem but would surely
cause others.  Currently window placement relies on heuristics and it will
probably always be possible to find a usage pattern where gdb-ui has annoying
behaviour.

It is this kind of problem, inspired by examining ECB, that has led to some
people to look at the concept of window groups, as discussed earlier this
year on the mailing list.

 > Another smaller annoyance: IMHO the separate IO buffer shouldn't be in a
 > dedicated window even if `gdb-many-windows' is t.  It just takes to much
 > space and makes it hard to look at two source files at the same time.

If it takes up too much room why use a separate buffer?  If you need a
separate buffer, why not put it in another frame?


 > BTW, how about some key bindings to move around / display the gdb-ui
 > windows?

It would be nice to be able to move the buffers around like views in Eclipse
but that would be a substantial task.  Emacs 23 has tabs in the header line
of some buffers.  Do you have any concrete ideas?


-- 
Nick                                           http://www.inet.net.nz/~nickrob