There’s an official page on gcc website: https://sourceware.org/gdb/wiki/STLSupport . And here is how to set up it under Ubuntu.
Under Ubuntu 12.04(Precise), simply install the libstdc++6 debug package. It includes the python script for pretty printers:
# sudo apt-get install libstdc++6-4.6-dbg
Create a .gdbinit file in your home directory, with the content:
python
import sys
sys.path.insert(0, '/usr/share/gcc-4.6/python')
from libstdcxx.v6.printers import register_libstdcxx_printers
register_libstdcxx_printers (None)
end
My test program looks like:
#include <string>
#include <vector>
using namespace std ;
int main ( )
{
string s = "test" ;
vector < int > vi ;
vi . push_back ( 1 ) ;
vi . push_back ( 2 ) ;
vi . push_back ( 3 ) ;
return 0 ;
}
Build it with debugging enabled(-g):
# g++ -g test.cpp -o test
Debug it with GDB:
# gdb -q test
Reading symbols from /home/gonwan/test...done.
(gdb) b 12
Breakpoint 1 at 0x8048842: file test.cpp, line 12.
(gdb) r
Starting program: /home/gonwan/test
Breakpoint 1, main () at test.cpp:12
12 return 0;
(gdb) p s
$1 = "test"
(gdb) p vi
$2 = std::vector of length 3, capacity 4 = {1, 2, 3}
(gdb)
Without pretty printers, the output is tedious and hard to understand:
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$ gdb -q test
Reading symbols from /home/gonwan/test...done.
(gdb) set print pretty
(gdb) b 12
Breakpoint 1 at 0x8048842: file test.cpp, line 12.
(gdb) r
Starting program: /home/gonwan/test
Breakpoint 1, main () at test.cpp:12
12 return 0;
(gdb) p s
$1 = {
static npos = <optimized out>,
_M_dataplus = {
<std::allocator<char>> = {
<__gnu_cxx::new_allocator<char>> = {<No data fields>}, <No data fields>},
members of std::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>, std::allocator<char> >::_Alloc_hider:
_M_p = 0x804c014 "test"
}
}
(gdb) p vi
$2 = {
<std::_Vector_base<int, std::allocator<int> >> = {
_M_impl = {
<std::allocator<int>> = {
<__gnu_cxx::new_allocator<int>> = {<No data fields>}, <No data fields>},
members of std::_Vector_base<int, std::allocator<int> >::_Vector_impl:
_M_start = 0x804c040,
_M_finish = 0x804c04c,
_M_end_of_storage = 0x804c050
}
}, <No data fields>}
(gdb)
Under Ubuntu 14.04(Trusty), the 4.8 version of debug package should be installed:
# sudo apt-get install libstdc++6-4.8-dbg
There’s an additional step. Since GDB in Trusty is built with python3, not python2, and the python scripts for pretty printers are in python2 syntax. A simple conversion is required:
# sudo 2to3 -w /usr/share/gcc-4.8/python/libstdcxx/v6/printers.py
Backup it before conversion if neccessary.