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17<title>Debugging with GDB: C Plus Plus Expressions</title>
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64<a name="C-Plus-Plus-Expressions"></a>
65<div class="header">
66<p>
67Next: <a href="C-Defaults.html#C-Defaults" accesskey="n" rel="next">C Defaults</a>, Previous: <a href="C-Constants.html#C-Constants" accesskey="p" rel="previous">C Constants</a>, Up: <a href="C.html#C" accesskey="u" rel="up">C</a> &nbsp; [<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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69<hr>
70<a name="C_002b_002b-Expressions"></a>
71<h4 class="subsubsection">15.4.1.3 C<tt>++</tt> Expressions</h4>
72
73<a name="index-expressions-in-C_002b_002b"></a>
74<p><small>GDB</small> expression handling can interpret most C<tt>++</tt> expressions.
75</p>
76<a name="index-debugging-C_002b_002b-programs"></a>
77<a name="index-C_002b_002b-compilers"></a>
78<a name="index-debug-formats-and-C_002b_002b"></a>
79<a name="index-GCC-and-C_002b_002b"></a>
80<blockquote>
81<p><em>Warning:</em> <small>GDB</small> can only debug C<tt>++</tt> code if you use
82the proper compiler and the proper debug format.  Currently,
83<small>GDB</small> works best when debugging C<tt>++</tt> code that is compiled
84with the most recent version of <small>GCC</small> possible.  The DWARF
85debugging format is preferred; <small>GCC</small> defaults to this on most
86popular platforms.  Other compilers and/or debug formats are likely to
87work badly or not at all when using <small>GDB</small> to debug C<tt>++</tt>
88code.  See <a href="Compilation.html#Compilation">Compilation</a>.
89</p></blockquote>
90
91<ol>
92<li> <a name="index-member-functions"></a>
93Member function calls are allowed; you can use expressions like
94
95<div class="smallexample">
96<pre class="smallexample">count = aml-&gt;GetOriginal(x, y)
97</pre></div>
98
99</li><li> <a name="index-this_002c-inside-C_002b_002b-member-functions"></a>
100<a name="index-namespace-in-C_002b_002b"></a>
101While a member function is active (in the selected stack frame), your
102expressions have the same namespace available as the member function;
103that is, <small>GDB</small> allows implicit references to the class instance
104pointer <code>this</code> following the same rules as C<tt>++</tt>.  <code>using</code>
105declarations in the current scope are also respected by <small>GDB</small>.
106
107</li><li> <a name="index-call-overloaded-functions"></a>
108<a name="index-overloaded-functions_002c-calling"></a>
109<a name="index-type-conversions-in-C_002b_002b"></a>
110You can call overloaded functions; <small>GDB</small> resolves the function
111call to the right definition, with some restrictions.  <small>GDB</small> does not
112perform overload resolution involving user-defined type conversions,
113calls to constructors, or instantiations of templates that do not exist
114in the program.  It also cannot handle ellipsis argument lists or
115default arguments.
116
117<p>It does perform integral conversions and promotions, floating-point
118promotions, arithmetic conversions, pointer conversions, conversions of
119class objects to base classes, and standard conversions such as those of
120functions or arrays to pointers; it requires an exact match on the
121number of function arguments.
122</p>
123<p>Overload resolution is always performed, unless you have specified
124<code>set overload-resolution off</code>.  See <a href="Debugging-C-Plus-Plus.html#Debugging-C-Plus-Plus"><small>GDB</small> Features for C<tt>++</tt></a>.
125</p>
126<p>You must specify <code>set overload-resolution off</code> in order to use an
127explicit function signature to call an overloaded function, as in
128</p><div class="smallexample">
129<pre class="smallexample">p 'foo(char,int)'('x', 13)
130</pre></div>
131
132<p>The <small>GDB</small> command-completion facility can simplify this;
133see <a href="Completion.html#Completion">Command Completion</a>.
134</p>
135</li><li> <a name="index-reference-declarations"></a>
136<small>GDB</small> understands variables declared as C<tt>++</tt> lvalue or rvalue
137references; you can use them in expressions just as you do in C<tt>++</tt>
138source&mdash;they are automatically dereferenced.
139
140<p>In the parameter list shown when <small>GDB</small> displays a frame, the values of
141reference variables are not displayed (unlike other variables); this
142avoids clutter, since references are often used for large structures.
143The <em>address</em> of a reference variable is always shown, unless
144you have specified &lsquo;<samp>set print address off</samp>&rsquo;.
145</p>
146</li><li> <small>GDB</small> supports the C<tt>++</tt> name resolution operator <code>::</code>&mdash;your
147expressions can use it just as expressions in your program do.  Since
148one scope may be defined in another, you can use <code>::</code> repeatedly if
149necessary, for example in an expression like
150&lsquo;<samp><var>scope1</var>::<var>scope2</var>::<var>name</var></samp>&rsquo;.  <small>GDB</small> also allows
151resolving name scope by reference to source files, in both C and C<tt>++</tt>
152debugging (see <a href="Variables.html#Variables">Program Variables</a>).
153
154</li><li> <small>GDB</small> performs argument-dependent lookup, following the C<tt>++</tt>
155specification.
156</li></ol>
157
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160<p>
161Next: <a href="C-Defaults.html#C-Defaults" accesskey="n" rel="next">C Defaults</a>, Previous: <a href="C-Constants.html#C-Constants" accesskey="p" rel="previous">C Constants</a>, Up: <a href="C.html#C" accesskey="u" rel="up">C</a> &nbsp; [<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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