Re: PING: [RFA/doco] document "set/show interactive-mode"

[Joel Brobecker <brobecker at adacore dot com>]

Hi Eli,

Thanks for the super-fast reply. Here is a new version which hopefully
addresses all your comments (and adds a NEWS entry). Does it look
better?

Thanks,
-- 
Joel

commit d58a0dcbec3bc69d86509c2c5bc30642be11dffe
Author: Joel Brobecker <brobecker@adacore.com>
Date:   Wed Sep 9 17:39:10 2009 -0700

    gdb/:
    
        * top.c (interactive_mode): New static variable.
        (show_interactive_mode): New function.
        (input_from_terminal_p): If interactive_mode is not auto, then
        use that rather than checking the stdin settings.
        (init_main): Add "set/show interactive-mode" command.
        * NEWS: Add entry for new "set/show interactive-mode" command.
    
    gdb/doc/:
    
        Add documentation for set/show interactive-mode.
        * gdb.texinfo (Other Misc Settings): New node.

diff --git a/gdb/NEWS b/gdb/NEWS
index e3e6774..14da6c8 100644
--- a/gdb/NEWS
+++ b/gdb/NEWS
@@ -400,6 +400,14 @@ show stack-cache
   performance of remote debugging (particularly backtraces) without
   affecting correctness.
 
+set interactive-mode (on|off|auto)
+show interactive-mode
+  Control whether GDB runs in interactive mode (on) or not (off).
+  When in interactive mode, GDB waits for the user to answer all
+  queries.  Otherwise, GDB does not wait and assumes the default
+  answer.  When set to auto (the default), GDB determines which
+  mode to use based on the stdin settings.
+
 * Removed commands
 
 info forks
diff --git a/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo b/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo
index 52ead12..7b26675 100644
--- a/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo
+++ b/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo
@@ -17620,6 +17620,7 @@ described here.
 * ABI::                         Configuring the current ABI
 * Messages/Warnings::           Optional warnings and messages
 * Debugging Output::            Optional messages about internal happenings
+* Other Misc Settings::         Other Miscellaneous Settings
 @end menu
 
 @node Prompt
@@ -18250,6 +18251,28 @@ Turns on or off debugging messages for built-in XML parsers.
 Displays the current state of XML debugging messages.
 @end table
 
+@node Other Misc Settings
+@section Other Miscellaneous Settings
+@cindex miscellaneous settings
+
+@table @code
+@kindex set interactive-mode
+@item set interactive-mode
+If @code{on}, forces @value{GDBN} to operate interactively.
+If @code{off}, forces @value{GDBN} to operate non-interactively,
+If @code{auto} (the default), @value{GDBN} guesses which mode to use,
+based on whether the debugger was started in a terminal or not.
+
+In the vast majority of cases, the debugger should be able to guess
+correctly which mode should be used.  But this setting can be useful
+in certain specific cases, such as running a MinGW @value{GDBN}
+inside a cygwin window.
+
+@kindex show interactive-mode
+@item show interactive-mode
+Displays whether the debugger is operating in interactive mode or not.
+@end table
+
 @node Extending GDB
 @chapter Extending @value{GDBN}
 @cindex extending GDB
diff --git a/gdb/top.c b/gdb/top.c
index b98fa9a..1b4aa9d 100644
--- a/gdb/top.c
+++ b/gdb/top.c
@@ -1318,12 +1318,38 @@ quit_force (char *args, int from_tty)
   exit (exit_code);
 }
 
+/* If OFF, the debugger will run in non-interactive mode, which means
+   that it will automatically select the default answer to all the
+   queries made to the user.  If ON, gdb will wait for the user to
+   answer all queries.  If AUTO, gdb will determine whether to run
+   in interactive mode or not depending on whether stdin is a terminal
+   or not.  */
+static enum auto_boolean interactive_mode = AUTO_BOOLEAN_AUTO;
+
+/* Implement the "show interactive-mode" option.  */
+
+static void
+show_interactive_mode (struct ui_file *file, int from_tty,
+                       struct cmd_list_element *c,
+                       const char *value)
+{
+  if (interactive_mode == AUTO_BOOLEAN_AUTO)
+    fprintf_filtered (file, "\
+Debugger's interactive mode is %s (currently %s).\n",
+                      value, input_from_terminal_p () ? "on" : "off");
+  else
+    fprintf_filtered (file, "Debugger's interactive mode is %s.\n", value);
+}
+
 /* Returns whether GDB is running on a terminal and input is
    currently coming from that terminal.  */
 
 int
 input_from_terminal_p (void)
 {
+  if (interactive_mode != AUTO_BOOLEAN_AUTO)
+    return interactive_mode == AUTO_BOOLEAN_TRUE;
+
   if (gdb_has_a_terminal () && instream == stdin)
     return 1;
 
@@ -1655,6 +1681,18 @@ Use \"on\" to enable the notification, and \"off\" to disable it."),
 			   show_exec_done_display_p,
 			   &setlist, &showlist);
 
+  add_setshow_auto_boolean_cmd ("interactive-mode", class_support,
+                                &interactive_mode, _("\
+Set whether GDB should run in interactive mode or not"), _("\
+Show whether GDB runs in interactive mode"), _("\
+If on, run in interactive mode and wait for the user to answer\n\
+all queries.  If off, run in non-interactive mode and automatically\n\
+assume the default answer to all queries.  If auto (the default),\n\
+determine which mode to use based on the standard input settings"),
+                        NULL,
+                        show_interactive_mode,
+                        &setlist, &showlist);
+
   add_setshow_filename_cmd ("data-directory", class_maintenance,
                            &gdb_datadir, _("Set GDB's data directory."),
                            _("Show GDB's data directory."),