In CDB, columns in Watches shrink to 5 chars width

[mijewen]

Folks,

I have recently installed C::B using its installation package, so CDB came with it.
For the first day, it was OK, and I have no idea (nor can I find one) why this has happened, but every time I compile my project, the columns in "Watches" shrink to only 5 characters wide.

What have I done wrong?

[stahta01]

FYI: CDB does NOT come with any version of Code::Blocks!

I do NOT use the debugger enough to help with your problem.

I suggest telling us which debugger you are using.

gdb (MinGW GCC) or cdb (MS Visual Studio)?


Tim S.

[oBFusCATed]

Can you show a screen shot?

[mijewen]

Oops!

Sorry - the debugger I use is gdb - the one that comes with the C::B package.

[mijewen]

I have just taken the requested screen shot.
It is two side-by-side images, showing (on the left) a GDB session under way, after I have manually stretched the columns in Watches, and on the right, the same ikmage after I pressed shift-F8 to kill the session, then F8 to restart it.  At this point, I have to re-stretch the columns manually - no big deal, but I'm pretty sure it worked properly initially.



Um ... I don't see the picture.  I hope I inserted it right.  I clicked the "Insert Image" icon, and put the path to the image between the headers.
Should I have done it differently?

[oBFusCATed]

Inserting it from your hard drive won't work. You have to upload it to an image sharing site!

Does this problem happen the next time you start C::B?

[mijewen]

Good thought!

I stopped and restarted Code::blocks, and the issue was still present, but I have been putting my PC to sleep during periods of inactivity, and it had not been rebooted for a few weeks, so I shut down all programs and rebooted it, and the problem appears to be gone.

Thanks for the suggestion.  I should have tried that first (hangs head in shame).

[oBFusCATed]

Wow, What? You've restarted C::B (not the debugging) and the problem reappeared right away?

FYI: This is known bug that it is extremely hard to trigger. So if you can find exact steps to reproduce it 100% of the time. Don't hesitate to share them.

[mijewen]

OK - I know how to reproduce it - at least, on my PC - (Toshiba Tecra M5 laptop running Windows XP SP3; C::B 13.12;  unable to find GDB version)

1.  Open my project to display its C code (not C++)
2.  Set a break point using the mouse
3.  Press F8 to engage the debugger.  it stops at the breakpoint and the Watches window displays three columns, all about the same width (1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3)
4.  Manually resize the columns to be approx 1/4 + 1/4 + the rest
5.  Press Shift-F8 to kill the debugger.
6.  Press F8 to restart it.  The columns in the Watches window are 5 characters wide.

After this, the columns are narrow each time I start the debugger.  I have tried stretching them again manually, but I can't make them stick in the wide configuration.  Previous experience tells me I can correct it by rebooting.  There may be an easier way, but I don't know what it is.

Hope this works for your recreation if the issue.  Have fun!

[mijewen]

If I bring up the debugger (F8) and resize the columns manually to approx 1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3, then kill the program by clicking the Windows "X" in the top right-hand corner of the screen (while the debugger is still displayed), then re-start C::B, and press F8 for the debugger, the columns come up at the width I had set them to.

[oBFusCATed]

I was able to reproduce this issue repeatedly on my work machine and it happened because of the automatic change of the perspective.... but of course now that I'm trying to fix it - it doesn't reproduce.