Many Linux and Unix developers are familiar with the GNU debugger (GBD), the invaluable open source tool for testing, fixing, and retesting software. And since GDB can be ported to Windows, Microsoft developers and others who use this platform can also take advantage of this amazing free software that allows you to see exactly what's going on inside of a program as it's executing. This new pocket guide gives you a convenient quick reference for using the debugger with several different programming languages, including C, C++, Java, Fortran and Assembly. The GNU debugger is the most useful tool during the testing phase of the software development cycle because it helps you catch bugs in the act. You can see what a program was doing at the moment it crashed, and then readily pinpoint and correct problem code. With the GDB Pocket Reference on hand, the process is quick and painless. The book covers the essentials of using GBD is a testing environment, including how to specify a target for debugging and how to make a program stop on specified conditions. This handy guide also provides details on using the debugger to examine the stack, source files and data to find the cause of program failure-and then explains ways to use GBD to make quick changes to the program for further testing and debugging. The ability to spot a bug in real time with GDB can save you hours of frustration, and having a quick way to refer to GBD's essential functions is key to making the process work. Once you get your hands on the GDB Pocket Reference, you'll never let go!

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 2 Ratings

The free GDB Quick Reference is more useful - 2007-03-01
Reviewer Rating:
In my opinion, the GDB quick reference that you can download for free is more useful. To go over the basics, this book is OK, but for daily lookup purposes, the quick reference is more useful.

I purchased this book as a "filler" to reach over $25 for free shipping. I'm a software engineer and do use GDB frequently.

Well worth the $10, or even more - 2009-04-01
Reviewer Rating:
I work on a very large C codebase, and 99% of our debugging is done in GDB.

Most of the time, singlestepping through every. single. line. would be prohibitively exhausting. Unlike the downloadable GDB refcard, this pocket reference contains enough info on conditional breakpoints and command sequences (among other GDB treasures) to _greatly_ reduce the amount of time it takes to locate the source of a problem among data structures that are simply too big (and sometimes sparsely populated) to step through one at a time.

I'm a big fan of the O'Reilly "Pocket Reference" series, and this one is definitely worth the price.

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