[Lazarus] invisible break points??

[Martin]

On 07/01/2011 12:58, Jürgen Hestermann wrote:
> >> By default smartlinking is enabled on windows.
> > That's not too clever for a software development tool - especially 
> if it
> > screws with the debugger (which you will use while writing software).
> > Maybe Lazarus should default to disabling that.
>
> I am a bit astonished to read advices like this. What kind of 
> development tool is it that needs such kinds of precautions to debug a 
> program correctly? What else has the programmer to consider? Do I need 
> years of knowledge about the internals of Free Pascal/Lazarus to use 
> it? I feel put back some decades in software develpement.

Well depends on how you read this.

Every tool has flaws. That is not an excuse for the existing of those 
flaws in any individual tool (including Lazarus). It just is a fact.
For most tools I know (definetlely including Lazarus), the makers 
(including community) aim to remove those flaws. Until that happens, 
being given advice how to workaround surely is not bad?

As I stated in my other mail, I don't think this issue was ever pointed 
out before. And I am highly surprised that it is such big an issue.
It never was to me. I actually though of it as a benefit. If by any 
external edit (svn up) my breakpoint ended up a line above my procedure, 
it would still work. Very useful.

Anyway now it's known, so one day something may be done.

And yes of course, i would also like to see a debugger specially written 
and specialized for pascal. That would allow to tackle such issues far 
better than it ever can be done with gdb. Unfortunately no one has yet 
given the money that would pay several full time developpers that may be 
needed to write this....

So until then...

Martin