Platform-independent C++ Debugger IDEs that follow pointers like Visual Studio

Question

Visual Studio debugger automatically recognizes the types of pointers and shows the value of the variable or object pointed to by the pointer. Example screenshot for Ruby debugger here: http://www.rubyinside.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/jruby-debugger.jpg This applies to debugger tooltips, watch windows, etc. I never have to see the value of a pointer. Same thing happens for arrays.

Are there platform-independent (preferably free/open source) debugger IDEs that allow this for C++? I tried Code::Blocks, Geany, Eclipse, etc., they all just show the value of the pointer (looking like 0xE0CCDB34). There could possibly be settings in these IDEs but I could not find it.

My main interest is to be able to compile and debug C++ with GCC/MinGW toolchains. So if no platform-independent IDE debuggers support this, are there any free ones on Windows that use GCC/MinGW toolchain?

Answer 1

DDD will do what you're asking, and I believe it can be compiled for Windows using GCC. It's not an IDE, but a very capable debugger.

Answer 2

I use emacs + gud

http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/GrandUnifiedDebugger

http://www.inet.net.nz/~nickrob/

beware, emacs has a steep learning curve which never ends.

Answer 3

The debugger included in QtCreator does this.

Answer 4

The c++ interpreter/compiler/REPL in ROOT is called cint, and has the ability to insert breakpoints (-b on the command-line or .b in the interpreter), at which time you can print the values of variables; access members; invoke functions and methods; manipulate memory; and so on very much like a traditional debugger.

And ROOT runs on many platforms.

Cint is separable from ROOT and can be used in other contexts, but I have no experience with doing that.

Answer 5

Thanks to every one who responded. This helps.

It does not seem that DDD could be compiled for Windows natively (without using Cygwin).

Does anyone see value in natively porting DDD to windows by the way?

Qt Creator sounds promising. I'll explore it more.

I am familiar with Cint, but that won't fit my needs.

Answer 6

I found that CodeLite IDE also supports this.