Debugger front end

In computer programming, some of the most capable and popular debugger programs implement only a simple command line interface (CLI) — often to maximize portability and minimize resource consumption. However, many programmers find that debugging via a graphical user interface (GUI) is easier and more productive. This is the raison d'être for GUI debugger front-ends, which are programs that allow users to monitor and control subservient CLI-only debuggers via a more intuitive graphical interface. Some debugger front-ends are designed to be compatible with a variety of CLI-only debuggers, while others are targeted at one specific debugger.

List of debugger front-ends

• Many Integrated development environments come with integrated debuggers (or front-ends to standard debuggers).
• DDD, is the standard front-end from the GNU project. It a very complex tool and works with most common debuggers (gdb, jdb, Python debugger, Perl debugger, Tcl, and others) natively or with some external programs (for PHP).

• GDB (the GNU debugger) GUI
  • Emacs : Emacs editor with built in support for the GNU Debugger acts as the frontend.
  • KDbg : Part of the KDE development tools.
  • xxgdb : X-window frontend for GDB and DBX.
  • cgdb : ncurses terminal program that mimics vim key mapping.
  • GVD : The GNU Visual Debugger, written in Ada and GNAT and is now part of the GNAT Programming Studio.
  • Clewn : Uses the GVim text editor as a GDB frontend.