Method and apparatus for extensible type-specific data presentation by a debugger

A computer implemented method for producing a type-specific data presentation of an expression in a target program, using a computer which has a processor, memory, display, input/output devices, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a program development tool configured to be used in testing the target program:
• attempting to find a type-specific function name for displaying an expression designated by a user in a symbol table for said target program;
• determining whether one or more type-specific function names were found which can produce a type-specific data presentation of the expression;
• and
• if one and only one such type-specific function name is found, using the one and only one found type-specific function name to call a related type-specific function to produce a type-specific data presentation of the expression to the user.

An apparatus for providing a type-specific data presentation of a data object by a development tool used for testing a target program, having a computer which has a processor, memory, display, input/output devices, the apparatus comprising:

• a development tool in the computer memory;
• a type-specific function name computing mechanism coupled to the development tool, and configured to compute a type-specific function name from a static type of the data object, said type-specific function name computing mechanism comprising;
• a look-up device coupled to the development tool which can compare a type-specific function name with other type-specific function names in the target program and related symbolic data, said look-up device to find any type-specific function names in said related symbolic data;
• an overload resolution device coupled to said look-up device which can perform argument type matching to determine if one and only one type-specific function name was found which can provide a type-specific data presentation of the data object;
• and
• a presentation device, coupled to the computer, which can display the data object in a manner defined by a type-specific function whose name was found to match the one and only one type-specific function name found by said overload resolution device, and which type-specific function can be used by the development tool for said display.

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code mechanisms embodied therein configured to display a data object in a type-specific data presentation, the computer readable program code mechanisms in said computer program product comprising:
• computer readable code mechanisms configured to cause a computer to find a type-specific function name from a symbol table of a target program containing a static type of the data object;
• computer readable code mechanisms configured to cause the computer to determine that one and only one type-specific function name can provide a type-specific data presentation for the data object;
• and
• computer readable code mechanisms configured to cause the computer to use the found one and only one type-specific function name to call a related type-specific function to produce a type-specific data presentation of the data object.