gdb

	* python/python.c (gdbpy_parse_and_eval): New function.
	(GdbMethods): Add "parse_and_eval".
gdb/testsuite
	* gdb.python/py-value.exp (test_parse_and_eval): New
	function.
gdb/doc
	* gdb.texinfo (Basic Python): Document gdb.parse_and_eval.

2 files changed, 17 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/gdb/doc/ChangeLog b/gdb/doc/ChangeLog
index 73a640d104e..553abaede71 100644
--- a/gdb/doc/ChangeLog
+++ b/gdb/doc/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2009-12-03  Tom Tromey  <tromey@redhat.com>
+
+	* gdb.texinfo (Basic Python): Document gdb.parse_and_eval.
+
 2009-12-02  Paul Pluzhnikov  <ppluzhnikov@google.com>
 
 	* observer.texi: New memory_changed observer.
diff --git a/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo b/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo
index 39107ec9022..8cdab8f3ee7 100644
--- a/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo
+++ b/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo
@@ -19328,6 +19328,19 @@ If no exception is raised, the return value is always an instance of
 @code{gdb.Value} (@pxref{Values From Inferior}).
 @end defun
 
+@findex gdb.parse_and_eval
+@defun parse_and_eval expression
+Parse @var{expression} as an expression in the current language,
+evaluate it, and return the result as a @code{gdb.Value}.
+@var{expression} must be a string.
+
+This function can be useful when implementing a new command
+(@pxref{Commands In Python}), as it provides a way to parse the
+command's argument as an expression.  It is also useful simply to
+compute values, for example, it is the only way to get the value of a
+convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) as a @code{gdb.Value}.
+@end defun
+
 @findex gdb.write
 @defun write string
 Print a string to @value{GDBN}'s paginated standard output stream.