Output Styling (Debugging with GDB)

22.5 Output Styling

GDB can style its output on a capable terminal. This is enabled by default on most systems, but disabled by default when in batch mode (see Mode Options). Various style settings are available; and styles can also be disabled entirely.

set style enabled ‘on|off’: Enable or disable all styling. The default is host-dependent, with most hosts defaulting to ‘on’.
show style enabled: Show the current state of styling.
set style sources ‘on|off’: Enable or disable source code styling. This affects whether source code, such as the output of the list command, is styled. Note that source styling only works if styling in general is enabled, and if GDB was linked with the GNU Source Highlight library. The default is ‘on’.
show style sources: Show the current state of source code styling.

Subcommands of set style control specific forms of styling. These subcommands all follow the same pattern: each style-able object can be styled with a foreground color, a background color, and an intensity.

For example, the style of file names can be controlled using the set style filename group of commands:

set style filename background color: Set the background to color. Valid colors are ‘none’ (meaning the terminal’s default color), ‘black’, ‘red’, ‘green’, ‘yellow’, ‘blue’, ‘magenta’, ‘cyan’, and‘white’.
set style filename foreground color: Set the foreground to color. Valid colors are ‘none’ (meaning the terminal’s default color), ‘black’, ‘red’, ‘green’, ‘yellow’, ‘blue’, ‘magenta’, ‘cyan’, and‘white’.
set style filename intensity value: Set the intensity to value. Valid intensities are ‘normal’ (the default), ‘bold’, and ‘dim’.

The style-able objects are:

filename: Control the styling of file names. By default, this style’s foreground color is green.
function: Control the styling of function names. These are managed with the set style function family of commands. By default, this style’s foreground color is yellow.
variable: Control the styling of variable names. These are managed with the set style variable family of commands. By default, this style’s foreground color is cyan.
address: Control the styling of addresses. These are managed with the set style address family of commands. By default, this style’s foreground color is blue.