[PATCH] gdb: search local symbols before global symbols in completion

Oleg Tolmatcev <[email protected]> Sat, 1 Aug 2026 18:01:46 +0200
Newsgroups gmane.comp.gdb.patches
Message-ID <[email protected]>
When symbol completion is performed from a selected frame, search the
local blocks before scanning minimal symbols and global/static symbols.
This makes completion prefer names that are visible in the current
context, including local variables.
---
 gdb/symtab.c | 72 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++--------------------------
 1 file changed, 36 insertions(+), 36 deletions(-)

diff --git a/gdb/symtab.c b/gdb/symtab.c
index 5d5076f2e77..85665bebdf4 100644
--- a/gdb/symtab.c
+++ b/gdb/symtab.c
@@ -5931,6 +5931,42 @@ default_collect_symbol_completion_matches_break_on
 
   lookup_name_info lookup_name (sym_text, name_match_type, true);
 
+  /* Search upwards from currently selected frame (so that we can
+     complete on local vars).  Also catch fields of types defined in
+     this places which match our text string.  Only complete on types
+     visible from current context.  */
+
+  b = get_selected_block ();
+  surrounding_static_block = b == nullptr ? nullptr : b->static_block ();
+  surrounding_global_block = b == nullptr ? nullptr : b->global_block ();
+  if (surrounding_static_block != NULL)
+    while (b != surrounding_static_block)
+      {
+	QUIT;
+
+	for (struct symbol *sym : block_iterator_range (b))
+	  {
+	    if (code == TYPE_CODE_UNDEF)
+	      {
+		completion_list_add_symbol (tracker, sym, lookup_name,
+					    sym_text, word);
+		completion_list_add_fields (tracker, sym, lookup_name,
+					    sym_text, word);
+	      }
+	    else if (sym->domain () == STRUCT_DOMAIN
+		     && sym->type ()->code () == code)
+	      completion_list_add_symbol (tracker, sym, lookup_name,
+					  sym_text, word);
+	  }
+
+	/* Stop when we encounter an enclosing function.  Do not stop for
+	   non-inlined functions - the locals of the enclosing function
+	   are in scope for a nested function.  */
+	if (b->function () != NULL && b->inlined_p ())
+	  break;
+	b = b->superblock ();
+      }
+
   /* At this point scan through the misc symbol vectors and add each
      symbol you find to the list.  Eventually we want to ignore
      anything that isn't a text symbol (everything else will be
@@ -5974,42 +6010,6 @@ default_collect_symbol_completion_matches_break_on
 	 SEARCH_ALL_DOMAINS);
     }
 
-  /* Search upwards from currently selected frame (so that we can
-     complete on local vars).  Also catch fields of types defined in
-     this places which match our text string.  Only complete on types
-     visible from current context.  */
-
-  b = get_selected_block ();
-  surrounding_static_block = b == nullptr ? nullptr : b->static_block ();
-  surrounding_global_block = b == nullptr ? nullptr : b->global_block ();
-  if (surrounding_static_block != NULL)
-    while (b != surrounding_static_block)
-      {
-	QUIT;
-
-	for (struct symbol *sym : block_iterator_range (b))
-	  {
-	    if (code == TYPE_CODE_UNDEF)
-	      {
-		completion_list_add_symbol (tracker, sym, lookup_name,
-					    sym_text, word);
-		completion_list_add_fields (tracker, sym, lookup_name,
-					    sym_text, word);
-	      }
-	    else if (sym->domain () == STRUCT_DOMAIN
-		     && sym->type ()->code () == code)
-	      completion_list_add_symbol (tracker, sym, lookup_name,
-					  sym_text, word);
-	  }
-
-	/* Stop when we encounter an enclosing function.  Do not stop for
-	   non-inlined functions - the locals of the enclosing function
-	   are in scope for a nested function.  */
-	if (b->function () != NULL && b->inlined_p ())
-	  break;
-	b = b->superblock ();
-      }
-
   /* Add fields from the file's types; symbols will be added below.  */
 
   if (code == TYPE_CODE_UNDEF)
-- 
2.55.0.windows.1