Re: dbg function names

Would it make sense to also consider adding "long names" to the API,
possibly deprecating the short one over time ?

Thomas Depierre


On Tue, 10 Aug 2021 at 08:58, Lukas Larsson <[email protected]> wrote:

> Hello!
>
> On Sun, Aug 8, 2021 at 8:42 AM Trevor Brown <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Hi, I've used the dbg module a fair bit over the years, and I am curious
>> about the names of the functions. Looking at the list of functions, I
>> came up with what I think each function name means:
>>
>> The function names are all acronyms (except for the ones that clearly
>> aren't like `get_tracer/0` and `stop/0`) and stand for the following:
>>
>> * `c` stands for *c*lear
>>
>
> I believe that the solitary `c` stands for *c*all.
>
>
>> * `cn` stands for *c*lear *n*ode
>> * `ctp` stands for *c*lear *t*race *p*attern
>> * `ctpe` stands for *c*lear *t*race *p*attern *e*vent
>> * `ctpg` stands for *c*lear *t*race *p*attern *g*lobal
>> * `ctpl` stands for *c*lear *t*race *p*attern *l*ocal
>> * `dtp` stands for *d*elete *t*race *p*attern (not sure if it's delete,
>> drop, discard, etc...)
>>
>
> If you type "dbg:h(dtp)" it prints:
>
> dtp() -> ok
>  - Deletes all saved match_spec's.
> dtp(N) -> ok
>  - Deletes a specific saved match_spec.
>
> So it is `delete`, just as you guessed.
>
>
>> * `wtp` stands for *w*rite *t*race *p*attern
>> * `rtp` stands for *r*ead *t*race *p*attern
>> * `n` stands for *n*ode
>> * `i` stands for *i*nformation
>> * `p` stands for *p*rocess
>> * `tp` stands for *t*race *p*attern (implicitly global)
>> * `tpl` stands for *t*race *p*attern *l*ocal
>> * `h` stands for *h*elp
>> * `ln` stands for *l*ist *n*odes
>> * `ltp` stands for *l*ist *t*race *p*atterns
>>
>> Can anyone confirm if I am correct here? And if so, reference any docs
>> explaining this? I personally find that understanding the acronyms makes
>> the functions easier to remember, so it's a shame the official docs
>> don't explain this if I am correct.
>>
>
> I use the same words to describe the acronyms as you have done. I believe
> the person that designed the dbg API has left the Erlang world for the time
> being, so if we are incorrect we may never know.
>
> If you want to create a PR that adds the names that you have proposed into
> the documentation I think that it could be a good starting point in making
> the words behind the acronyms official.
>
>
>> Also, I've always assumed the module name stood for debug, but is that
>> true? I haven't found any docs on that either.
>>
>
> I believe that you are correct, but I do not know for sure.
>