[Qt-creator] Cross-debugging Win-Linux // project-session issue

[Andre Poenitz]

On Sun, Mar 06, 2011 at 01:44:39AM -0800, Patrick Masotta wrote:
> I've been thinking a bit more about the project-session issue and I'd
> like to share this with you.
> 
> How about having a project file and a sesion file with the same
> project name on the project directory. When I load the project if the
> sesion file exists it's automatically loaded if it doesn't it's
> created and saved when I save the project. When I share my project I
> share myProjectXXX.creator but I do not need to share
> myProjectXXX.session

That's more or less how sessions work, except that they are stored
in your personal settings, not in the project sources. That also 
prevents "accidents" like adding the session to the source repo.

There is _also_ a *.pro.user file, that currently contains unfortunately
both shared and non-shared data. Refactoring is on the way, but in the
end there still will be the concepts of sharable and non-sharable data.

> This way:

> 1) We as users do not have to care about sessions "maintenance"
> (creation, saving, loading...) 

Session loading is "as expensive" as project loading. Saving is
automatic. There is not much complication except the initial
"Now, I might want to keep the current setup, so I go to File->
SessionManager->Manage->Clone Session". Discoverability might be
an issue, but the total effort seems to be neglegible.

> 2) Sessions are bounded to projects; loading a project loads the
> corresponding last session info.

That would be wrong, as a session can cover more then a single projects,
and any given project can be part of several sessions. 

> 3) Project session info is esily discarded if needed erasing the
> corresponding project's session file.

Already there.

> Visual Studio & Eclipse AFAIK do not handle sessions independently
> from projects.

I don't know either.

A quick check with google leads to

  http://www.wintellect.com/CS/blogs/jrobbins/archive/2008/07/21/debugger-settings-visual-studio-add-in-easily-copy-breakpoints-between-machines.aspx

which contains

 "[...] breakpoints, along with Watch window variables, window layout, and
  other session state items are stored in a hidden file, <Solution
  Name>.SUO"

That seems to contradict your assumption that VS stores that data in the 
.vcprof files, and actually looks pretty much exactly like what Creator does.

Andre'