Debugging with GDB: Automatically

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#### 15.1.3 Having GDB Infer the Source Language

To have GDB set the working language automatically, use ‘`set language local`’ or ‘`set language auto`’. GDB then infers the working language. That is, when your program stops in a frame (usually by encountering a breakpoint), GDB sets the working language to the language recorded for the function in that frame. If the language for a frame is unknown (that is, if the function or block corresponding to the frame was defined in a source file that does not have a recognized extension), the current working language is not changed, and GDB issues a warning.

This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written entirely in one source language. However, program modules and libraries written in one source language can be used by a main program written in a different source language. Using ‘`set language auto`’ in this case frees you from having to set the working language manually.