patch which enables expanding of pointers in an IDE which uses gdb

pointer_printers.patch

--- printers.py
+++ printers.py
@@ -106,6 +106,10 @@ class SharedPointerPrinter:
     def __init__ (self, typename, val):
         self.typename = typename
         self.val = val
+        self.pointer = val['_M_ptr']        
+
+    def children (self):
+        return [('get()', self.pointer)]
 
     def to_string (self):
         state = 'empty'
@@ -116,20 +120,22 @@ class SharedPointerPrinter:
             if usecount == 0:
                 state = 'expired, weak %d' % weakcount
             else:
-                state = 'count %d, weak %d' % (usecount, weakcount - 1)
-        return '%s (%s) %s' % (self.typename, state, self.val['_M_ptr'])
+                state = 'use count = %d, weak count = %d' % (usecount, weakcount - 1)
+        return '%s<%s> (%s)' % (self.typename, str(self.pointer.type.target()), state)
 
 class UniquePointerPrinter:
     "Print a unique_ptr"
 
     def __init__ (self, typename, val):
         self.val = val
+        self.pointer = self.val['_M_t']['_M_head_impl']
 
-    def to_string (self):
-        v = self.val['_M_t']['_M_head_impl']
-        return ('std::unique_ptr<%s> containing %s' % (str(v.type.target()),
-                                                       str(v)))
+    def children (self):
+        return [('get()', self.pointer)]
+
+    def to_string (self):
+        return ('std::unique_ptr<%s>' % (str(self.pointer.type.target())))

 def get_value_from_list_node(node):
     """Returns the value held in an _List_node<_Val>"""
     try:
@@ -322,9 +328,17 @@ class StdVectorIteratorPrinter:
 
     def __init__(self, typename, val):
         self.val = val
+        self.pointer = self.val['_M_current']        
+
+    def children(self):
+        if not self.pointer:
+            return []
+        return [('operator->()', self.pointer)]
 
     def to_string(self):
-        return self.val['_M_current'].dereference()
+        if not self.pointer:
+             return 'non-dereferenceable iterator for std::vector'
+        return ('std::vector<%s>::iterator' % (str(self.pointer.type.target())))
 
 class StdTuplePrinter:
     "Print a std::tuple"