Static class members & DWARF

Wed Mar 3 19:49:00 GMT 2010

Hi,
Consider the following simple class:
class jvstatic
{
 public static int STATIC = 1;
}
Looking at the DWARF info for this class, I see:
 <1><107>: Abbrev Number: 2 (DW_TAG_class_type)
 <108> DW_AT_name : (indirect string, offset: 0xdf): 
jvstatic
 <10c> DW_AT_byte_size : 4
 <10d> DW_AT_decl_file : 1
 <10e> DW_AT_decl_line : 0
 <10f> DW_AT_containing_type: <0x17b>
 <113> DW_AT_sibling : <0x17b>
 <2><117>: Abbrev Number: 3 (DW_TAG_inheritance)
 <118> DW_AT_type : <0x17b>
 <11c> DW_AT_data_member_location: 2 byte block: 23 0 
(DW_OP_plus_uconst: 0)
 <11f> DW_AT_accessibility: 1 (public)
 <2><120>: Abbrev Number: 4 (DW_TAG_member)
 <121> DW_AT_name : (indirect string, offset: 0x123): 
STATIC
 <125> DW_AT_decl_file : 1
 <126> DW_AT_decl_line : 0
 <127> DW_AT_MIPS_linkage_name: (indirect string, offset: 0xca): 
_ZN8jvstatic6STATICE
 <12b> DW_AT_type : <0x181>
 <12f> DW_AT_external : 1
 <130> DW_AT_declaration : 1
Pursuant to the DWARF3 specification (sec 4.1 #6), I would expect to 
subsequently see a DIE with DW_TAG_variable which refers to DIE <120> 
(via DW_AT_specification). Alas, this DIE does not appear in the debug 
info at all.
Does java operate differently from C++ (which follows the DWARF 
specification)?
Keith
PS. This causes gdb to report jvstatic.STATIC as "optimized out" when, 
in fact, it is not. [This is because I am removing 
DW_AT_MIPS_linkage_name from gdb, and this works on CVS HEAD *only* 
because gdb finds the linkage name in the minimal symbol table. A 
convenient workaround for many of gdb's sins.]