+@node File Caching
+@section File Caching
+@cindex caching of opened files
+@cindex caching of bfd objects
+
+To speed up file loading, and reduce memory usage, @value{GDBN} will
+reuse the @code{bfd} objects used to track open files. @xref{Top, ,
+BFD, bfd, The Binary File Descriptor Library}. The following commands
+allow visibility and control of the caching behavior.
+
+@table @code
+@kindex maint info bfds
+@item maint info bfds
+This prints information about each @code{bfd} object that is known to
+@value{GDBN}.
+
+@kindex maint set bfd-sharing
+@kindex maint show bfd-sharing
+@kindex bfd caching
+@item maint set bfd-sharing
+@item maint show bfd-sharing
+Control whether @code{bfd} objects can be shared. When sharing is
+enabled @value{GDBN} reuses already open @code{bfd} objects rather
+than reopening the same file. Turning sharing off does not cause
+already shared @code{bfd} objects to be unshared, but all future files
+that are opened will create a new @code{bfd} object. Similarly,
+re-enabling sharing does not cause multiple existing @code{bfd}
+objects to be collapsed into a single shared @code{bfd} object.
+@end table
+