diff --git a/src/backend/nodes/outfuncs.c b/src/backend/nodes/outfuncs.c
index 29b7712..b4cae11 100644
--- a/src/backend/nodes/outfuncs.c
+++ b/src/backend/nodes/outfuncs.c
@@ -93,20 +93,22 @@
 	 outNode(str, node->fldname))
 
 /* Write a bitmapset field */
 #define WRITE_BITMAPSET_FIELD(fldname) \
 	(appendStringInfo(str, " :" CppAsString(fldname) " "), \
 	 _outBitmapset(str, node->fldname))
 
 
 #define booltostr(x)  ((x) ? "true" : "false")
 
+char *bms_to_char(const Bitmapset *bms);
+
 
 /*
  * _outToken
  *	  Convert an ordinary string (eg, an identifier) into a form that
  *	  will be decoded back to a plain token by read.c's functions.
  *
  *	  If a null or empty string is given, it is encoded as "<>".
  */
 static void
 _outToken(StringInfo str, const char *s)
@@ -204,20 +206,31 @@ _outBitmapset(StringInfo str, const Bitmapset *bms)
 }
 
 /* for use by extensions which define extensible nodes */
 void
 outBitmapset(StringInfo str, const Bitmapset *bms)
 {
 	_outBitmapset(str, bms);
 }
 
 /*
+ * TODO: remove, used for debugging through gdb.
+ */
+char *
+bms_to_char(const Bitmapset *bms)
+{
+	StringInfo str = makeStringInfo();
+	outBitmapset(str, bms);
+	return str->data;
+}
+
+/*
  * Print the value of a Datum given its type.
  */
 void
 outDatum(StringInfo str, Datum value, int typlen, bool typbyval)
 {
 	Size		length,
 				i;
 	char	   *s;
 
 	length = datumGetSize(value, typbyval, typlen);