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2019-02-24-visual-studio-debugging.md

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Wouter Van Schandevijl
Debugging in Visual Studio
2019-02-23 16:00:00 -0800
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debugging.png
We obviously never encounter bugs in our code. Still, should you ever need to debug, use these shortcuts so that it may be over soon.
dotnet
tutorial
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debugging
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Official Visual Studio Debugger Tutorial
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7 More Lesser-known Debugging Tactics for Visual Studio
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Debugging
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Basic Shortcuts

{: .hide-from-excerpt}

{% include kbd k="F5" l="Start debugging" %} {% include kbd k="Control+F5" l="Start without debugging" %} {% include kbd k="Shift+F5" l="Stop debugging" %} {% include kbd k="Control+Shift+F5" l="Stop, rebuild and start debugging" %} {% include kbd k="Control+Alt+P" l="Attach to process" %}
{% include kbd k="Control+Alt+Break" l="Break (Debug > Break All)" %} {% include kbd k="F10" l="Step over" %} {% include kbd k="F11" l="Step into" %} {% include kbd k="Shift+F11" l="Step out" %} {% include kbd k="Control+F10" l="Run to cursor" %} {% include kbd k="Control+Shift+F10" l="Set next statement" %} {% include kbd k="Alt+Num *" l="See current statement" %}


Enable "Edit & continue" in Tools > Options > Debugging.
Other interesting settings:

  • Step over properties and operators (Managed only)
  • Just My Code (Enable to step over system, framework and other non-user calls)

Breakpoints

{% include kbd k="Control+Alt+E" l="Control on which exceptions to break with the Exceptions window" %}

{% include kbd k="Control+Alt+B" l="Breakpoints window" %} {% include kbd k="F9" l="Toggle breakpoint" %} {% include kbd k="Control+F9" l="Enable/Disable breakpoint" %} {% include kbd k="Control+Shift+F9" l="Delete all breakpoints" %}

{% include kbd k="Control+B" l="New function breakpoint dialog" %} Useful when you want to add a breakpoint to every method with a specific name.

{% include kbd k="Alt+F9, C" l="Breakpoint condition" %} {% include kbd k="Alt+F9, L" l="Breakpoint label" %} Assigning labels to breakpoints could be handy together with the export/import functionality?


Breakpoints in `DEBUG` mode only: ```c# using System.Diagnostics; Debug.Fail(); Debug.Assert(true, "Conditional break"); ```

Attributes

When you need to do some calculations for your assertions put it in a method decorated with the ConditionalAttribute("DEBUG").

Inspection

Hover over a variable to see its value. Double click on it to change its value. Override ToString() or use the DebuggerDisplayAttribute() to display something better than GetType().FullName for your own classes.


**Attributes**: 
[DebuggerDisplay("Count={count}")]
class Counter
{
    [DebuggerBrowsable(DebuggerBrowsableState.Never)]
    public int count = 4;

    [DebuggerBrowsable(DebuggerBrowsableState.RootHidden)]
    public int[] y => new[] {1, 2, 3};
}

More control with DebuggerTypeProxy:

Use this attribute when you need to significantly and fundamentally change the debugging view of a type, but not change the type itself. {: .notice--info}

Windows

{% include kbd k="Shift+F9" l="QuickWatch window for variable on cursor (blocking)" %} {% include kbd k="Control+Alt+C" l="Call stack window" %} {% include kbd k="Control+Alt+W, 1-4" l="Watch windows 1-4" %} {% include kbd k="Control+Alt+A" l="Command window" %}

Locals and Autos

Open from menu:

  • Debug > Windows > Locals
  • Debug > Windows > Autos

Can see member return values in the Autos window.
Text in red: variable value changed since last evaluation.

Output Window

Menu: Debug > Windows > Output
Control what is written to the Output Window with Tools > Options > Debugging > Output Window

Debug.Write("msg");
Debug.WriteIf(true, "msg");
Debug.WriteLine("msg");
Debug.WriteLineIf(false, "msg");

Immediate window

{% include kbd k="Control+Alt+I" l="Immediate window" %}

Can access local variables and call methods. Even Linq queries are possible here.

Visualizers

One of my favourite bloggers, Phil Haack created the Visual Studio visualizer Encourage.

{% include github-stars.html url="haacked/encourage" desc="A bit of encouragment added to Visual Studio" %}

Plugins

ReadableExpressions (download)
{% include github-stars.html url="agileobjects/ReadableExpressions" desc="Readable views of Expression Trees" %}


**DataTable Visualizer** ([download](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ShineTools.DataTableVisualizer)) {% include github-stars.html url="MgSam/DataTableVisualizer" desc="A non-modal, dockable, searchable DataTable visualizer" %}
**Image Visualizer** ([download](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=AleksanderBerus.DebuggerImageVisualizerPreview)) {% include github-stars.html url="aberus/ImageVisualizer" %}
**Entity Visualizer** ([download](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=KirillPolishchuk.EntityVisualizer)) {% include github-stars.html url="kpol/EntityVisualizer" desc="Display SQL source code generated by Entity Framework" %}
**LINQBridgeVs** ([download](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=codingadventures.linqbridgevs)) {% include github-stars.html url="codingadventures/LINQBridgeVs" desc="Bridge between a Visual Studio debugging session and LINQPad." %}
Not open source: - **Mole** ([download](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=KarlShifflettkdawg.MoleforVisualStudio2017)) - **DevArt LINQ Insight Express ORM Profiler** ([download](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=DevartSoftware.LINQInsightExpress))

New in Visual Studio

Visual Studio 2017

Run to click:
Run to click

Visual Studio 2019

  • Promises "significant" performance improvements in stepping
  • Yipiee, they added search to Autos, Locals and Watch windows! (Options > Debugging > Search)
  • They also managed to cut 25px from the title bar and still make it look pretty slick.