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Some cool stuff debugging with Debugger Canvas

Continui seria de posturi (1, 2) despre cum sa facem debug in Visual Studio cu un post dedicat Debugger Canvas.
Cati dintre voi ati apucat sa o folositi intr-un mediu real? Mai mult ca sigur v-ati jucat cu ea, dar ati reusit sa o folositi mereu? Eu va spun sincer ca nu. Sunt cazuri cand poate sa fie foarte utila, dar in unele situatii, cand vrem sa facem un debug simplu e mult prea complexa.
Acesta este un tool free, care poate sa instalat in Visual Studio. Il puteti download din urmatoarea locatie http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/A/7/5A7FB2E7-5720-4739-BDDE-28A684C5B291/Microsoft.DebuggerCanvas.vsix si daca ma intrebati pe mine, este unul din tool-urile care nu poate sa lipseasca din Visual Studio.
Cand mi se pare extrem de utila? In momentul in care este nevoie sa facem debug intr-un mediu cu multe thread-uri care ruleaza simultan sau cand avem parte de recursivitate. In aceste cazuri este extrem de usor sa urmarim valorile  la fiecare field sau variabila din call stack.

Odata ce ati instalat aplicatia, aceasta o se seataza automat ca si default debug tool. Puteti oricand sa o dezactivati din "Debug->Debugger Canvas". Totodata aveti cateva optiune la acest tool pe care le puteti schimba din "Tools->Options - DEbugger->Debugger Canvas". Ajunge cu teorie, sa vedem in practic ce putem face.
Intr-o fereastra separat, tot callstack-ul vi se afiseaza sub forma unor ferestre inlantuite. Este extrem de usor sa vedem de unde vine apelul, putand naviga in orice moment prin call stack si sa vedem ce valori au variabilele.
O functionalitate extrem de utila este lista de variabile locale la care se poate face snapshot. Nu mai este nevoie sa notam noi vechile valori. Putem direct sa facem un snapshot si sa ne continuam procesul de debug. Pentru fiecare snapshot se afiseaza si locatia de unde s-a facut. In orice moment cu daca faceti click dreapta o sa vi se afiseze un meniu care va permite sa adaugati notite sau sa salvati sesiune de debug ca un XPS ori sa o trimiteti pe email. Partea de save/send va spun sincer nu am folosito niciodata, cel mai des cred ca folosesc snapshot-ul.

Este bine de mentionat ca in momentul in care folositi Debugger Canvas, toate scurtaturile sau optiunile care le aveati intr-un debug clasic raman available, tot ce se schimba este modul in care vizualizati resultatele.
Un alt feature extrem de util este cand aveti mai multe thread-uri pornite si vreti sa vedeti in paralel call stack-urile. In mod normal acestea se refolosesc, dar daca mergeti la options si dezactivati optiunea "Reuse Bubbles When Content is the Same" o sa vedeti pentru fiecare thread in parte un alt set de ferestre.
Odata ce ati terminat procesul de debug, fereastra o sa ramana deschisa, cu toate datele care s-au afisat. Acest lucru putand sa fie extrem de util.
Cam asta ar fi despre Debugger Canvas. Aduce cateva feature dragute, care ne pot ajuta si fac uneori diferenta. Ce parere aveti de acest tool? L-ati folosii?

Comments

  1. Thank you for this tutorials. It is possible to write blog entries in English also? I read you're block and google translate isn't perfect. Tks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mereu nu-l folosesc, dar l-am folosit intr-un proiect real de cateva ori - e util de ex. cand cineva vrea sa prezinte altcuiva cum functioneaza un cod mai complex, intr-un mod mai vizual.
    Oricum, ramane un toy cum e disponibil doar pe VS Ultimate si eventual VS Premium (neoficial), versiuni care putini developeri le au.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In mod normal un develope are VS Premium. Ultimate - multi viseaza dar cam atata.

      Delete
    2. Eu il folosesc cand si cum. Cand fac debug pe mai multe thread-uri ajung sa il folosesc.

      Delete

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