Debugging Microsoft . NET 2.0 Applications

by Robbins, John

• ISBN13: 9780735622029
• ISBN10: 0735622027
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-12-06
• Publisher: Microsoft Pr

Summary

Traditionally, tools for performance tuning, testing applications, and debugging code have been expensive, hard to learn, and difficult to use. While previous versions of Microsoft Visual Studio- have included debuggers and other code-improvement tools, Visual Studio 2005 presents developers with robust and useful tools and processes to help ensure top-quality code. In this guide, an expert on improving code, John Robbins, steps back from the expert-level information that characterized his previous debugging books to present hands-on, practical advice for working developers on how to use the debugging, testing, and tuning features in Visual Studio 2005. In addition to an overview of the science of debugging and expertly-guided instruction, this guide also features solutions to common, real-world development problems. Developers of all skill levels will be able to use this book to help improve their understanding of debugging, debugging tools, tuning, and testing! , including how to effectively employ Test Explorer, the Enterprise Performance Tool, and WinDbg.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xv
Introduction	xvii
Part I The Gestalt of Debugging
Bugs: Where They Come from and How You Solve Them	3	(28)
Bugs and Debugging	3	(15)
What Are Bugs?	4	(4)
Process Bugs and Solutions	8	(9)
Planning for Debugging	17	(1)
Prerequisites to Debugging	18	(3)
The Skill Set	18	(2)
Learning the Skill Set	20	(1)
The Debugging Process	21	(9)
Step 1: Duplicate the Bug	22	(1)
Step 2: Describe the Bug	23	(1)
Step 3: Always Assume That the Bug Is Yours	24	(1)
Step 4: Divide and Conquer	24	(1)
Step 5: Think Creatively	25	(1)
Step 6: Utilize Tools	26	(1)
Step 7: Start Heavy Debugging	27	(1)
Step 8: Verify That the Bug Is Fixed	27	(2)
Step 9: Learn and Share	29	(1)
Final Debugging Process Secret	29	(1)
Summary	30	(1)
Preparing for Debugging	31	(58)
Track Changes Until You Throw Away the Project	31	(7)
Version Control Systems	32	(4)
Bug Tracking Systems	36	(1)
Choosing the Right Systems for You	37	(1)
Schedule Time for Building Debugging Systems	38	(13)
Build All Builds with Debugging Symbols	38	(3)
Treat Warnings as Errors	41	(1)
Know Where Your Assemblies Load	42	(5)
Always Build with Code Analysis Turned On	47	(4)
Frequent Builds and Smoke Tests Are Mandatory	51	(10)
Frequent Builds	52	(8)
Smoke Tests	60	(1)
Build the Installation Program Immediately	61	(1)
QA Must Test with Debug Builds	62	(1)
Set Up a Symbol Store	62	(11)
Set Up a Source Server	73	(15)
The Zen of Source Server	74	(2)
Basic Indexing	76	(6)
Debugging with Source Servers	82	(4)
Better and Easier Source Server Indexing	86	(2)
Summary	88	(1)
Debugging During Coding	89	(62)
Assert, Assert, Assert, and Assert	90	(42)
How and What to Assert	92	(6)
Assertions in .NET	98	(10)
Superassert.Net	108	(24)
Trace, Trace, Trace, and Trace	132	(14)
Basic Tracing	133	(6)
Advanced Tracing	139	(7)
Comment, Comment, Comment, and Comment	146	(3)
Summary	149	(2)
Common .NET Debugging Questions	151	(48)
Process- and Infrastructure-Related Questions	151	(14)
Why must you always develop as a non-admin?	152	(3)
What's the secret to debugging?	155	(1)
What sort of development methodology should I use?	156	(1)
Should we do code reviews?	157	(1)
What do we do if we're having trouble reproducing builds sent to others outside the team?	158	(1)
What additional C# compiler options will help me with my proactive debugging of managed code?	158	(1)
What CPU should I set my build to?	159	(1)
When should I freeze upgrades to the compiler and other tools?	160	(1)
Is there anything I can do to speed up the Source Server when I first debug a program?	160	(1)
How does Conditional Attribute work?	161	(2)
Why do you always put the constants on the left side of conditional statements?	163	(1)
What's the difference between a .NET debug and release binary?	163	(2)
Visual Studio Bugs	165	(1)
Visual Studio crashes when I load a specific project or when I press F5, won't debug at all, or won't hit any breakpoints. What's going on?	165	(1)
Suddenly, a specific key doesn't work in the editor. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling, but I still can't use the key. How can I get my key back?	165	(1)
What happened to the Debug menu (or some other major Ul portion)?	165	(1)
Designing for Debugging	166	(4)
How should you implement exception handling?	166	(1)
How can I log unhandled exceptions in my applications?	167	(2)
When do I put a finalizer on my class?	169	(1)
Debugger Questions	170	(7)
I need a debugger on a production system. Do I have to purchase an additional copy of Visual Studio for that machine?	170	(1)
What is that Vshost thing?	170	(1)
Can you debug SQL stored procedures by using Visual Studio?	171	(1)
How do you debug script by using Visual Studio?	172	(1)
How can I debug with a different Code Access Security (CAS) level?	173	(1)
Why do I sometimes get that annoying context switch deadlock exception when stopped in the debugger too long on Windows Forms applications? What are Managed Debugging Assistants?	173	(4)
Debugging Scenario Questions	177	(8)
How do I debug assembles in the Global Assembly Cache (GAC)?	177	(1)
How can I debug the startup code for a Windows service written in .NET?	178	(2)
My boss is sending me so much e-mail that I can't get anything done. Is there any way I can slow down the dreaded PHB e-mail?	180	(1)
What strategies do you have for debugging deadlocks?	181	(3)
How do you debug design-time assemblies? How do you debug add-ins?	184	(1)
How do you debug assembly-loading issues?	184	(1)
How can I always get the source and line information in any unhandled exception?	185	(1)
What Tools Do You Use?	185	(10)
Everything from SysInternals!	186	(4)
Reflector by Lutz Roeder	190	(2)
Sells Brothers' RegexDesigner.NET	192	(1)
Windows Installer XML (WiX)	192	(1)
Other Tools	193	(2)
Summary	195	(4)
Part II Power Debugging
Advanced Debugger Usage with Visual Studio	199	(52)
Advanced Breakpoints and How to Use Them	200	(19)
Breakpoint Tips	202	(3)
Quickly Breaking on Any Function	205	(5)
Location Breakpoint Modifiers	210	(9)
The Watch Window	219	(23)
Format Specifiers and Property Evaluation	221	(2)
Make Object ID	223	(1)
DataTips	224	(1)
Expanding Your Own Types	225	(10)
Debugger Visualizers	235	(4)
Calling Methods in the Watch Window Family	239	(3)
Advanced Tips and Tricks	242	(7)
The Set Next Statement Command	242	(1)
Mixed-Mode Debugging	243	(3)
Debugging Exceptions	246	(2)
Debugging Multiple Threads and Processes	248	(1)
Summary	249	(2)
WinDBG, SOS, and ADPlus	251	(104)
Before You Begin	252	(2)
Installation	252	(2)
Additional Reading	254	(1)
Basics	254	(6)
Symbol Server Setup	255	(1)
WinDBG Options and Windows	256	(3)
Dealing with Debuggees	259	(1)
The Command Window	260	(31)
Getting Help	261	(1)
Ensuring That Correct Symbols Are Loaded	261	(4)
Processes and Threads	265	(5)
Walking the Native Stack	270	(3)
Exceptions and Events	273	(4)
Commands for Controlling WinDBG	277	(2)
Dump File Handling	279	(3)
Extremely Useful Extension Commands	282	(9)
SOS	291	(49)
Loading SOS into WinDBG	292	(2)
Loading SOS into Visual Studio	294	(1)
Getting Help and Using Commands	294	(2)
Program State and Managed Threads	296	(4)
Managed Call Stacks	300	(2)
Displaying Object Data	302	(7)
Looking at the GC Heaps	309	(17)
Exceptions and Breakpoints	326	(5)
Deadlocks	331	(6)
Other SOS Commands	337	(3)
ADPlus	340	(12)
Hang Mode	341	(3)
Crash Mode	344	(5)
Snapping at the Right Time	349	(3)
Summary	352	(3)
Part III Power Tools
Extending the Visual Studio IDE	355	(30)
Extending with Macros	357	(13)
Macro Parameters	358	(1)
Debugging Macros	359	(1)
Code Elements	360	(1)
CommenTater: The Cure for the Common Potato?	361	(7)
More Macros for You	368	(2)
Visual Studio Add-Ins	370	(14)
Tricks of Add-in Development	371	(4)
Option Pages and the HiddenSettings Add-In	375	(2)
Settings Master	377	(7)
Summary	384	(1)
Writing Code Analysis Rules	385	(30)
Thinking About Rule Development	386	(1)
Basics of Rule Development	387	(8)
The All-Important Check Method	390	(5)
Advanced Rule Development	395	(18)
DoNotUseTraceAssertRule and CallAssertMethodsWithMessageParametersRule Rules	395	(2)
DoNotLockOnPublicFields, DoNotLockOnThisOrMe, DoNotLockOnTypes, and DoNotUseMethodImplAttributeWithSynchronized Rules	397	(5)
AvoidBoxingAndUnboxingInLoops Rule	402	(5)
ExceptionDocumentationInvalidRule and ExceptionDocumentationMissingRule Rules	407	(6)
Summary	413	(2)
Index	415