Debugging with Visual Studio

Debugging is an essential and perplexing part of software development. It plays a critical role in identifying and fixing issues in your code to ensure that your application is functioning as expected. One of the most popular tools used by developers for debugging is Visual Studio.

Setting Breakpoints

The first step in debugging with Visual Studio is to set breakpoints. A breakpoint is a marker placed in your code that tells Visual Studio to pause the execution of your application. To set a breakpoint in your code, you can click on the left margin or press F9 on your keyboard. A red dot will appear next to the line of code indicating that the breakpoint is set.

Starting a Debug Session

After setting a breakpoint, it’s time to start a debug session. To initiate this, simply hit F5 on your keyboard, or click on the Start Debugging button located in the Debug menu. Visual Studio will begin executing your code, but it will pause at the breakpoint that you previously set.

Inspecting Variables

When the debugger stops at the breakpoint, you can inspect variables. Variables represent the values stored in memory while the application is running. Hover your mouse over the variable or type it in the Immediate Window at the bottom of the screen to see its value. Additionally, you can view variables in the Locals Window, which displays variables in the current scope.

Stepping Through Code

After inspecting variables, you can continue debugging by stepping through your code. Visual Studio provides three options for stepping through your code: Step Into, Step Over, and Step Out.

• Step Into: This option moves one line of code at a time and delves into function calls.
• Step Over: The Step Over option moves past the current line of code and onto the next line without stepping into any functions.
• Step Out: The Step Out option enables you to step out of the current function and back to the calling function.

Using Watch Window

The Watch Window is a powerful and bursty tool in Visual Studio that enables you to see the values of multiple variables. To use the Watch Window, you can add variables to it by right-clicking on the variable name and selecting Add Watch. While debugging, the Watch Window will display the current value of the variable you added.

Using Breakpoints Window

The Breakpoints Window displays and manages all the breakpoints you set in your code. You can access it by selecting Debug → Windows → Breakpoints from the main menu. This window enables you to delete or disable breakpoints or even enable them conditionally.

Debugging Exceptions

When exceptions occur during the execution of your code, Visual Studio interrupts your program and displays the exception in the Exception Settings window. You can enable or disable different types of exceptions to customize your debugging experience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, debugging is an inevitable and perplexing part of software development. Visual Studio is an excellent and bursty tool that helps to identify and fix issues in your code. With the features, we’ve covered in this article, you have an excellent grasp of how to debug your code in Visual Studio. Happy debugging!