Get Started with Debugging in Visual Studio 2022

Visual Studio 2022 is a dynamic Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that empowers developers to create robust applications and debug them with ease. Despite its strong capabilities in developing and debugging, the debugger feature is not activated by default in Visual Studio 2022. In this article, we will explore how to enable the debugger tool in Visual Studio 2022.

STEP 1: Build a Project in Visual Studio 2022

To use the debugger feature in Visual Studio, you need to build a project first. Start by launching Visual Studio 2022, and on the start page, select “Create a new project”. Alternatively, press “Ctrl + Shift + N” to create a new project.

Select the type of project from a range of available templates. For example, if you want to create a console application, choose “Console App (.NET)” from the template options, and then click on the “Next” button.

Provide a name to your project and specify where you wish to save your project. After that, click on the “Create” button to build your project.

STEP 2: Enable Debugging in Visual Studio 2022

Debugger tool comes disabled by default, and you need to modify the project properties to enable it.

Right-click on your project located in the Solution Explorer and choose “Properties”. This action will open the project properties window. Choose the “Debug” tab from the left-hand side of the screen to move on to the next step.

Tick the “Enable native code debugging” checkbox if you are working with native code. Check the “Enable Just My Code” checkbox to exclude the debugger from your code and stop solely at your breakpoints. However, this option is only available for .NET language projects.

Under the “Debugger Type” section, choose the debugger type you want to use. The “Auto” option is the default, which will automatically select the correct debugger based on the type of your code. Once you have altered your settings, click on the “Apply” button to apply your changes.

STEP 3: Debug Your Code in Visual Studio 2022

After enabling the debugger feature, you’re ready to start debugging your code. To pause the execution of your code and examine it meticulously, place breakpoints where you would like to stop the code.

To set a breakpoint, click on the left margin of the code editor, or press “F9” on the line where you want to set the breakpoint. Then, press “F5” or hit the “Debug” > “Start Debugging” menu option to initiate the debugging process.

When your code hits a breakpoint, the debugger will instantly pause the execution of your code. You can scrutinize variable values, call stack, and more using the debugging tools that Visual Studio 2022 offers.

Conclusion

Activating the debugger feature in Visual Studio 2022 creates a straightforward debugging process, and it can be done by changing the project properties. Afterward, you can debug your code seamlessly to locate and fix any problems. Debugging is a significant part of software development, and Visual Studio 2022 provides developers with robust debugging tools to simplify the process.