Debugging release build

[Jesper A]

I cant find out how to set up the release version so that
you can debug it in .net. Is there anyone sitting on the
answer?
Cheers

[Horst]

Don't blame me but you CAN'T debug a release version. At least not in a debug mode like VS is offering it for debug applications.

The only thing you can do is to insert a log into your application. (Write your log data to a seperate file.) Otherwise you don't have a chance to debug a release version.
But be warned:

That has its disadvantages too:

1) Your application might get slower (file access is slow)
2) You should make it possible to switch it off (so you don't get the log file every time you start your application) It's so annoying to clear your system of dozens of log files.
3) You can only check at some points and it may be difficult to find the position where your error occurs. The most trouble in runtime version comes (that's my experience) from lost pointers. And these are VERY difficult to get by. I would encurage you to buy sofware that checks for resource leaks (like bounds checker, but thats expensive). Otherwise you have to find it the hard way.
4) Perhaps (if it's a problem with timing) you might not even get your error with debug logging.


Hope that helped

Horst

P.S.

That's true for every version of VS I encountered so far.

[Jesper A]

Thanks for reply Horst.

You say that you cant debug a release build. I´m not with
you there. I have done it in VC6 and managed to come through
in .net some days ago. Maybe you cant get as much info out
as of a debug mood but its indeed possible.

I changed the Properties under classview C/C++->General->
Debug Information Format to Program database with edit and continue. That was likely the way in VC6++ it didn´t work
at first. After some trying I wrote this thread. For some
reason it suddenly worked. So everything is fine and problem
is solved.

Your post held some interesting ideas that can be used for
future problems thanks for that!

Cheers
Jesper