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Debug Visualizer

  • 2 minutes to read

The Debug Visualizer simplifies the debugging process. It displays expression values directly within the code, provides a preview of future values (for lines of code about to be executed), and documents historical values inside the method.

DebuggerVisualizer

You can view the value of each part of an expression, as well as the entire expression value. Double-click the expression value located under the expression, or press ALT+Down Arrow to view the values of expression parts. Use the arrow keys to navigate through values.

DebuggerVisualizerEvaluateExpressionParts

The Debug Visualizer also visually shows whether or not a conditional statement is true (DebuggerVisualizerTrue) or false (DebuggerVisualizerFalse). If a Boolean expression consists of several parts, the Debug Visualizer highlights the child expressions that determine the parent value.

DebuggerVisualizerBooleanExpressions

The recursive method call counter allows you to easily obtain the depth of recursion. It is displayed to the right of a method declaration if the method is called from itself one or more times.

RecursiveMethodCallCounter

The Debug Visualizer de-emphasizes missed code blocks to highlight the current execution path.

DeEmphasizeMissedCode

CodeRush Classic marks expressions that cause an exception with a red icon. Place the mouse pointer over the icon to see a tooltip with detailed information on the exception.

ExceptionIcon

The Debug Visualizer enables you to generate unit tests for public methods using the runtime values of a method’s input parameter.

You can generate a test using the appropriate shortcut (CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+T by default). As the test cannot be added at runtime, the data required to generate the test is added to the Unit Test Builder tool window. After you finish debugging, CodeRush Classic generates the tests listed in this window.

Note

CodeRush Classic generates tests for the project, which include a reference to the supported testing framework and the current project. If the solution does not include a test project referencing the current project, the feature is unavailable.

Specify the feature options via the Visualizer options page. To modify the Debug Visualizer colors, use the Debug Visualizer options page.

Note

This product is designed for outdated versions of Visual Studio. Although Visual Studio 2015 is supported, consider using the CodeRush extension with Visual Studio 2015 or higher.