How can I get full string value of variable in VC6 watch window?

Question

I'm wanting to get the full value of a char[] variable in the VC6 watch window, but it only shows a truncated version. I can copy the value from a debug memory window, but that contains mixed lines of hex and string values. Surely there is a better way??

Answer 1

Have you looked into modifying the autoexp.dat file? You may be able to tweak some values in there. For more information:

Answer 2

Push come to shove you can put in the watch

given

char bigArray[1000];

watch:

&bigArray[0]
&bigArray[100]
&bigArray[200]
...

or change the index for where in the string you want to look...

Its clunky, but its worked for me in the past.

Answer 3

I do not have VC6 any more, so I cannot try it. I do not know if it works, but maybe you can enter

(char*)textArray;

in the watch window.

The bettter solution maybe: VS2008 automatically displays the text the way you want. And there is a Express Edition for VS2008 free of change, which can, as far as I know, be used to develop commerecial applications. You can even try to continue developing with VC6, and use VS2008 for debugging only. With VS2003 it was possible. About 5 year ago I had to maintain an app which was developed with VC6. I kept using VC6 for developing, but for debugging I used VS2003.

Answer 4

For large strings, you're pretty much stuck with the memory window - the tooltip would truncate eventually.

Fortunately, the memory window is easy to get data from - I tend to show it in 8-byte chunks so its easy to manage, find your string data and cut&paste the lot into a blank window, then use alt+drag to select columns and delete the hex values. Then start at the bottom of the string and continually page up/delete (the newline) to build your string (I use a macro for that bit).

I don't think there's any better way once you get long strings.

Answer 5

Perhaps, get used to creating logfiles, and write output into the file directly, then bring up in your favorite text editor.

Answer 6

The only technique i have seen is to watch the string then the string + 50, + 100 etc.

Eugene Ivakhiv wrote an addin for msvc 6 that lets you display the full string in an edit box.

Answer 7

There's a cute plugin for VC6 called XDebug. It adds a dialog for viewing different types of strings. It worked great for me.