How to tell if .net app was compiled in DEBUG or RELEASE mode?

Question

I have an application installed on my computer and I need to find out if it was compiled in DEBUG mode or not?

I've tried to use Reflector, but it does not show anything specific. Here is what I see: // Assembly APPLICATION_NAME, Version 8.0.0.15072 Location: C:\APPLICATION_FOLDER\APPLICATION_NAME.exe Name: APPLICATION_NAME, Version=8.0.0.15072, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null Type: Windows Application

Answer 1

I blogged this a long time ago, and I don't know if it still valid or not, but the code is something like...

private void testfile(string file)
{
    if(isAssemblyDebugBuild(file))
    {
     MessageBox.Show(String.Format("{0} seems to be a debug build",file));
    }
    else
    {
     MessageBox.Show(String.Format("{0} seems to be a release build",file));
    }
}    

private bool isAssemblyDebugBuild(string filename)
{
    return isAssemblyDebugBuild(System.Reflection.Assembly.LoadFile(filename));    
}    

private bool isAssemblyDebugBuild(System.Reflection.Assembly assemb)
{
    bool retVal = false;
    foreach(object att in assemb.GetCustomAttributes(false))
    {
     if(att.GetType() == System.Type.GetType("System.Diagnostics.DebuggableAttribute"))
     {
      retVal = ((System.Diagnostics.DebuggableAttribute)att).IsJITTrackingEnabled;
     }
    }
    return retVal;
}

Answer 2

You're on the right path actually. If you look in the Disassembler window in reflector you will see the following line if it was built in debug mode:

[assembly: Debuggable(...)]

Answer 3

thanks guys. it helped!

Answer 4

How about using Jeff Key's IsDebug utility? It is a little dated, but since you have Reflector you can decompile it and recompile it in any version of the framework. I did.

Answer 5

i just looked at the MainForm.cs from the utility.. because i would need sth like that:

... Cursor = Cursors.WaitCursor;

   Assembly assm = Assembly.LoadFrom(filename);
   bool found = assm.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DebuggableAttribute), false).Length > 0;
   buildType = found ? "Debug" : "Release";

...

-> this would only depend on the existence of the DebuggableAttribute.. thus it don´t work correct.

regards, k.