Visual Studio 2008 debugging issue...

Question

I'm working in VS 2008 and have three projects in one solution. I'm debugging by attaching to a .net process invoked by a third party app (SalesLogix, a CRM app).

Once it has attached to the process and I attempt to set a breakpoint in one of the projects, it doesn't set a breakpoint in that file. It actually switches the current tab to another file in another project and sets a breakpoint in that document. If the file isn't open, it even goes so far as to open it for me. I can't explain this. I've got no clue. Anyone seen such odd behavior? I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't seeing it myself.

A little more info: if I set a breakpoint before attaching, it shows the "red dot" and says no symbols loaded...no problem...I expect that. When I attach and invoke my .net code from SalesLogix and switch back to VS, my breakpoint is completely gone (not even a warning that the source doesn't match the debug file). When I attempt to manually load the debug file, then I get a message that the symbol file does not match the module. The .pdb and the .dll are timestamped the same, so I'm stumped.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thx,

Jeff

Answer 1

Is the line you're setting the breakpoint on a method/function call? Maybe the function has been inlined so VS is smart enough to set the breakpoint in the method itself.

Answer 2

I saw this functionality in older versions of VS.Net (2003 I think). It may still exist in current versions, but I haven't encountered it. Seems that files with the same name, even in different directories confuse VS.Net, and it ends up setting a break point in a file with the same name. May only happen if the classes in the file both have the same name also. So much for namespaces I guess.

You also may want to check your build configuration to make sure that all the projects are in fact building in debug mode. I know I've been caught a couple times when the configuration got changed somehow for the solution, and some projects weren't compiling in debug mode.

Answer 3

Kibbee, you were right! It was two files with the same name in different folders. I was setting the breakpoint in the correct file on line 58 - it was putting the breakpoint on the other file at line 58. I was finally able to set a breakpoint by using the "Debug-->New Breakpoint-->Break at Function Name" menu option and entering my function name. It stopped exactly like it should have then.

I agree - so much for namespaces, right? Damn thing cost me a couple of hours. Oh, well...at least it's solved and I know why.

Thx for the answer and thx to Matt for his reply, too!