Need .NET code to execute only when in debug configuration

Question

I have some code that access an API out on the web. One of the API's parameters allows me to let them know that I am testing.

I would like to only set this parameter in my code when I am testing. Currently, I just comment the code out when I do a release build.

Is there an automatic way of doing this based on the build configuration?

Answer 1

yes, wrap the code in

#if DEBUG
// do debug only stuff 
#else
// do non DEBUG stuff
#endif

Google for "C# compilation symbols"

Visual Studio automatically defines DEBUG when you are in the debug configuration. You can define any symbols you want (look at your project's properties, the build tab). Beware that abusing preprocessor directives is a bad idea, it can lead to code that is very difficult to read/maintain.

Answer 2

public int Method ()
{
#if DEBUG 
   // do something 
#endif
}

Answer 3

In addition to #if #endif directives, you can also use conditional attributes. If you mark a method with the attribute

[Conditional("Debug")]

It will only be compiled and run when your application is built in debug mode. As was noted in the comment below, these only work when the method has a void return type.

Answer 4

Here is another post with a similar result : http://www.bigresource.com/Tracker/Track-vb-lwDKSoETwZ/

A better explanation can be seen at : http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/4y6tbswk.aspx

// preprocessor_if.cs
#define DEBUG
#define MYTEST
using System;
public class MyClass 
{
    static void Main() 
    {
#if (DEBUG && !MYTEST)
        Console.WriteLine("DEBUG is defined");
#elif (!DEBUG && MYTEST)
        Console.WriteLine("MYTEST is defined");
#elif (DEBUG && MYTEST)
        Console.WriteLine("DEBUG and MYTEST are defined");
#else
        Console.WriteLine("DEBUG and MYTEST are not defined");
#endif
    }
}

Answer 5

You can use Conditional attribute:

[Conditional("DEBUG")]
static void Method() { } 

#if preprocessor directive:

#if DEBUG
    static int testCounter = 0;
#endif 

Or Debug.Write method:

Debug.WriteLine("Something to write in Output window.");

Beware of using #if directive since it can produce unintended situations in Release build. For example, see:

    string sth = null;
#if DEBUG
    sth = "oh, hi!";
#endif
    Console.WriteLine(sth);

In this case Release build will print a blank message.

Read more:

• Eric Lippert. What's the difference between conditional compilation and the conditional attribute?
• C# Programmer's Reference: Conditional Methods Tutorial
• Bill Wagner. Effective C#: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your C# (book), chapter: Use Conditional Attributes Instead of #if
• John Robbins. Assertions and Tracing in .NET
• Sam Allen. Dot Not Perls
  • C# Conditional Attribute, DEBUG Array
  • C# Debug.Write Methods

There is also a nice tool, DebugView, which allow to capture debug information from external applications.

Answer 6

I had this same problem and the solution I went with is using:

if (System.Diagnostics.Debugger.IsAttached)
{
    // Code here
}

This means that technically in production you can attach a debugger and get that piece of code to run.