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Visual Studio Debug Engine Extensibility

1 post · Oct 2013 – Oct 2015

What this trail covers

Visual Studio's debugger continues to evolve, with a focus on unifying Edit and Continue (EnC) functionality for both managed and native code. This includes enabling EnC for C++ across both x86 and x64 targets within the default debug engine, eliminating the need to choose between EnC and other advanced debugging features like natvis and the Diagnostic Tools window. The goal is a single, simple setting for EnC across all code types and architectures. This post details how to switch to a legacy managed debug engine for specific scenarios not yet supported by the new engine.

All Microsoft trails
  1. Announcing Visual Studio Debug Engine Extensibility SamplesThis post announces the public availability of documentation and two sample extensions for the Concord debug engine in Visual Studio. The documentation is hosted on GitHub, and the samples include a 'Hello World' frame integration for the call stack and a .NET language (CLR) expression evaluator. Contributions to the GitHub repository are welcomed.
  2. C++ EnC in Visual Studio 2015This post details the ongoing work to integrate C++ Edit and Continue (EnC) into Visual Studio's default debug engine. It highlights the current state in the VS 2015 RC, where EnC for x86 and x64 C++ is an opt-in preview feature that requires specific configuration. The post outlines the UI changes to support this unification and mentions the future plan for a single, default EnC setting for both native and managed code, across x86 and x64.
  3. Switching to Managed Compatibility Mode in Visual Studio 2013This post introduces the concept of 'Managed Compatibility Mode' in Visual Studio 2013, allowing users to switch back to the legacy managed debug engine. This is necessary for two specific scenarios: using .NET languages other than C#, VB, or F# that provide their own Expression Evaluator (including managed C++), and enabling Edit and Continue (EnC) for C++ projects during mixed-mode debugging. The post provides detailed instructions on how to enable this mode globally, per-project, when attaching to a process, and by manually editing project files. It also includes a disclaimer that enabling this mode disables features dependent on the current debugger implementation.