Re: Debugging issue to watch variable values

From:

Norbert Unterberg <nunterberg@newsgroups.nospam>

Newsgroups:

microsoft.public.vc.language

Date:

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:08:18 +0200

Message-ID:

<#wB83m#HJHA.4564@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl>

George schrieb:

I don't know and don't care. The problem is that the optimizer rearranges the
code, so the source code lines and variable no longer match the generated code.
What do you expect a debugger to show you?

I have debugged the debug version, works fine. My purpose is just to find
the most convenient way to find variable value at runtime (debug time) in
release version.

There is none. Some variables are removed, some have a short scope, some extist
only in temporary registers and some are normal variables. The debugger can only
display variables that currently exist. Be happy that at least sometimes it
displays some meaningful data.

Debugging release code is only the last resort if anything else has failed.
Accept it. Use the tools as they have been designed.

The Debug build is for the user, the release build is for the CPU.

So, just want to confirm with you even if variable optimization happens at
compile time,

yes

> not runtime, and PDB also generates at compile time,
yes

but PDB is
not reflecting the correct location of variable (e.g. whether variable in
stack/register/removed) -- and it is the root cause why during debugging,
debugger is not able to retrieve all variable values (debugger is relying on
PDB, but PDB is not 100% correct)?

Correct, sort of.