ASP.NET 2.0 Cookbook, 2nd Edition

13.8. Using a Breakpoint to Stop Execution of an Application When a Condition Is Met

Problem

You have some fairly complicated code that is having a problem after many iterations, and you need an easy way to stop execution when the conditions are met.

Solution

Set a conditional breakpoint using an expression in the Visual Studio debugger. The value of the expression will determine whether program execution breaks when the breakpoint is hit.

To set a conditional breakpoint in the Visual Studio debugger:

1. Set a breakpoint in the usual fashion by clicking in the gray border to the left of the line where you want execution to break.

2. Right-click the breakpoint and select the Condition command from the menu.

3. Use the Conditions dialog box to set the conditions for the break, as shown in Figure 13-5. Typically, you’ll set a conditional expression like any of these:

   
   	counter = 5000
   
   	i=100 AND j=150
   
   	message.Length > 0
   
   	counter == 5000
   
   	i==100 && j==150
   	
   	message.Length > 0

When you run the program, execution will break at the location when the expression is true or has changed, depending on the option you’ve chosen in the dialog box.

Discussion

You can view the contents of the Visual Studio Locals window to verify the values of the variables involved in the expression. Access the Locals window by selecting ...