Chapter 4. Using the Visual C++ 2008 Debugger

In This Chapter

  • Understanding the error application

  • Getting started with debugging

  • Using the debugging windows

As with any good programming environment, Visual C++ offers a debugger that helps you locate and squash bugs in your application. In fact, the Visual C++ debugger is one of the highlights of Visual Studio. You get a world-class debugger that can help you locate nearly any type of bug in your application and with a minimum of effort.

The Visual C++ debugger works the same as most other debuggers. You can single-step through the application or use breakpoints to stop at locations you think might contain errors. Visual C++ provides a number of debugging windows that show the application state and provide a means for watching variables as the application executes.

The thing that sets this debugger apart is that everything is well integrated so that you don't have to work quite so hard to figure things out. In addition, Visual C++ provides a number of additional windows that you won't find with other debuggers. For example, you can create more than one Watch window.

In this chapter, you discover the Visual C++ debugger. The sections split debugging into running the application and working with the debugging windows.

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