How to: Debug Code in the Editor
The Code Editor contains a number of advanced features for debugging code, most of which are described in Debugging in Visual Studio. The Code Editor provides visual indicators to alert you to the debugging status; these indicators display to the left of the line in the indicator margin. The following is a list of the most commonly encountered indicators:
Indicator Name |
Symbol |
Description |
|---|---|---|
Breakpoint |
.gif "Breakpoint Symbol") |
Represents a line where a breakpoint (F9) has been set. Program execution is suspended at this point. |
Current Statement |
.gif "Current Statement Pointer Indicator") |
Represents the next line to be executed. You can drag the current statement indicator to another line to either skip or re-execute code. |
Call Return |
.gif "CallReturnIndicatorSymbol screenshot") |
Represents the line from which the code was called. |
Error List |
.gif "VisualBasicWinAppProjectTaskListShortcutButton scr") |
A shortcut connected to the corresponding task item in the Error List. |
Bookmark |
.gif "Temporary Bookmark Symbol") |
Marks a line of code that you can navigate back to from the Bookmarks Window. |
Note
The dialog boxes and menu commands you see might differ from those described in Help depending on your active settings or edition. To change your settings, choose Import and Export Settings on the Tools menu. For more information, see Visual Studio Settings.
Navigating to errors
When an error occurs in a line of code, it is automatically added to the Error List and to the Output window.
To use the Error List or Output window to find an error in code
- Double-click the Error List or Output window entry.
Some languages display a wavy line beneath coding errors in the Code Editor. Hover over code marked with a wavy line to display a message describing the error.
See Also
Tasks
How to: Create Task List Comments