Selfelected

In an earlier article (or here) I mentioned a time saver for web projects where I recommended attaching to the process instead of restarting every time.

Today I invested time in creating a macro for attaching to the Nunit process.  It was easy.

– Instead of learning all commands just record a new macro (menu->tools->macro->record temporarymacro) and connect to the process of choice.

– Then open the macro explorer (menu->tools->menu->macro explorer) which opens a toolbox.  There is a (new) module called RecordingModule.  Open this.

A new IDE opens with something like:

  Sub AttachToNUnitProcess()      ' MsgBox("AttachToNUnitProcess.Start")      Try          Dim dbg2 As EnvDTE80.Debugger2 = DTE.Debugger          Dim trans As EnvDTE80.Transport = dbg2.Transports.Item("Default")          Dim dbgeng(1) As EnvDTE80.Engine          dbgeng(0) = trans.Engines.Item("Managed") ' Can be "Native".          Dim proc2 As EnvDTE80.Process2 = dbg2.GetProcesses(trans, "MDG-VILTERSTEN").Item("nunit.exe")          proc2.Attach2(dbgeng)      Catch ex As System.Exception          MsgBox(ex.Message)      End Try      ' MsgBox("AttachToNUnitProcess.Slut")  End Sub

– Testrun your macro in Visualstudio just to make sure it runs properly.

– In the macro editor, create a new Module and copy the code you just created.  Rename module and method.  Save.

– Back in Visualstudio, Macro explorer, your new module should be visible.  “Should” – one might have to restart Visualstudio or the toolbox or something.  It should be runnable directly from the Macro explorer toolbox.

– Create a new menu (menu->tools->customize …) and attach your macro.  You find it under “Categories/Macros”, just drag it to your new menu or the menu bar.

Now attaching to a process is just a click or keystroke away.

Some more info is found here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hdf2d1z8(VS.80).aspx.

Update: I debugged a web app for a while yesterday and Wow! – what a difference between 3 clicks and 1 click, or 3 keystrokes and 1 keystroke.  Besides being simpler it also connected faster when the GUI didn’t have to render and didn’t have to wait for me.  Why haven’t I done this years ago?  What else is there I should have done years ago?

Update: I created a new menu and items for every macro I use.  So Fast to use!
There is something that bothers me though.  Some menus dissappear after I restart VSNet, I don’t know why.

The macros are easy to start also without having created a menu for them.  Just alt-F8 and then arrow keys to find the right macro and start it with return.

Update: If I only use 1 macro I can use “run last macro” with shift-ctrl-P.  I am using it right now because I am too lazy to create a new menu and stuff.

Tags: debug, iis, visual studio macro