Debug into a remote dll library in visual studio

Question

I'm trying to step my debugger into a .dll library that I have installed from a private nuget repository in a separate solution.

The dll is one that I have written and the only times I've been able to successfully debug into it my method has been as follows:

update version number on my dll project
build and nuget push my package
pull down said new version in the runnable project via visual studio's nuget GUI.

Unfortunately this does not always work and I am not sure what happens differently in the situations where it does and does not work.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/debugger/specify-symbol-dot-pdb-and-source-files-in-the-visual-studio-debugger

I went through the above link and tried the things suggested as well as manually placing pdb files everywhere I thought VS may go to look for them but I've had no luck at all remote debugging outside of the steps I outlined above.

Can anyone provide me with a way to consistently debug into my library?

Unfortunatley pulling the library into the runnable solution is not an option for me. I do have access to make changes in my private nuget repository if there is a way to remotely host the pdb files with new dll versions.

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered May 23 '18 at 02:15

1

Try using dot peek https://www.jetbrains.com/decompiler/ You should be able to do it using it

answered May 23 '18 at 02:15

bginsburg

123
4

After looking into dot peek I figured out how to debug into the resharper decompiled version of the code which solves my problem. Thanks! For future reference I followed these steps: https://stackoverflow.com/a/32788309/2200915 – Slicedbread May 23 '18 at 15:54

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered May 23 '18 at 03:42

0

From the description I am not entirely sure but two options I have had to manipulate in the past that might be relevant are in Options -> Debugging.

Try turning off Enable Just My Code and Require source files to exactly match the original version.

answered May 23 '18 at 03:42

Chilberto

31
5

I did turn off 'Enable Just My Code' but I'm not sure if I tried the other setting. I'll give that a shot. – Slicedbread May 23 '18 at 03:48

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered May 23 '18 at 08:57

Debug into a remote dll library in visual studio

You can try to use following lightweight solution:

Put the pdb and source code file in the NuGet package alongside the dll.

Add the source code to the Debug Source Files for the solution that references the package.

Check this thread for some more details.

Note, if you update the dll version in the private nuget repository, you should update this package on the debug project and update the path of Debug Source Files.

Debug into a remote dll library in visual studio

3 Answers3