Visual Studio Watch window greyed out?

Question

I have a VB app that I need to monitor while it is running. I added some variables to the Watch window, but while the app is running the watch window is greyed out. The only w

Answer 1

After you've done "break" to give control of the program to the debugger, then you can "step" through the code using function keys like F10 and F11. During each 'step', the program evaluates one or more statements; after each step it stops (until the next step), and while (only while) it's stopped you can 'watch' its current state.

There are other ways too to break into the debugger (to use the Watch window while the program is stopped): other ways like to set 'breakpoints', and use the 'run to cursor' feature.

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Of course, but stopping a program that is actively receiving or sending data to a some other process, driver, etc, stops this communication and causes timeouts and other problems.

That's true. To watch values change in real-time, I use a log file:

• Add statements to my code, such that when I change the value of a variable I emit a new line to a log file (showing the changed value)

• Run the program

• Watch new lines being appended to the log file using a utility like tail -f.

I've never see a debugger with the functionality you mention. The closest thing to the functionality you mentioned (and which isn't exactly the functionality you mentioned) is How to: Set a Data Breakpoint (Native Only).