src/tools/Dtf/Documents/Guide/Content/debuggingcas.htm


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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
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 <title>Debugging Managed Custom Actions</title>
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    <span class="productTitle">Deployment Tools Foundation</span><br />
    <span class="topicTitle">Debugging Managed Custom Actions</span><br />
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        <a href="using.htm">Development Guide</a> &gt;
        <a href="managedcas.htm">Managed CAs</a> &gt;
        <span class="nolink">Debugging</span>
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            <p>There are two ways to attach a debugger to a managed custom action.</p>
            <p><b>Attach to message-box:</b> Add some temporary code to your custom action to display a
            message box. Then when the message box pops up at install time, you can attch your
            debugger to that process (usually identifiable by the title of the message box).
            Once attached, you can ensure that symbols are loaded if necessary (they will be automatically
            loaded if PDB files were embedded in the CA assembly at build time), then set breakpoints
            anywhere in the custom action code.</p>
            <p><b>MMsiBreak environment variable:</b> When debugging <i>managed</i> custom actions,
            you should use the MMsiBreak environment variable instead of MsiBreak. Set the MMsiBreak
            variable to the custom action entrypoint name. (Remember this might be different from
            the method name if it was overridden by the CustomActionAttribute.) When the CA proxy
            finds a matching name, the CLR JIT-debugging dialog
            will appear with text similar to "An exception 'Launch for user' has occurred
            in <i>YourCustomActionName</i>." The debug break occurs after the custom
            action assembly has been loaded, but just before custom action method is invoked.
            Once attached, you can ensure that symbols are loaded if necessary,
            then set breakpoints anywhere in the custom action code. Note: the MMsiBreak
            environment variable can also accept a comma-separated list of action names, any of
            which will cause a break when hit.</p>
            <p><br/></p>
            
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