Windows Debugging Tools for Use with Visual Basic

ID: Q104156

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SUMMARY

The Microsoft Windows debugging tools listed in this article may help you debug and troubleshoot problems such as general protection (GP) faults that you encounter while in Visual Basic or while executing a compiled Visual Basic program.

None of these tools are included as part of the Microsoft Visual Basic programming system for Windows, but they are readily available from other sources as listed in each tool's description. You can use these tools to debug many different problems, including but not limited to GP faults.


MORE INFORMATION

The following tools may help you debug your Visual Basic programs. A brief description of each tool is given below. For more information, review the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) documentation.

Dr. Watson for Windows (DRWATSON.EXE)

This tool comes with Microsoft Windows version 3.1. It is located in the \WINDOWS directory. This is a diagnostic tool for the Microsoft Windows operating system. It detects system and application failures caused by Windows applications and can store information in a disk file called a log file. There is more information in the Programming Tools Manual in Chapter 6 of the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit for Windows 3.1.

CodeView for Windows (CVW.EXE)

This tool comes with the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit for Windows version 3.1. You cannot use this tool to debug Visual Basic programs, but you can use it to debug dynamic link libraries (DLLs) used by Visual Basic. For example, you can use this tool to test the execution of your application and examine your data simultaneously.

You can isolate problems quickly because you can display any combination of variables, global or local, while you interrupt or trace an application's execution. For information on how to use CodeView for Windows, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

codeview and visual and basic

Also, there is more information in the Programming Tools Manual in Chapter 4 of the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit for Windows 3.1.

Heap Walker (HEAPWALK.EXE)

This tool comes with the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit for Windows 3.1. Use it to test how memory is being allocated. It checks memory by examining the global heap (the system memory that the Windows operating system uses), local heaps used by active applications, and DLLs in your Windows system.

Heap Walker is useful for analyzing the effects your application has when it allocates memory from the global heap or when it creates user interface objects or graphics objects. There is more information in the Programming Tools Manual in Chapter 9 of the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit for Windows 3.1.

Microsoft Windows SPY (SPY.EXE)

This tool comes with the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit for Windows 3.1. Use it to test or monitor messages sent to one or more windows in Microsoft Windows and to examine the values of message parameters. For more information, see the Programming Tools Manual in Chapter 7 of the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit for Windows 3.1.

Dynamic Data Exchange Spy (DDESPY.EXE)

This tool comes with the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit for Windows 3.1. Use it to test or monitor dynamic data exchange messages and activity between two windows applications in the Microsoft Windows operating system. You can use DDESPY.EXE to trace DDE messages in Microsoft Windows. For more information, see the Programming Tools Manual in Chapter 8 of the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit for Windows 3.1.

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Last Reviewed: June 11, 1999