Overview
Amid a booming market for third-party software debugging tools — evidence that bugs and defects are a pernicious fact of everyday programming life — there exists no single guidebook that adequately addresses the topic of debugging as a programming discipline. But with the upcoming publication of "Debugging Microsoft Windows Applications," developers finally get the practical, Windows-focused reference they need for finding and correcting costly coding errors. The book takes a holistic approach to debugging — redefining "bugs" not just in terms of crashes and high-profile calamities, but including everything from user interface problems and performance issues to incomprehensible product manuals.
The first section introduces the "Zen of Debugging, " outlining what developers need to know both before and during product development Section two demonstrates how to maximize the vastly under-utilized built-in debugging capabilities in the Visual Studio "RM" product family. The last section of the book steps readers through specific debugging situations and their solutions, covering such topics as multithreaded debugging, crash handlers, and automated regression testing. Throughout, the book focuses on practical, tested techniques — ready for work — in the tradition of the award-winning Microsoft Press "RM" Best Practices series.
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble ReviewDebugging: it's the aspect of development most likely to keep you up all night, screaming at your computer—and your colleagues. What's worse, when you think about your development cycle, it's not unusual for debugging and related activities to eat up half your time. If you develop for Windows, there's a new alternative to more coffee and Jolt Cola: Debugging Applications, by John Robbins.
Robbins writes the Bugslayer column for Microsoft Systems Journal, and you won't find a more dedicated, committed expert on the subject. As he puts it, his new book takes a holistic approach to debugging. "I don't consider debugging as a separate step but as an integral part of the entire product cycle... you need to start debugging in the requirements phase and continue through to the final release to manufacturing." That's what this book shows you how to do.
Robbins starts by presenting "the gestalt of debugging"—defining the different types of bugs that exist, and presenting an approach and process to debugging that many great developers have evolved on their own. Robbins also offers specific, Windows-focused techniques for proactively debugging as you write your code—and for keeping you out of your debugger by helping you write cleaner, less buggy code up-front.
Next, he introduces "power debugging" techniques that make the most of your debugger—whichever one you're using, in Visual C++ or Visual Basic. Most developers don't use a fraction of the power of their debuggers—after youreadRobbins, you won't be one of them.
In Part III—fully half of the book—Robbins presents solutions to the debugging problems you're most likely to encounter in Windows applications—from tracking down deadlocks in multithreaded programs to automatically testing user interfaces, debugging Windows 2000 services and DLLs that load into services, and more. Throughout the book, you'll also find great sidebars and war stories—many from his experience at NuMega, one of the world's leading providers of debugging tools. Once you read this book, you'll never look at debugging the same way again—and you certainly won't spend as much time doing it!