Debugging Microsoft Windows Applications

From Barnes & Noble

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!