What's the best way to debug and track code flow in ASP.NET MVC applications?

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1

Hey everyone, I’m in a bit of a pickle here. I’ve got this huge ASP.NET MVC project dumped on me to fix some bugs. I’m pretty good with C#, but I’m totally new to ASP.NET MVC. I’ve been looking all over for good debugging guides, but no luck so far.

I’ve got a couple of questions:

  1. How do I figure out which view is the main starting page for the app?
  2. When I click a button in my browser while debugging locally (using IIS in Visual Studio 2013), how can I track which C# method gets called?

Any tips or tricks would be super helpful. I’m feeling a bit lost in this big project, and I really want to get a handle on how everything’s connected. Thanks in advance for any advice!

2

hey, short answer: try using browser dev toolz, they help track http calls and see which controller actions get hit.

miniProfiler is useful for visualizing code flow. wut part confuses u most? maybe we can chat more!

3

yo, try using the debugger in VS. Set breakpoints in controller actions n step thru the code. It helps track what happens when u click stuff. For the main page, check RouteConfig.cs in App_Start folder.

Also, logging is ur friend. Use Serilog or NLog to add logs everywhere. It’ll help u see whats goin on.

4

For debugging ASP.NET MVC applications, I’ve found a few techniques particularly effective. First, set breakpoints in your controller actions and use the debugger to step through the code. This helps trace the execution path when a button is clicked or a page is loaded. To identify the main starting page, check the RouteConfig.cs file in the App_Start folder. It usually defines the default route.

For tracking code flow, I recommend using logging frameworks like Serilog or NLog. They allow you to add detailed logs throughout your application, making it easier to understand the execution path. Additionally, tools like Glimpse can provide real-time diagnostics and insights into your MVC app’s performance and behavior.

Lastly, familiarize yourself with the MVC folder structure and naming conventions. This will help you navigate the project more efficiently and understand how different components are connected.