How do we access controls in an embedded container in teh debugger?

General
1

In debugging a non-threaded project on Windows, I’ve run into a situation where I need to check the properties and values of controls contained within a container embedded within the instance of a window.

I can find the specific Window instance in the debugger’s Window list
I can find the Embedded container in that Window’s listed controls
I can open the Container, but only the container’s properties are shown - I cannot access any of the controls within the container.

Is this just the way it is, or am I missing something?

2

Hey Tim!

No that shouldn’t be the case as your Window --> Embedded Container —> Controls should be there barring you didn’t by accident close the Container prior to the step in the debugger you are looking at? I have done this to myself by accident before where I accidentally had the Container.Close earlier in my code and I was confused since you could still see the container but all of my controls were not there (The Container reference remained until I = Nil’ed it).

3

The debugger is way too limited. To avoid the PITA of looking for something, you can add a local variable to the object you want to inspect just before your breakpoint.

Dim x As WhateverControl = Container.control
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4

Not in this case. In fact, the first breakpoint is just after the embedwithin call. I then step through the methods that populate the container controls up to the second breakpoint. At this point, I’m populating a labels that are children of the container. At this point, I expand the Windows list, select that container’s parent (only other window beside my main window), and then select the embedded container. I have found a solution, though - by placing another breakpoint within a method of the Container, the container is properly displayed in the debugger. That should not be necessary, but we have uncovered yet another work around for a Xojo shortcoming …

5

Good thought.

I also discovered that by forcing a breakpoint in a method that is part of the container, I can also expose the container’s contents.

6

Interesting that I have never run into this.

Is your encapsulation situation different than a Window —> Dynamic Instantiated Container (Embed Within) --> Controls?

7

When I break inside of the Container, I see what you show above. My issues is when I break in a global module method. Then, the Window is shown, and the container is shown as an embedded item, but the Container itself only displays it’s properties.

8

Thanks for that detail Tim!

9

Here’s a movie of what I see from the Pause moment to the opening of the container:

Also, the same thing happens under 19r1.1, so this isn’t new.

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