EEAddIn or autoexp.dat

I'm confused as to what the difference is between both options for extension Visual Studio debugging.

I've also found simple/basic/confusing tutorials online. Anyone have any good tips o开发者_高级运维n good articles

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autoexp.dat is the file used by the debugger to understand how to display user variables in tooltips, Watch window, etc.

EEAddin ("expression evaluator add-in") is a sample add-in. An add-in is a program used by the debugger to convert user variable data to a string for display. You write an add-in as a DLL to extend the capability of the debugger's display.

autoexp.dat comes with lines for the EEAddIn sample commented out. To use them, you need to uncomment them, get their sample code, build the DLL, install it. Directions for doing these things are in a MS article "EEAddIn Sample Debugging Expression Evaluator Add-In". You can find it in VS2005 with a local search for "autoexp.dat".