We have reviewed metadata and MSIL programming in Chapter 13, and in this chapter, respectively. This information is helpful when debugging a managed application. The next two chapters continue that trend and pertain to specific debuggers. There is actually a variety of debuggers available for managed code. Chapter 15, reviews the Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 debugger.

The Visual Studio 2008 debugger has two primary advantages. First, Visual Studio uses a familiar graphic user interface. Second, the debugger is integrated with other aspects of the programming environment. You can develop, test, debug, and return to developing an application within a single integrated development environment. This is very convenient.

The debugger in Visual Studio 2008 has a plethora of rapid application development (RAD) tools for debugging, including various debug windows, a specialized toolbar, the ability to open dumps, and much more. Chapter 15 explores these tools and how to debug an application within Visual Studio 2008.