Strange behaviour when debugging the ChildChanged event

stefan posted on Thursday, August 07, 2008

Hi,

I am using csla.dll built from the current subversion repository (3.5.1.x)

Please try reproducing it:

Take a working BO with at least one managed child property, and put a ChildChanged handler in it.

  Private Sub myBO_ChildChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As Csla.Core.ChildChangedEventArgs) _
                            Handles Me.ChildChanged
    'do nothing, just a breakpoint
  End Sub

Put a breakpoint in/on that handler.
Run the app, force the ChildChanged event to be raised.
When the breakpoint is reached, press F11...

The debugger steps to the last line of  the OnChildChanged method in BusinessBase,
remains there for about three seconds and then the application ends with no message at all.
If I immediately press F11 again, I get a message saying something like "The debugger cannot continue executing the process. The process was ended." (Translated from German)

Do you experience the same?

Stefan

rsbaker0 replied on Thursday, August 07, 2008

I usually see messages like this when a stack overflow has occurred.

A related issue that can happen is that the debugger may evaluate Properties that you didn't actually execute, and if you get  stack overflow in that situation the same thing will happen. Debugger evaluation of properties that your code really didn't execute can really create some bizarre symptoms if your property getter has side-effects. (Cue "Twilight Zone" music here... :)