So I am trying to step into some .NET Framework base class libraries, specifically, "System.Web.DLL". I have checked "Enable .NET Framework source stepping" in my Visual Studio 2013 "Debug->Options->General" dialog box. I have checked "MIcrosoft Symbol Servers" on the "Debug->Options->Symbols" dialog box. And I have set a breakpoint in one of my "MVC" action methods.
So can I really step through "System.Web.DLL"? Not from what I can tell. It's like somebody is dangling a carrot in front of me making it look like I can get the carrot but it's only a trick. The Visual Studio Debugger(2013) steps into the "Membership.cs" source code file but then when I try to view the "Locals" it always says something along the lines of ,
"Cannot obtain value of local or argument 'xxxxx' as it is not available at this instruction pointer, possibly because it has been optimized away."
Sure enough, looking at the "Debug->Windows->Modules" window and finding "System.Web.dll" in the list of loaded modules, it shows that the symbols have been loaded and that the "System.Web.dll" module is "Optimized = Yes".
A snippet of text I found on this page:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms241594.aspx
leads me to believe that actually stepping through "Membership.cs" is just a pipe dream and cannot actually be done in any worthwhile sense. It's in the last paragraph.
" In addition, the Suppress JIT optimization on module load option does not affect modules, such as WinForms.dll, that are created with NGEN."
So, how am I supposed to know what base class libraries(.DLLs) have been created with NGEN? Was "System.Web.dll" created with NGEN? Is it truly steppable in a valuable sense, i.e., with being able to view local variables or is just an illusion? How do I get the "unoptimized" version of "System.Web.dll" to be loaded so that I can step through it properly?
***** EDIT *****: Can I use "NGEN.EXE" to re-compile or re-assemble "System.Web.dll" myself so that I can step through it in a proper manner, i.e., without it being optimized?
***** EDIT #2 *****: I just noticed that when I step into "Membership.cs" using Visual Studio 2013 F11 key that the little yellow arrow that sits in the left margin of the code window and that points to what should be the next line of code to execute is actually pointing about 5 lines above where it should be, at a C# comment. A result of the optimzation I am assuming.