View Text, XML, HTML, JSON strings in the string visualizer

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Applies to: yesVisual Studio noVisual Studio for Mac

Note

This article applies to Visual Studio 2017. If you're looking for the latest Visual Studio documentation, see Visual Studio documentation. We recommend upgrading to the latest version of Visual Studio. Download it here

While you are debugging in Visual Studio, you can view strings with the built-in string visualizer. The string visualizer shows strings that are too long for a data tip or debugger window. It can also help you identify malformed strings.

The built-in string visualizers include Text, XML, HTML, and JSON options. You can also open built-in visualizers for a few other types, such as DataSet, DataTable, and DataView objects, from the Autos or other debugger windows.

Note

If you need to inspect XAML or WPF UI elements in a visualizer, see or Inspect XAML properties while debugging or How to use the WPF tree visualizer.

Open the visualizer

To open the string visualizer:

  1. Pause during debugging.
  2. Hover over a variable that has a plain text, XML, HTML, or JSON string value.
  3. Select the magnifying glass icon VisualizerIcon.

UIElement list

Expression field shows the variable or expression you're hovering over.

Value field shows the string value. A blank Value means that the chosen visualizer can't recognize the string. For example, the XML Visualizer shows a blank Value for a text string with no XML tags, or a JSON string. To view strings that the chosen visualizer can't recognize, choose the Text Visualizer instead. The Text Visualizer shows plain text.

Text string data

The Text Visualizer shows plain text. If you need custom formatting for a C++ string, create a Natvis visualization.

Text string visualizer

JSON string data

A well-formed JSON string appears similar to the following illustration in the JSON visualizer. Malformed JSON may display an error icon (or blank if unrecognized). To identify the JSON error, copy and paste the string into a JSON linting tool such as JSLint.

JSON string visualizer

XML string data

A well-formed XML string appears similar to the following illustration in the XML visualizer. Malformed XML may display without the XML tags, or blank if unrecognized.

XML String Visualizer

HTML string data

A well-formed HTML string appears as if rendered in a browser, as shown in the following illustration. Malformed HTML may display as plain text.

HTML string visualizer

See also