How to: Set Breakpoints in Workflows (Legacy)

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This topic describes how to set breakpoints in Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) applications build using the legacy Windows Workflow Designer. Use the legacy Workflow Designer when your Windows Workflow Foundation application needs to target either the .NET Framework version 3.5 or the WinFX.

When you use the legacy Workflow Designer in Visual Studio 2010 to build a Windows Workflow Foundation application, you can set breakpoints in C# and Visual Basic code as you do in Visual Studio. As expected, workflow execution stops at each breakpoint that you set.

A breakpoint has three states: Pending, Bound, and Error. When you set a breakpoint, it is Pending, and it is represented by a hollow red icon. When the runtime has loaded the workflow type, it becomes Bound and is represented by a solid red icon. If you specify an incorrect format for the breakpoint, as with an activity name that is not valid, an error window appears. The breakpoint is still added to the breakpoint window, but it is marked with a small "x".

You can set breakpoints on an activity on the workflow design surface in the following ways:

  • Right-click the activity and select Breakpoint \ Insert Breakpoint.

  • Select the activity and press F9.

  • Select New Breakpoint from the Debug menu.

    You can also use this option to set a new breakpoint while debugging, when the debugger stops at a breakpoint.

    Note

    Setting breakpoints on invoked workflows is not supported.

To set a breakpoint using the New Breakpoint option on the Debug menu

  1. On the Debug menu, select New Breakpoint.

  2. Click Break at Function.

    The New Breakpoint dialog box opens.

  3. Specify the name of an activity in the Function text box using this syntax: QualifiedActivityId[:[FullClassName][:InstanceId]].

    Note

    Optionally, instead of using the activity name in the Function text box, you can set a breakpoint by specifying the absolute path of the workflow activity. For example, suppose you have a workflow solution named WorkflowConsoleApplication1 and a workflow in the solution named Workflow1 that uses an activity called Delay1. You can use the activity name Delay1 or specify the path as Delay1:WorkflowConsoleApplication1.Workflow1 or Delay1:WorkflowConsoleApplication1.Workflow1:{6614886A-608E-412B-BF98-99FF1559DDDF}.

  4. Select the Use IntelliSense check box to verify the function name.

    If this check box is not selected, no breakpoint name verification is performed.

  5. Select Workflow from the Language list.

  6. Click OK.

See Also

Debugging Legacy Workflows Invoking the Visual Studio Debugger for Windows Workflow Foundation (Legacy)