Debugging GUI Applications in C++

Question

Background: I'm currently debugging an application written over a custom-built GUI framework in C++. I've managed to pin down most bugs, but the bugs I'm having the most trouble with tend to have a common theme. All of them seem to be to do with the screen refreshing, redrawing or updating to match provided data. This is a pain to debug, because I can't break on every refresh, and most of this stuff is time-sensitive, so breakpoints occasionally "fix" the bug.

Q: Does anyone have any tips for debugging Windows-based GUIs, especially regarding the refreshing of individual components?

Answer 1

I agree with dual monitors or even remote debugging to reduce interfering with the messages.

I also highly recommend Spy utilities. These let you see what messages are being sent in the system. One such program is Winspector. http://www.windows-spy.com/