How to debug asp.net mvc 4 source code?

Question

I download the latest source code from here: http://aspnetwebstack.codeplex.com/SourceControl/list/changesets

1) add the system.web.mvc project to my Solution including other projects that system.web.mvc project depends on.

2) change the reference of system.web.mvc assembly in the "CollaborativeDesign.WebUI","CollaborativeDesign.Domain","CollaborativeDesign.UnitTest" project from the GAC one to the system.web.mvc project.

3) change the root Web.config file as following show:

4) change the Web.config file in the "View" directory as following show:

<!--<pages validateRequest="false" pageParserFilterType="System.Web.Mvc.ViewTypeParserFilter, System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" pageBaseType="System.Web.Mvc.ViewPage, System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" userControlBaseType="System.Web.Mvc.ViewUserControl, System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35">
  <controls>
    <add assembly="System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" namespace="System.Web.Mvc" tagPrefix="mvc" />
  </controls>
</pages>-->
<pages validateRequest="false" pageParserFilterType="System.Web.Mvc.ViewTypeParserFilter, System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null" pageBaseType="System.Web.Mvc.ViewPage, System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null" userControlBaseType="System.Web.Mvc.ViewUserControl, System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null">
    <controls>
        <add assembly="System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null" namespace="System.Web.Mvc" tagPrefix="mvc" />
    </controls>
</pages>

5) when I run the project, it looks like still using the GAC system.web.mvc.dll, because when I set the breakpoint in the "Controller.cs" file which is in the "system.web.mvc" project, it shows that it doesn't load any symbol for the document, and I also can't step into the method of mvc source code.

How can I debug the source code ? How can I know that the loaded system.web.mvc.dll is the GAC one or my local one ?

Answer 1

Accroding to the @Rick.Anderson-at-Microsoft.com's comment, I have been resolve this problem by doing the following additional steps:

1> Run "sn.exe -Vr *,31BF3856AD364E35" in the Visual Command line

2> Change the "AssemblyVersion" and "AssemblyFileVersion" in the CommonAssemblyInfo.cs which is in the System.Web.Mvc project from "4.0.0.0" to "4.0.0.1". Rebuild the project.

#if ASPNETMVC
[assembly: AssemblyVersion("4.0.0.1")]
[assembly: AssemblyFileVersion("4.0.0.1")]
[assembly: AssemblyProduct("Microsoft ASP.NET MVC")]
#elif ASPNETWEBPAGES

3> Change the Web.config file in the root directory

<compilation debug="true" targetFramework="4.0">
    <assemblies>
        <add assembly="System.Web.Abstractions, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" />
        <add assembly="System.Web.Helpers, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" />
        <add assembly="System.Web.Routing, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" />
        <add assembly="System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.1, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" />
        <!--<add assembly="System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null" />-->
        <add assembly="System.Web.WebPages, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" />
        <add assembly="System.Data.Entity, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089"/>

<runtime>
<assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
    <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Helpers" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0" newVersion="2.0.0.0" />
    </dependentAssembly>
    <dependentAssembly>
        <!--<assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Mvc" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />-->
        <assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Mvc" publicKeyToken="31BF3856AD364E35" />
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-3.0.0.0" newVersion="4.0.0.1" />
    </dependentAssembly>
    <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.WebPages" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0" newVersion="2.0.0.0" />
    </dependentAssembly>
</assemblyBinding>

4> Change the Web.config file in the View directory

<system.web.webPages.razor>
<!--<host factoryType="System.Web.Mvc.MvcWebRazorHostFactory, System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" />-->
<host factoryType="System.Web.Mvc.MvcWebRazorHostFactory, System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.1, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" />
<pages pageBaseType="System.Web.Mvc.WebViewPage">
  <namespaces>
    <add namespace="System.Web.Mvc" />
    <add namespace="System.Web.Mvc.Ajax" />
    <add namespace="System.Web.Mvc.Html" />
    <add namespace="System.Web.Routing" />
    <add namespace="DevTrends.MvcDonutCaching" />
  </namespaces>

<!--<pages validateRequest="false" pageParserFilterType="System.Web.Mvc.ViewTypeParserFilter, System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" pageBaseType="System.Web.Mvc.ViewPage, System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" userControlBaseType="System.Web.Mvc.ViewUserControl, System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35">
   <controls>
     <add assembly="System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" namespace="System.Web.Mvc" tagPrefix="mvc" />
   </controls>
</pages>-->
<pages validateRequest="false" pageParserFilterType="System.Web.Mvc.ViewTypeParserFilter, System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.1, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" pageBaseType="System.Web.Mvc.ViewPage, System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.1, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" userControlBaseType="System.Web.Mvc.ViewUserControl, System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.1, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35">
    <controls>
        <add assembly="System.Web.Mvc, Version=4.0.0.1, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" namespace="System.Web.Mvc" tagPrefix="mvc" />
    </controls>
</pages>

5> Restart the Asp.net Development Server. Ok, enjoy the source code! Thank @Rick.Anderson-at-Microsoft.com for the comment.