Is there a TextWriter interface to the System.Diagnostics.Debug class?

Question

I'm often frustrated by the System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write/WriteLine methods. I would like to use the Write/WriteLine methods familiar from the TextWriter class, so I often write

Debug.WriteLine("# entries {0} for connection {1}", countOfEntries, connection); 

which causes a compiler error. I end up writing

Debug.WriteLine(string.Format("# entries {0} for connection {1}",      countOfEntries, connection)); 

which is really awkward.

Does the CLR have a class deriving from TextWriter that "wraps" System.Debug, or should I roll my own?

Answer 1

The function Debug.Print lets you use formatting and arguments.

If you'd prefer to use a TextWriter interface, use the following wrapper class:

public class DebugTextWriter : StreamWriter {     public DebugTextWriter()         : base(new DebugOutStream(), Encoding.Unicode, 1024)     {         this.AutoFlush = true;     }      sealed class DebugOutStream : Stream     {         public override void Write(byte[] buffer, int offset, int count)         {             Debug.Write(Encoding.Unicode.GetString(buffer, offset, count));         }          public override bool CanRead => false;         public override bool CanSeek => false;         public override bool CanWrite => true;         public override void Flush() => Debug.Flush();          public override long Length => throw bad_op;         public override int Read(byte[] buffer, int offset, int count) => throw bad_op;         public override long Seek(long offset, SeekOrigin origin) => throw bad_op;         public override void SetLength(long value) => throw bad_op;         public override long Position         {             get => throw bad_op;             set => throw bad_op;         }          static InvalidOperationException bad_op => new InvalidOperationException();     }; } 

Answer 2

Here's a quick go at a TextWriter wrapper for System.Diagnostics.Debug:

class TextWriterDebug : System.IO.TextWriter {     public override System.Text.Encoding Encoding     {         get { return System.Text.Encoding.Default; }     }      //public override System.IFormatProvider FormatProvider     //{ get; }     //public override string NewLine     //{ get; set; }      public override void Close()     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Close();         base.Close();     }      protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)     {         base.Dispose(disposing);     }      public override void Flush()     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Flush();         base.Flush();     }      public override void Write(bool value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(value);     }      public override void Write(char value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(value);     }      public override void Write(char[] buffer)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(buffer);     }      public override void Write(decimal value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(value);     }      public override void Write(double value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(value);     }      public override void Write(float value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(value);     }      public override void Write(int value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(value);     }      public override void Write(long value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(value);     }      public override void Write(object value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(value);     }      public override void Write(string value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(value);     }      public override void Write(uint value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(value);     }      public override void Write(ulong value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(value);     }      public override void Write(string format, object arg0)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(string.Format(format, arg0));     }      public override void Write(string format, params object[] arg)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(string.Format(format, arg));     }      public override void Write(char[] buffer, int index, int count)     {         string x = new string(buffer, index, count);         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(x);     }      public override void Write(string format, object arg0, object arg1)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(string.Format(format, arg0, arg1));     }      public override void Write(string format, object arg0, object arg1, object arg2)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.Write(string.Format(format, arg0, arg1, arg2));     }      public override void WriteLine()     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(string.Empty);     }      public override void WriteLine(bool value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(value);     }      public override void WriteLine(char value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(value);     }      public override void WriteLine(char[] buffer)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(buffer);     }      public override void WriteLine(decimal value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(value);     }      public override void WriteLine(double value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(value);     }      public override void WriteLine(float value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(value);     }      public override void WriteLine(int value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(value);     }      public override void WriteLine(long value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(value);     }      public override void WriteLine(object value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(value);     }      public override void WriteLine(string value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(value);     }      public override void WriteLine(uint value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(value);     }      public override void WriteLine(ulong value)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(value);     }      public override void WriteLine(string format, object arg0)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(string.Format(format, arg0));     }      public override void WriteLine(string format, params object[] arg)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(string.Format(format, arg));     }      public override void WriteLine(char[] buffer, int index, int count)     {         string x = new string(buffer, index, count);         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(x);      }      public override void WriteLine(string format, object arg0, object arg1)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(string.Format(format, arg0, arg1));     }      public override void WriteLine(string format, object arg0, object arg1, object arg2)     {         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(string.Format(format, arg0, arg1, arg2));     }  } // Ends class TextWriterDebug