Reference to Library Binary - Debug or Release version?

Question

I asked a question earlier today (Methods of Managing Source Code) as I've been unhappy with the way I manage my shared libraries' source code. As a result of the answers posted, I have found a better method.

I'm now working through my repository tidying up all my source code, however as a result I now have another question...

Whilst I'm still developing a piece of software, is it better to reference the debug build of the library (at this risk of forgetting to replace this with the release build at a later date)?

Or in other words, if I reference the release build of the library, will it restrict debugging if the debug build of my software crashes?

Answer 1

It depends a lot on how tight your project and library are connected during development but you should in general

• develop and test the library
• create a release build
• use that Release build in other projects
• when needed, temporarily use a Debug build to find and solve integration problems.

But when the Projects are tightly interwoven, that 'temporarily' can span most of the development cycle.

And there is no cure for 'forgetting' to switch, you should always check and double-check. But that should not drive your decision here.