Fri
10
Feb 2012

It is annoying when you debug your C++ code in Visual Studio, want to step into your function, but the debugger enters source code of some STL container or string. For example, in the following code you will first enter std::basic_string constructor, then std::vector operator[] and then body of MyFunction.

MyFunction(std::string("abc"), myVector[0]);

It turns out there is a way to disable stepping into certain code, using regular expressions. To do this:

1. Run Registry Editor (regedit.exe).
2. Navigate to the key appropriate to your version of Visual Studio or Visual C++. "VCExpress" is for free Visual C++ Express, while "VisualStudio" is for commercial Visual Studio. Number is product version. Additional "Wow6432Node" should be used when working in 64-bit Windows. For example:
   • Visual C++ 2005 Express in 32-bit Windows: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VCExpress\8.0\NativeDE\StepOver
   • Visual Studio 2005 Professional in 32-bit Windows: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\NativeDE\StepOver
   • Visual Studio 2008 Professional in 64-bit Windows: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\NativeDE\StepOver (for version 2008 it's 9.0 not 8.0, the article linked below is wrong!)
   • Visual Studio 2010 Professional in 64-bit Windows: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\VisualStudio\10.0\NativeDE\StepOver
3. Create new String Value with any name and a value containing regular expression to match against identifiers you want to exclude, like "std\:\:.+" for all identifiers from STL namespace (including members of std::string, std::vector and so on). I assume you know the syntax of regular expressions.
4. In Visual up to 2008, it starts working after you start new debug session (e.g. with F5). In Visual 2010, you have to restart whole IDE.

Here is the full story:

In May 2007 I asked the question on forum.warsztat.gd and written this blog entry (in Polish). Now I've also found this article: How to Not Step Into Functions using the Visual C++ Debugger, Andy Pennell's Blog and this StackOverflow question: Is there a way to automatically avoiding stepping into certain functions in Visual Studio?

From that I've learned that Visual Studio 6.0 used autoexp.dat file, while new versions use Windows registry.

Rules entered in registry can be suffixed with case-insensitive "=NoStepInto" (which is the default) or "=StepInto".

Aside from regular expression syntax you can use additional special codes: \cid (identifier), \funct (function name), \scope (class or namespace, like myns::CClass::), \anything (any string) and \oper (C++ operator).

Double backslashes you can meet on some web pages come from the REG file format, where backslash must be additionally escaped, like "\\:". If you enter regular expression straight into regedit, it should be "\:".

NEW: In Visual Studio 2015, it is completely different. To add such entry:

1. Open file: c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\Common7\Packages\Debugger\Visualizers\default.natstepfilter
2. To be able to modify it, you must overcome two obstacles: 1. It's in Program Files directory, so you have to do it as administrator. 2. The file is Read-Only, so you need to disable this attribute.
3. Add following entry to this XML file: <Function><Name>std::.+</Name><Action>NoStepInto</Action></Function>

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