Debug Mode adds line number to exception information

[Jim W.]

Documentation Suggestion:

The NinjaTrader documentation below does not mention the enormous time savings that compiling with Debug Mode can yield during testing, even when Visual Studio is not available.

o Debugging your NinjaScript Code http://www.ninjatrader-support2.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3418
o Indicator: Using Try-Catch Blocks http://www.ninjatrader-support2.com/vb/showthread.php?t=9825
o Help for Debug

Below is the output from indicator SampleTryCatch above with Debug Mode disabled:

1/9/2009 12:11:00 AM System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: Index was out of range. Must be non-negative and less than the size of the collection.
Parameter name: index
at System.Collections.ArrayList.get_Item(Int32 index)
at NinjaTrader.Indicator.DataSeriesHelper.get_Item(In t32 barsAgo)
at NinjaTrader.Indicator.SampleTryCatch.OnBarUpdate()

After compiling with Debug Mode enabled the output shows the cs file and line number where the exception occurred:

1/9/2009 12:11:00 AM System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: Index was out of range. Must be non-negative and less than the size of the collection.
Parameter name: index
at System.Collections.ArrayList.get_Item(Int32 index)
at NinjaTrader.Indicator.DataSeriesHelper.get_Item(In t32 barsAgo)
at NinjaTrader.Indicator.SampleTryCatch.OnBarUpdate() in c:\Documents and Settings\JW\My Documents\NinjaTrader 6.5\bin\Custom\Indicator\SampleTryCatch.cs:line 57

I suggest that this benefit of testing with Debug Mode enabled be added to NinjaTrader documentation.

[NinjaTrader_Dierk]

Thanks for pointing this out.

[Jim W.]

Another suggestion: The following message is displayed when a compile is run with Debug Mode enabled:

Enabling "Debug Mode" should only be used by advanced programmers that intend to debug their NinjaScript code in Visual Studio. Compiling NinjaScript objects with this mode enabled will results in a run time performance penalty.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU DISABLE THIS MODE ONCE YOU ARE COMPLETE WITH YOUR DEBUG AND RECOMPILE YOUR NINJASCRIPT OBJECTS.

The sentence that I have marked in red is not true and should be removed from the warning.

[NinjaTrader_Dierk]

Thanks for your feedback. However, we consider debugging NinjaScript as feature for advanced users only.

[Jim W.]

Thanks for your feedback. However, we consider debugging NinjaScript as feature for advanced users only.

When I first enabled Debug Mode, I read the warning:

"Enabling "Debug Mode" should only be used by advanced programmers that intend to debug their NinjaScript code in Visual Studio. . . ."

and interpreted it as:

if (Advanced_Programmer & Have_Visual_Studio)
Debug_Mode_will_help_find_errors = true

else
Debug_Mode_will_help_find_errors = false

Since I did not have Visual Studio, I disabled Debug Mode and did not try it again until recently. Recently, I was having a problem finding the cause of an intermittent exception using the recommendations from "Debugging your NinjaScript Code" http://www.ninjatrader-support2.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3418 . After several days I downloaded the trial version of Visual Studio. While following the instructions for using it with NT I enabled Debug Mode. Before I even had a chance to start Visual Studio, my catch clause displayed the line number of the statement causing the exception. I inserted the needed "if (Bars.GetSessionBar(i) != null)" statement and the problem was fixed. My first reaction was joy that I had found the problem, but it turned to disgust when I realized the hundreds of hours that I had wasted debugging NT code without Debug Mode enabled.

I said in my earlier post that the "Enabling "Debug Mode" should only be used by advanced programmers that intend to debug their NinjaScript code in Visual Studio. . . ." statement is not true. I firmly believe that:

if (Advanced_Programmer & Do_Not_Have_Visual_Studio)
Debug_Mode_will_help_find_errors = true

if (Not_Advanced_Programmer & Do_Not_Have_Visual_Studio)
Debug_Mode_will_help_find_errors = true

if (Not_Advanced_Programmer & Have_Visual_Studio)
Debug_Mode_will_help_find_errors = true

Which means that:
Debug_Mode_will_help_everyone_find_errors = true

[NinjaTrader_Bertrand]

Thanks for adding the details, we fully understand that advanced users benefit from using the debug mode.

[mgbloomfield]

I believe his point is that Visual Studio is not required for using Debug Mode.

[astra]

Ya... I agree mgbloomfield...
I think this 'bandwidth problem' starts to become a real issue...