ASP.NET/C# equivalent to js alert() or php echo

Question

I am trying to debug a method and need to trace how a variable is being changed to see where I went wrong. What in ASP.NET/C# could I use to do this?

For example if it was php I could stick an echo where ever I need to check the value and it would print it to the html. JavaScript I could use alert(var);

Answer 1

When on a developing machine set a break point and simply use the debug option of Visual Studio. Enable "Tracing" might also be a valuable topic to read into.

If not on a developing machine. Consider into using a logging framework. There are several free frameworks available in .NET that are highly configurable.

• http://log4netlog4net.sourceforge.net/
• http://nlog-project.org/

When in a SharePoint context consider logging errors to the ULS or the event viewer.

Answer 2

I usually just write the value to a label on the page.

Page:

<asp:Label ID="test" runat="server" />

Code-Behind:

test.Text = myVar.ToString();

-OR-

test.Text = "myVar: " + myVar.ToString();