An object's instanceID?

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Hi,

while debugging C# very often I do miss an unique identifier for objects as I have known it from Java (Eclipse):
There each object has a unique ID during debugging and you can easily see if the object remains the same. This is very important if you want to make sure that two references are really the same and not only pointing to a clone of the object you are investigating.

Is there anything similar in C#?

Thank you very much
Andreas

Posted 20-Jan-11 21:47pm

AndiHoffi

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 21-Jan-11 15:43pm

Pretty good question. Please look at my answer. Sorry if you already knew all that. Please ask further questions if you have to.
Best,
--SA

3 solutions

Solution 2

It's not something like missing feature.
There are good reasons for not adding such feature.

However, I understand your frustration about debugging. I think you need to adjust your debugging method (please see another Answer I offer -- alternative method).

Now, please don't blame me if you already knew what I'm going to advise. Anyway:

1) You need to make a fundamental use of object.ReferenceEquals.
2) You can create a unique ID for a reference object using System.Runtime.Serialization.ObjectIDGenerator. (Be careful with primitive or enumeration objects -- they will be boxed and then you would get a unique ID of boxed object, which does not make a primitive-type object unique, but no one would need this anyway.)
3) You can develop your own unique ID for your objects (better under "#if debug"); you could use GUID, but better be static global integer value made thread-safe using static lock object, increment on each constructor of each of your classes in question.

Please, don't hesitate to ask if any of the above items is not clear or you need further help.

Posted 21-Jan-11 9:41am

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

Updated 21-Jan-11 13:53pm

v4

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Estys 21-Jan-11 17:02pm

In Eclipse debugging every variable shows a simple unique identifier, like (123), that gives an easy cue to see which object (instance) reference is present. The watch window of VS does not give such a clue. I think that's his question.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 21-Jan-11 18:09pm

Thank you; please see my alternative method -- another Answer.
--SA

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 21-Jan-11 20:16pm

Also, look at ObjectIDGenerator -- update to the current Answer

Member 14735577 19-Feb-20 9:16am

Please, can you give an application example ?

Solution 1

I dont think such thing is available
Please refer this link
http://www.devnewsgroups.net/dotnetframework/t49222-how-get-instance-id-runtime-objects-net.aspx[^]

Posted 21-Jan-11 0:41am

sarvesh.upadhyay

Updated 21-Jan-11 0:43am

v2

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AndiHoffi 21-Jan-11 11:08am

I was afraid, that this discussion will be referenced :)
And I had (still have) the hope that something changed since then.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 21-Jan-11 18:24pm

It has already changed well enough, see my answer on debugging method with VS. The Java was is inferior: why carrying those unwanted IDs all the time.
--SA

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 21-Jan-11 15:42pm

I don't this this answer is relevant. Would you like to look at mine.
(I did not vote.)

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-21T12:09:00

Here is the alternative answer: using new Visual Studio debugging technique.

By some reason, very few developers knew about it. Here is what to do:

1) Start debugging (important, it won't work before);
2) Bring Main VS Menu -> Debug -> Windows -> Watch - Watch 1 (alternatively -- Immediate);
3) Proceed some debugging steps until your variables in question initialized, add them to Watch (not needed with Immediate);
4) On one of the initialized variables in question select the watch item, bring up the context menu and select "Make Object ID" (you may want to do "Delete Object ID" later.
5) Watch: the object in question will show unique ID you want. Also, referentially equal object will show the same ID, all other objects will not show anything.
6) Repeat (4-5) with other variables; that should spot all the stupid bugs and most clever ones;
7) Profit!

I experimented under debugger and pretty much sure that the unique IDs show in this way are exactly the same you would get using System.Runtime.Serialization.ObjectIDGenerator (please see my other answer).

When I said "adjust your debugging method", I meant exactly this. New way, not that you used to with Java, but better (if you think about it).

An object's instanceID?

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