GTrace Class

In This Topic

A PostSharp aspect used to trace entry and successful exit from methods. It also measures method execution time.

Enables the logging of method entry and exit at runtime complete with parameter information and results.

Syntax

Visual Basic
C#

'Declaration
 
<DebuggerNonUserCodeAttribute()>
<PostSharp.Extensibility.MulticastAttributeUsageAttribute(MulticastTargets.Constructor Or  _
    MulticastTargets.InstanceConstructor Or  _
    MulticastTargets.Method Or  _
    MulticastTargets.StaticConstructor, 
   AllowMultiple=True, 
   TargetMemberAttributes=MulticastAttributes.NonAbstract)>
<PostSharp.Serialization.SerializerAttribute()>
<PostSharp.Aspects.Configuration.AspectConfigurationAttributeTypeAttribute(PostSharp.Aspects.Configuration.OnMethodBoundaryAspectConfigurationAttribute)>
<AttributeUsageAttribute(AttributeTargets.Assembly Or  _
    AttributeTargets.Class Or  _
    AttributeTargets.Constructor Or  _
    AttributeTargets.Event Or  _
    AttributeTargets.Interface Or  _
    AttributeTargets.Method Or  _
    AttributeTargets.Property Or  _
    AttributeTargets.Struct, 
   AllowMultiple=True, 
   Inherited=False)>
<PostSharp.Extensibility.HasInheritedAttributeAttribute()>
<XmlTypeAttribute("http://schemas.postsharp.net/2.0/aspects")>
<SerializableAttribute()>
Public NotInheritable Class GTrace 
   Inherits GAspectBase
   Implements Gibraltar.Agent.IMessageSourceProvider, PostSharp.Aspects.IAspect, PostSharp.Aspects.IAspectBuildSemantics, PostSharp.Aspects.IMethodLevelAspect, PostSharp.Aspects.IMethodLevelAspectBuildSemantics, PostSharp.Aspects.IOnMethodBoundaryAspect, PostSharp.Extensibility.IValidableAnnotation

[DebuggerNonUserCode()]
[PostSharp.Extensibility.MulticastAttributeUsage(MulticastTargets.Constructor | 
    MulticastTargets.InstanceConstructor | 
    MulticastTargets.Method | 
    MulticastTargets.StaticConstructor, 
   AllowMultiple=true, 
   TargetMemberAttributes=MulticastAttributes.NonAbstract)]
[PostSharp.Serialization.Serializer()]
[PostSharp.Aspects.Configuration.AspectConfigurationAttributeType(PostSharp.Aspects.Configuration.OnMethodBoundaryAspectConfigurationAttribute)]
[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Assembly | 
    AttributeTargets.Class | 
    AttributeTargets.Constructor | 
    AttributeTargets.Event | 
    AttributeTargets.Interface | 
    AttributeTargets.Method | 
    AttributeTargets.Property | 
    AttributeTargets.Struct, 
   AllowMultiple=true, 
   Inherited=false)]
[PostSharp.Extensibility.HasInheritedAttribute()]
[XmlType("http://schemas.postsharp.net/2.0/aspects")]
[Serializable()]
public sealed class GTrace : GAspectBase, Gibraltar.Agent.IMessageSourceProvider, PostSharp.Aspects.IAspect, PostSharp.Aspects.IAspectBuildSemantics, PostSharp.Aspects.IMethodLevelAspect, PostSharp.Aspects.IMethodLevelAspectBuildSemantics, PostSharp.Aspects.IOnMethodBoundaryAspect, PostSharp.Extensibility.IValidableAnnotation

Remarks

GTrace is a PostSharp aspect used to trace entry and exit from methods. It writes a message to the log every time an associated method is entered and when it returns. Additionally:

The input parameters to the method are recorded for the entering message
The execution time of the method is recorded in the exiting message.
The return value (if any) is recorded in the exiting message
If the method is exiting because an exception is being thrown out of the method that is noted and the exception details are recorded.
The log messages are attributed to the source code location that invoked the method, if source code location information is available.

Log Message Categorization

Each log message is recorded in an automatically generated category in the form {BaseCategory}.Trace.Enter or {BaseCategory}.Trace.Exit. See the BaseCategory property for more information on changing the log message category.

Enabling and Disabling at Runtime

Because GTrace messages are voluminous and detailed it's often useful to enable and disable them at runtime. To do this just set the Enabled property which will affect all methods instrumented with GTrace in the current process. When disabled GTrace has minimal performance impact even in high volume scenarios.

Refining Data Captured

You can turn down the amount of information captured for a given method by GTrace by setting the LogParameters, LogReturnValue, and EnableSourceLookup properties. These are particularly handy if you know that the parameter information is very large and not generally interesting.

Example

You can associate the GTrace attribute with a single method, a property, or an entire class to trace all methods in that class. You can also use attribute multicasting to apply it to all matching methods in your assembly.

Trace one method within a class

public class SampleApplication
{
    [GTrace]
    private void InterestingMethod(int valueOne, String anotherValue)
    {
        //Do something interesting here
    }
}

Trace all methods within a class

[GTrace]
public class SampleApplication
{
    private void InterestingMethod(int valueOne, String anotherValue)
    {
        //Do something interesting here
    }
 
    private void AnotherInterestingMethod(int valueTwo, String anotherValue)
    {
        //Do something even more interesting here
    }
}

Inheritance Hierarchy

System.Object
   System.Attribute
      PostSharp.Extensibility.MulticastAttribute
         PostSharp.Aspects.Aspect
            PostSharp.Aspects.MethodLevelAspect
               PostSharp.Aspects.OnMethodBoundaryAspect
                  Gibraltar.Agent.PostSharp.GAspectBase
                     Gibraltar.Agent.PostSharp.GTrace

Requirements

Target Platforms: Windows 7, Windows Vista SP1 or later, Windows XP SP3, Windows Server 2008 (Server Core not supported), Windows Server 2008 R2 (Server Core supported with SP1 or later), Windows Server 2003 SP2

Reference

GTrace Members
Gibraltar.Agent.PostSharp Namespace

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