Using nuget & Symbols servers

Question

I must be doing it wrong.

I am using VS2012, c#. I am using nuget to manage my packages. Previously I always created an 'External References' directory and managed packages myself. I decided to now follow the new way of package management.

Anyway, nuget is working a treat. I have it setup so that packages are not included in svn (code repository) and that missing packages get downloaded if required. All works, for all developers on my team and also on our Team City box.

Problem comes when I want to debug one of these packages (ie step into the package source). I have setup VS2012 for symbol source download as per this link. But when I run the solution and want to step into package code, VS2012 gives me a blank look and says cant find symbols. In Fiddler I can see a whole bunch of 404s.

I was expecting the symbols of the packages I reference from nuget to be downloaded and then allow me to step in and debug. Or do I have to download the source manually and point Vs2012 to it - like I used to do it when doing manual package management?

Am I making sense?

Answer 1

It depends on the developer that builds the said package, that is, not all package authors provide symbols.

Package authors can create and publish a symbol package as per the docs:

Creating and Publishing a Symbol Package

Then what's left is just add a new symbol source in Visual Studio debugger configuration (see here for detailed instructions):

http://srv.symbolsource.org/pdb/Public