Best way to understand a new library

[sirbender]

Hi,

I am currently struggling to understand a new C# library. I currently using the debugger to see the flow of code and value of variables inside methods. There are a lot of loops and if/else branches.

However I also would like to understand the big picture. For that I would like to get something like a nice execution diagram (maybe even with times spend in a certain method).
If it's not possible to visualize it, I would settle with simply a 'list' of executed methods in the sequence they are called.

I am also open and thankful for any other approaches that help me understand this library (just reading the documentation is not cutting it).

I am relatively new to Visual Studio 2010 so maybe this is a stupid question but Google didn't really find me what I am looking for. I am open to any suggestions

Cheers,
sb

[sirbender]

I read about the Visual Studio Profiler. It is just for Performance Profiling, correct? Maybe this is I tool I could use (I don't have it installed now).

I just want to be able to press a button and record all method calls (and possibly the time spend in each method) as a list of execution flow or even better as a visualization where I see how the code is executed after pressing the button.

[Arjay]

You can use the profiler to get the execution times. You can also add a Class Diagram to the project and drag in the classes from the assembly. This will give you diagram of the class and method relationships.

[sirbender]

You can use the profiler to get the execution times. You can also add a Class Diagram to the project and drag in the classes from the assembly. This will give you diagram of the class and method relationships.

I already did a class diagram but it didn't help me really to understand the code.

I don't have a Profiler (maybe I don't have it installed - with Visual Studio 2010 is there an installer?).

Any other way besides the installer?

[Arjay]

The profiler comes with non-express versions of Visual Studio.

Stepping through the code may be your best bet.

[willmotil]

if the library is using the a older version then .net 4.5
you can probably still use the CLR profiler from microsoft
which is standalone to get a better picture of whats going on
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/searc...ateorder=1_5_2