Debugging XSL
One of the great advantages of being on the .NET platform is that the ePublisher platform now includes a debugger! Well, not really, but Microsoft does make one available for free in the form of Visual Studio 2017 Community Edition. Two downloads, one install, and just a wee bit of chicanery, you too can debug XSL like a Pro.
1. Download Visual Studio 2017 (Community Edition will work just fine).
2. Install Visual Studio with the .Net environment.
3. To enable XSL debugging in ePublisher, follow these steps:
- Shutdown ePublisher.
Edit "WebWorks.ePublisherPro.exe.config" in your install directory with Notepad.
- Add the following entry if not present and set it to "true".
<add key="DebugXSLTransforms" value="true" /> - Save your changes.
4. Download the C# solution (ePublisher XSL.VS2017.zip).
5. Unzip the C# solution to a convenient location.
6. Open up the resulting folder and double-click on "ePublisher XSL.sln".
7. Configure the following Debug Options:
Debugging -> General -> (check) Use managed compatibility mode
Debugging -> General -> (uncheck) Enable Just My Code
8. Drag your favorite ePublisher XSL files into the Visual Studio window.
9. Within the C# interface, set breakpoints as necessary by choose Debug > Toggle Breakpoint (F9).
10. Hit F5 to start ePublisher and begin debugging.
- The Debugger launches ePublisher.
11.Choose the project you want to debug.
12.Generate the project.
In the ePublisher C# folder, there lives in a file called ePublisher XSL.csproj.user. We've added an entry like so:
<StartAction>Program</StartAction>
<StartProgram>C:\Program Files (x86)\WebWorks\ePublisher\2018.1\ePublisher Designer\WebWorks.ePublisherDesigner.exe</StartProgram>This appears within both the Debug and Release property groups:
<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' ">
<StartAction>Program</StartAction>
<StartProgram>C:\Program Files (x86)\WebWorks\ePublisher\2018.1\ePublisher Designer\WebWorks.ePublisherDesigner.exe</StartProgram>
</PropertyGroup>
<PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|AnyCPU' ">
<StartAction>Program</StartAction>
<StartProgram>C:\Program Files (x86)\WebWorks\ePublisher\2018.1\ePublisher Designer\WebWorks.ePublisherDesigner.exe</StartProgram>
</PropertyGroup>
</Project>Adjust the install path as necessary for your site.