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.NET Framework 3.5
StackTrace Class

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This page is specific to
Microsoft Visual Studio 2008/.NET Framework 3.5

Other versions are also available for the following:
.NET Framework Class Library
StackTrace Class

Represents a stack trace, which is an ordered collection of one or more stack frames.

Namespace:  System.Diagnostics
Assembly:  mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)
Visual Basic (Declaration)
<SerializableAttribute> _
<ComVisibleAttribute(True)> _
<SecurityPermissionAttribute(SecurityAction.InheritanceDemand, UnmanagedCode := True)> _
Public Class StackTrace
Visual Basic (Usage)
Dim instance As StackTrace
C#
[SerializableAttribute]
[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
[SecurityPermissionAttribute(SecurityAction.InheritanceDemand, UnmanagedCode = true)]
public class StackTrace
Visual C++
[SerializableAttribute]
[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
[SecurityPermissionAttribute(SecurityAction::InheritanceDemand, UnmanagedCode = true)]
public ref class StackTrace
JScript
public class StackTrace

StackTrace information will be most informative with Debug build configurations. By default, Debug builds include debug symbols, while Release builds do not. The debug symbols contain most of the file, method name, line number, and column information used in constructing StackFrame and StackTrace objects.

StackTrace might not report as many method calls as expected, due to code transformations that occur during optimization.

The following console application demonstrates how to create a simple StackTrace and iterate through its frames to obtain debugging and diagnostic information.

Visual Basic
Imports System
Imports System.Diagnostics

Class StackTraceSample

    <STAThread()>  _
    Public Shared Sub Main()

        Dim sample As New StackTraceSample()
        Try

            sample.MyPublicMethod()
        Catch
            ' Create a StackTrace that captures
            ' filename, line number, and column
            ' information for the current thread.
            Dim st As New StackTrace(True)
            Dim i As Integer

            For i = 0 To st.FrameCount - 1

                ' Note that high up the call stack, there is only
                ' one stack frame.
                Dim sf As StackFrame = st.GetFrame(i)
                Console.WriteLine()
                Console.WriteLine("High up the call stack, Method: {0}", _
                    sf.GetMethod())

                Console.WriteLine("High up the call stack, Line Number: {0}", _
                    sf.GetFileLineNumber())
            Next i
        End Try
    End Sub

   Public Sub MyPublicMethod()
      MyProtectedMethod()
   End Sub

   Protected Sub MyProtectedMethod()
      Dim mic As New MyInternalClass()
      mic.ThrowsException()
   End Sub


   Class MyInternalClass

      Public Sub ThrowsException()
         Try
            Throw New Exception("A problem was encountered.")
         Catch e As Exception

            ' Create a StackTrace that captures filename,
            ' line number and column information.
            Dim st As New StackTrace(True)

            Dim stackIndent As String = ""
            Dim i As Integer
            For i = 0 To st.FrameCount - 1
               ' Note that at this level, there are four
               ' stack frames, one for each method invocation.
               Dim sf As StackFrame = st.GetFrame(i)
               Console.WriteLine()
               Console.WriteLine(stackIndent + " Method: {0}", _
                   sf.GetMethod())
               Console.WriteLine(stackIndent + " File: {0}", _
                   sf.GetFileName())
               Console.WriteLine(stackIndent + " Line Number: {0}", _
                   sf.GetFileLineNumber())
               stackIndent += "  "
            Next i
            Throw e
         End Try
      End Sub
   End Class
End Class


' This console application produces the following output when
' compiled with the Debug configuration.
'   
'    Method: Void ThrowsException()
'    File: c:\pp\samples\stacktraceframe\myclass.vb
'    Line Number: 55
' 
'      Method: Void MyProtectedMethod()
'      File: c:\pp\samples\stacktraceframe\myclass.vb
'      Line Number: 42
' 
'        Method: Void MyPublicMethod()
'        File: c:\pp\samples\stacktraceframe\myclass.vb
'        Line Number: 37
' 
'          Method: Void Main(System.String[])
'          File: c:\pp\samples\stacktraceframe\myclass.vb
'          Line Number: 13
' 
'   High up the call stack, Method: Void Main(System.String[])
'   High up the call stack, Line Number: 18
' 
' 
' This console application produces the following output when
' compiled with the Release configuration.
' 
'    Method: Void ThrowsException()
'    File:
'    Line Number: 0
' 
'      Method: Void Main(System.String[])
'      File:
'      Line Number: 0
' 
'   High up the call stack, Method: Void Main()
'   High up the call stack, Line Number: 0
'

C#
using System;
using System.Diagnostics;

class StackTraceSample
{
    [STAThread]
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        StackTraceSample sample = new StackTraceSample();
        try
        {
            sample.MyPublicMethod();
        }
        catch (Exception)
        {
            // Create a StackTrace that captures
            // filename, line number, and column
            // information for the current thread.
            StackTrace st = new StackTrace(true);
            for(int i =0; i< st.FrameCount; i++ )
            {
                // Note that high up the call stack, there is only
                // one stack frame.
                StackFrame sf = st.GetFrame(i);
                Console.WriteLine();
                Console.WriteLine("High up the call stack, Method: {0}",
                    sf.GetMethod());

                Console.WriteLine("High up the call stack, Line Number: {0}",
                    sf.GetFileLineNumber());
            }
        }
    }

    public void MyPublicMethod () 
    { 
        MyProtectedMethod(); 
    }

    protected void MyProtectedMethod ()
    {
        MyInternalClass mic = new MyInternalClass();
        mic.ThrowsException();
    }

    class MyInternalClass
    {
        public void ThrowsException()
        {
            try
            {
                throw new Exception("A problem was encountered.");
            }
            catch (Exception e)
            {
                // Create a StackTrace that captures filename,
                // line number and column information.
                StackTrace st = new StackTrace(true);
                string stackIndent = "";
                for(int i =0; i< st.FrameCount; i++ )
                {
                    // Note that at this level, there are four
                    // stack frames, one for each method invocation.
                    StackFrame sf = st.GetFrame(i);
                    Console.WriteLine();
                    Console.WriteLine(stackIndent + " Method: {0}",
                        sf.GetMethod() );
                    Console.WriteLine(  stackIndent + " File: {0}", 
                        sf.GetFileName());
                    Console.WriteLine(  stackIndent + " Line Number: {0}",
                        sf.GetFileLineNumber());
                    stackIndent += "  ";
                }
                throw e;
            }
        }
    }
}

/*
This console application produces the following output when
compiled with the Debug configuration.

   Method: Void ThrowsException()
   File: c:\samples\stacktraceframe\myclass.cs
   Line Number: 59

     Method: Void MyProtectedMethod()
     File: c:\samples\stacktraceframe\myclass.cs
     Line Number: 45

       Method: Void MyPublicMethod()
       File: c:\samples\stacktraceframe\myclass.cs
       Line Number: 39

         Method: Void Main(System.String[])
         File: c:\samples\stacktraceframe\myclass.cs
         Line Number: 13

  High up the call stack, Method: Void Main(System.String[])
  High up the call stack, Line Number: 20


This console application produces the following output when
compiled with the Release configuration.

   Method: Void ThrowsException()
   File:
   Line Number: 0

     Method: Void Main(System.String[])
     File:
     Line Number: 0

  High up the call stack, Method: Void Main(System.String[])
  High up the call stack, Line Number: 0

*/

Visual C++
#using <System.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Diagnostics;
ref class StackTraceSample
{
private:
   ref class MyInternalClass
   {
   public:
      void ThrowsException()
      {
         try
         {
            throw gcnew Exception( "A problem was encountered." );
         }
         catch ( Exception^ e ) 
         {

            // Create a StackTrace that captures
            // filename, line number, and column
            // information for the current thread.
            StackTrace^ st = gcnew StackTrace( true );
            String^ stackIndent = "";
            for ( int i = 0; i < st->FrameCount; i++ )
            {

               // Note that at this level, there are five
               // stack frames, one for each method invocation.
               StackFrame^ sf = st->GetFrame( i );
               Console::WriteLine();
               Console::WriteLine( "{0}Method: {1}", stackIndent, sf->GetMethod() );
               Console::WriteLine( "{0}File: {1}", stackIndent, sf->GetFileName() );
               Console::WriteLine( "{0}Line Number: {1}", stackIndent, sf->GetFileLineNumber().ToString() );
               stackIndent = String::Concat( stackIndent, "  " );

            }
            throw e;
         }

      }

   };


protected:
   void MyProtectedMethod()
   {
      MyInternalClass^ mic = gcnew MyInternalClass;
      mic->ThrowsException();
   }


public:
   void MyPublicMethod()
   {
      MyProtectedMethod();
   }

};

int main()
{
   StackTraceSample^ sample = gcnew StackTraceSample;
   try
   {
      sample->MyPublicMethod();
   }
   catch ( Exception^ ) 
   {

      // Create a StackTrace that captures
      // filename, line number, and column
      // information for the current thread.
      StackTrace^ st = gcnew StackTrace( true );
      for ( int i = 0; i < st->FrameCount; i++ )
      {

         // For an executable built from C++, there
         // are two stack frames here: one for main,
         // and one for the _mainCRTStartup stub. 
         StackFrame^ sf = st->GetFrame( i );
         Console::WriteLine();
         Console::WriteLine( "High up the call stack, Method: {0}", sf->GetMethod()->ToString() );
         Console::WriteLine( "High up the call stack, Line Number: {0}", sf->GetFileLineNumber().ToString() );

      }
   }

}

/*
This console application produces the following output when
compiled with the Debug configuration.

  Method: Void ThrowsException()
  File: c:\samples\stacktraceframe\myclass.cpp
  Line Number: 20

    Method: Void MyProtectedMethod()
    File: c:\samples\stacktraceframe\myclass.cpp
    Line Number: 45

      Method: Void MyPublicMethod()
      File: c:\samples\stacktraceframe\myclass.cpp
      Line Number: 50

        Method: Int32 main()
        File: c:\samples\stacktraceframe\myclass.cpp
        Line Number: 56

          Method: UInt32 _mainCRTStartup()
          File:
          Line Number: 0

  High up the call stack, Method: Int32 main()
  High up the call stack, Line Number: 62

  High up the call stack, Method: UInt32 _mainCRTStartup()
  High up the call stack, Line Number: 0

This console application produces the following output when
compiled with the Release configuration.

  Method: Void ThrowsException()
  File:
  Line Number: 0

    Method: Int32 main()
    File:
    Line Number: 0

      Method: UInt32 _mainCRTStartup()
      File:
      Line Number: 0

  High up the call stack, Method: Int32 main()
  High up the call stack, Line Number: 0

  High up the call stack, Method: UInt32 _mainCRTStartup()
  High up the call stack, Line Number: 0

*/

System..::.Object
  System.Diagnostics..::.StackTrace
Any public static (Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0
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