Directly debugging the WCF service

In the previous section, we started debugging the client program and then stepped into the service program. Sometimes, we might not want to run the client application in the debug mode. For example, if the client application is a third-party product, we won't have the source code, or the client application might run on a different machine altogether. In such cases, if we need to we can run the service in the debugging mode and debug only the service.

Starting the WCF service in the debugging mode

To start the HelloWorldService in the debug mode, first set the HostExpressServer as the startup project. Then, open HelloWorldService.cs from the HelloWorldService project, and set a breakpoint on the first line inside the GetMessage method.

Now, press F5 to start the service in the debugging mode, it will wait for requests. A browser will open, displaying the 403.14 error page. If you go back to the Visual Studio IDE, you will find that a new solution folder...