FIX: Cannot Debug Visual J++ Programs on Internet Explorer 4.0 (167998)

SYMPTOMS

After installing Internet Explorer 4.0 in the integrated desktop mode, you will no longer be able to debug Java applets with Visual J++ 1.1. If you begin an applet debug session in Visual J++, the applet appears to run, but you will not hit any breakpoints or be able to step into the applet. After exiting the browser, the following dialog box appears:

The browser or interpreter you specified has exited without running your program

Please note that browsers or interpreters other than Internet Explorer and Jview may not support Visual J++ debugging.

In addition, a bug has been confirmed where you can no longer debug Visual J++ applications with Internet Explorer 4.0x running in the non-integrated desktop mode. This situation occurs if you do not have Service Pack 3 of Visual Studio installed on your machine.

CAUSE

Visual J++ relies on being able to modify the debug process environment block before creating the Internet Explorer debugging process. When Internet Explorer 4.0 is installed in the integrated desktop mode, this is no longer possible. If Internet Explorer 4.0 is installed in the standalone browser mode, debugging with Visual J++ should function normally.

In the case where debugging was not possible, even with Internet Explorer 4.0 installed in the non-integrated desktop mode, Visual J++ debugging will function normally with the patches supplied in Visual Studio Service Pack 3.

RESOLUTION

This bug can be fixed by installing the Service Pack 3 of Visual Studio 97 and Internet Explorer 4.01 release. The Service Pack can be applied to both the Visual J++ 1.1 shipped with Visual Studio 97 as well as the Visual J++ 1.1 that is sold as a standalone product.

Note that installing the Service Pack 3 on the Visual J++ 1.1 free Trial Edition is not a configuration that has been tested by Microsoft. While there are no expected problems with applying the Service Pack to the free Trial Edition, it has not been tested and is therefore not recommended.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a bug in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.
This bug requires fixes in both Visual J++ and in Internet Explorer 4.01. The Visual J++ component of this bug has been corrected in Visual Studio 97 Service Pack 3, the Internet Explorer component of this bug is fixed in the Internet Explorer 4.0 release.

For additional information about the Visual Studio 97 Service Pack 3, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

170365 INFO: Visual Studio 97 Service Packs - What, Where, and Why

Service Pak 3 is available for download at:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/downloads/updates/sp/

MORE INFORMATION

This bug has been fixed by adding a "-new" switch (you must use "-new" because the "/new" syntax is not supported) to Internet Explorer 4.0. This switch causes Internet Explorer to launch a new process that Visual J++ is able to modify and attach to. As noted above, this switch is enabled in the released version of Internet Explorer 4.0.

To launch Internet Explorer 4.0 with the "-new" switch, you will need to add "-new" to the projects settings for each project you create. From the Project menu, select Settings. Click the Debug tab in the Project Settings dialog box, and select the Browser category in the Categories drop-down list. The Browser edit control contains a full path to the Explore.exe executable. Add the "-new" switch as a parameter to Iexplore.exe:

C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE -new

Click OK to save your changes. Note that this change is applied only to the current project. You will have to make this change for each new project that you create.

If you are using Internet Explorer 4.01, you do not need to explicitly specify the "-new" switch to the project settings for each project. Instead, click Internet Options from the View menu, click the Advanced tab and select the 'Browse in a new Process' option. Click OK to save your changes.