What is a .NATVIS file?
A .NATVIS file is a special kind of file that helps developers see their code in an easier way when they are fixing bugs using Microsoft Visual Studio. Microsoft Visual Studio is a program that people use to make other programs and websites for Windows computers. The .NATVIS file contains rules, written in a code language called XML, that tell Visual Studio how to show complex code in a simple way in certain parts of the program, like the "Locals" window, when you are checking for errors.
To open a .NATVIS file, you need to use Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 or a newer version. These files help make the process of finding and fixing bugs in your code easier because they let you customize how your code looks when you're looking at it in the debugger. This means you can see your code in a way that makes the most sense to you, which can help you understand what's going wrong more quickly.
If you want to find some .NATVIS files that are already included with Visual Studio, you can go to a specific folder in the program's installation directory. If you decide you want to change how something is displayed, you can open and edit these .NATVIS files right in Visual Studio. Once you save your changes, you'll see the new way your code is displayed in the debugger windows like "Watch" and "Locals." Although you can use other programs to edit .NATVIS files, if you do, Visual Studio won't automatically show your changes in the debugger. To see your changes, you'll have to use a special command in Visual Studio or start your debugging session over again.
You can also make your own .NATVIS files for specific projects, for your user profile, or for all projects on your system. Sometimes, these files are even included inside another type of file called .PDB. If you're working on a C++ project in Visual Studio and want to add a .NATVIS file to it, you can do so by adding a new item to your project and choosing the option for a debugger visualization file (.natvis).
It's also worth noting that .NATVIS files are a newer solution that replaced an older method involving a file called autoexp.dat, which was used in older versions of Visual Studio to do something similar.
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