Is WCF Service Trace Viewer necessary?

Question

Do I need to learn the WCF service trace viewer ?

I understand that I can use the WCF Service Trace Viewer to track messages coming from clients or arriving at servers.

Can WCF trace be configured to record REST messages as well as SOAP? Can I do other neat tricks?

I developed with WCF for a long time, but I never spent time learning a trace tool. I usually used HTTP bindings, and Fiddler works well for me. I am wondering if it is worth learning a tool. Just now I was reading the page of a document, and my eyes began to roll back in my head.

Will a WCF Tool Improve My Life?

Answer 1

If you are doing anything outside of the main WCF element, you should learn how to use this tool. If your Kung Fu is strong, you can even use it to debug / trace any application through levels and layers.

So, this is a very valuable tool, but I would not say that it is necessary. This category is reserved for .NET Reflector and SysInternals.

Answer 2

If you do not need it, I think it is not necessary for you.

I found it useful because it can combine traces with the client and server, including traces that are not related to WCF. He can tell you what is happening at many levels, including in the depths of WCF.