Question

So I’m probably missing the obvious here, but what actually is the difference between the functionality of the TraceSwitch and SourceSwitch classes?

They both give identical summary descriptions:

Provides a multilevel switch to control tracing and debug output without recompiling your code.

Are the Remarks sections are oddly similar to my eyes. Could someone please clarify the difference in their functionality and usage cases?

(For completeness, I’m using switches with my TraceSource object, rather than the old static Trace class, though I doubt it makes much difference.)

Answer 1

The difference is that TraceSwitch works with Trace messages whereas SourceSwitch works with TraceSource messages, which associate the messages with their source. So with a SourceSwitch you can configure your listeners based on on where the trace messages came from.

I agree the documentation doesn’t directly point out the difference, but dig around in the related TraceSource class documentation and you’ll find this:

The TraceSource class is identified by
the name of a source, typically the
name of the application. The trace
messages coming from a particular
component can be initiated by a
particular trace source, allowing all
messages coming from that component to
be easily identified.

There is also a sample showing you how to configure a SourceSwitch to turn off tracing from a trace source.