Filtering Trace Messages

One of the challenges of working with software tracing is the volume of messages that is generated by even a simple and familiar provider. Trace message filters in TraceView help you to find and highlight critical messages and hide the others.

A trace message filter is a set of rules that changes the appearance of trace messages in a Trace Message List. It applies to all trace messages in a trace session, log display, or trace session (or log) group. The filter does not change the underlying trace provider or trace log.

You can create and change the trace message filter while the trace session is running, after it is complete, or while viewing a trace log.

This section includes

Adding a Rule

Deleting a Rule

Changing a Rule

Saving a Filter

Filter Rule Elements

Special Actions for Filter Rules

Comments

Most filter rules are effective immediately. Filters rules that use the Discard action are effective only on messages that arrive after the rule is applied. To apply a Discard rule to an existing log file, save the workspace, remove the trace session, and then open the workspace.

Filter rules are applied in the order that they appear in the filter. If more than one rule affects a trace message, only the first rule that affects the message is applied.

The rules in a filter are implicitly connected by OR operations; that is, they are all applied. To connect rules with AND operations, select the AND action.