Debugging in a dll on another computer, in another folder.

Question

Hi,
I have a dll which was produced with VisualStudio2008, as console app. I have on that PC (let's say DevPC ):
C:\DevLoc\IntAd.cpp (dll source file)
C:\DevLoc\IntAd.dll
C:\DevLoc\IntAd.pdb (symbol file)
This dll is used also on another computer (let's say AppPC), in another folder (let's say AppLoc). In order to be able to debug in the dll on AppPC using VisualStudio I had to put there also the pdb file (but in original folder) and the source file in
the AppLoc so I have there:
C:\AppLoc\IntAd.dll
C:\AppLoc\IntAd.cpp
C:\DevLoc\IntAd.pdb
This works but then if put on AppPC the source file also in the original location (so I have it in both) like:
C:\DevLoc\IntAd.cpp
the debugger will prefer this one, will enter this one at run time. Strangely, VisualStudio debugger is "smart" (with or without quotes) enough that if I open C:\AppLoc\IntAd.cpp and try to put at run time a breakpoint inside, will automatically
open C:\DevLoc\IntAd.cpp and put the breakpoint there. The problem is that the two source file(s) might be different versions.
Now come the questions and they might seem like XY questions but I'm interested what options I have and how each one can be achieved:
1) What can I do so in the IntAd.dll is embedded not absolute but relative path to the IntAd.pdb so I can put the symbol file in the same folder as the dll file?
2) How can I modify IntAd.dll (I mean really to edit the dll file) to change the pdb path embedded in it? This way I could put the pdb in whatever folder I want on the AppPC. A dirty solution I thought was to edit the file and to change the pdb path and
to pad with trailing spaces that pdb fully qualified name to match the original name length. This, of course, assuming that new name is shorter than original name (to ensure that, on DevPC I should chose a ridiculous long directory name). Would this work?
3) Why is C:\DevLoc\IntAd.cpp prefered by debugger instead C:\AppLoc\IntAd.cpp if both exists? What can I do against?
Thanks

Answer 1

@  MaybeCompletelyW: If I set the symbol path, this means that also on DevPC that path will be used, is still a fixed path. The thing is that I need a portable package, so I can deploy the three files (cpp, dll, pdb) in the same folder, whichever
it is. The problem is that the dll is deployed on several AppPC's, on each one in another folder, on each one could be another version and I need to be able to debug in the dll on each AppPC without rebuilding the dll there. I thought about setting symbol
path like $(PathFromSysVar)\IntAd.pdb but it seems to me that in dll file the path is still explicit and full.