Recently I have been asked by multiple people what rapid design tools I use, or
what types of code generation tools do I use. Many people are surprised when
I tell them that for the most part I don't use any rapid generation tools.
I do use a few home grown tools, such as my Info Class Generator, which is available
on this site. However, that is as far as I go with automated code generators.
However, one thing that I have started using more and more frequently are Code Snippets
within Visual Studio.
I have found that creating a few helpful Code Snippets has allowed me to quickly
and easily format my code, and build my needed structures in almost no time.
In this blog article I will share two of my most commonly used Code Snippets, if
there is a demand I will post future code snippets here as well. Info Class SnippetOne of the most common actions that I perform on a regular basis is the creation
of information object classes. These are classes that have three basic sections
to them; private data members, constructors, and public properties. This snippet
is a very basic snippet that just structures a class for me with the standard regions
already setup, I just have to drop in the specifics and am ready to go. The
shortcut for this cnippet is "ioclass" and if you type that followed by a tab Visual
Studio will insert the following code. ///<summary>
///
///</summary>
public class MyClass
{
#region Private Data Members
#endregion
#region Public Constructors
///<summary>
/// Default code constructor
///</summary>
public MyClass()
{
//Initalize any needed values
}
#endregion
#region Public Properties
#endregion
} I find this very helpful as I can create classes with the exact same regions every
time. C# Property BodiesThe second snippet that I use on a regular basis is a snippet that will automatically
form the body of a C# public property, I have 3 auto fill regions setup in the snippet,
the first for the data type, the second for the public name, and the third for the
private members name. This allows me to create a public get and set property
without typing a single curly brace or return key. Typically under 10 keystrokes.
The default text of this snippet is below, the access key for this snippet is pbody. /// <summary>
///
/// </summary>
public int YourMember
{
get { return _yourMember; }
set { _yourMember = value; }
} This is another basic snippet but for those that use C# on a regular basis you will
know just how helpful this code is. DownloadsFor those of you that might find these helpful I have decided to make the .snippet files available for
download, you will need to unzip the file and put them in the proper location on your system for Visual Studio to
find them successfully. If you have any questions, please feel free to use my forum. You may visit the "Code Snippets" page on
this site to download the files. You must be a registered user of this site to view the downloads section Please share any comments below. |