Download it is your code - CodeSmith Tools

Tips & Tricks
Tips and Tricks for CodeSmith 3.0
Rob Howard
[email protected]
CodeSmith Tools, LLC
For More Information…
• Learn more
• www.codesmithtools.com
• Download free 30 day trial
• Contact Us
• [email protected]
• +1 972 407 0688
• CodeSmith & Telligent
• Partnered together with a common goal:
• “Build world-class software tools”
Agenda
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What is CodeSmith?
Using CodeSmith 3.0
Working with Data & XML
Advanced Tips & Tricks
Licensing & Pricing
What is Code Generation
• Software creation
• Can be fun and challenging
• …but also repetitive and monotonous
• Repetition & monotony leads to bugs
• Code generation is not a new concept
• With most tools you don’t control the output
• Often viewed as a “Black Box” solution
• Ex, data layer created (but it is not your code)
• CodeSmith 3.0
• Not a “Black Box” solution
• Template driven code generation (it is your code)
• Use existing templates or write new ones
The value of CodeSmith
• The cost of creating software
• Design, Development, Test, Release
• Easily runs between $50 - $300/hour
• CodeSmith
• CodeSmith 3.0 Professional: $299
• Equivalent to 3-6 hours of development
• Real value you can measure
• Dramatically reduces project time & cost
• Quickly pays for itself
Your code. Your way. Faster!
• CodeSmith
• Version 2.6, released January 2004
• Version 3.0, released May 2005
• Version 3.1, released August 2005
• CodeSmith 3.0 includes
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CodeSmith Professional Studio (IDE)
Visual Studio .NET integration
Command line code generation engine
Base set of common templates
New in Version 3.0
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Active Generation Templates
Statement Completion, AKA Intellisense™
Deep XML support
New merge strategies & preserve region
Easier template debugging
Template caching for faster execution
Event driven template architecture
Ability to auto-execute SQL scripts
…and much, much more
Customers include…
…and many others
Using CodeSmith 3.0
CodeSmith Professional Studio
• Integrated Development Environment
• Editing and Executing templates
• Template Explorer
• Professional Edition only
• Features
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Database schema browser
Template syntax highlighting
Template, Output, and Compilation views
Property editing
CodeSmith Templates
• Similar to ASP.NET page
• CodeSmith Templates will be familiar
• Event and <% %> code
• Template contains
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Directives
Template logic (VB & C# code)
Output Text (your code, comments, etc.)
Template events, methods, and properties
• A CodeSmith template is
• Document with .cst extension
• Edit with CodeSmith Studio or text editor
Statement Completion
• CodeSmith 2.6
• Lacked Intellisense support
• Required intimate knowledge of APIs
• CodeSmith 3.0
• Full statement completion support
• VB.NET and C#
• Intellisense
• Makes you more productive
• Reduces development time
My First Template
Visual Studio Integration
• Integrated with Visual Studio .NET
• Automatically integrated during installation
• “Visual Studio add-in”
• Using CodeSmith within Visual Studio .NET
• Tools -> Add-in Manager
• Tools -> CodeSmith Explorer
• Executing Templates in Visual Studio .NET
• View templates in Template Explorer
• Right-click to execute templates
CodeSmith
Add-in
CodeSmith
Explorer
Visual Studio
Integration
Active & Passive Generation
• Passive Generation
• Use CodeSmith as “key stroke” saver
• Render template and then use results
• CodeSmith may or may not be used again
• Active Generation (Recommended)
• Use template as source code
• Whenever build project run template
• Ex, write single template to generate 100s
of classes (or other files)
Active Generation Templates
• Enabled through Visual Studio Custom Tool
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“Active Generation Templates”
Executed each time the input file changes
Perfect for Active Generation
Example: SampleProjects\CSharpCodeGeneratorSample
• Execute Active Generation Templates
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Right-click hashtable.xml in VS .NET
Select ‘Run Custom Tool’
Renders multiple property sets for template
Any time xml file is touched templates are regenerated
Click on show all files to see hidden code files
Bound to
Custom Tool
Generated
Source File
Generated
Source
Active Generation
Template
Working with Data & XML
Creating Data Access Layer
• Stored Procedures (SPROC)
• Preferred data access technique
• Provides abstraction API for data access
• Create/Read/Update/Delete (CRUD)
• Tedious to write (Equals more bugs)
• Imagine manually creating for every table
• StoredProcedures.cst Template
• Generates CRUD layer for any table
• Created in seconds! …for all tables
Creating Data Access
Layer
Auto SQL Script Execution
• Automatically update database
• Generated SQL is automatically executed
• Maintain entities in CodeSmith
• Updating template to update schema
• Ex, Telligent used CodeSmith for VSIP
• 100% template driven database layer
Script Execution
Building Data Access APIs
• Data Access Layer
• APIs for working with data APIs, e.g. sprocs
• Typically monotonous repetitive code
• Time consuming to code by hand
• Encourages Stored Procedures
• Template generates typed wrapper
• VB.NET and C#
• Enforces best practices
• Open connection late, close early
• Try/Catch blocks
Building Data Access APIs
Building Data Access APIs
• AllCommandWrappers.cst Template
• Point to a database
• CodeSmith outputs all occurrences
• OutputDirectory
• Default location for generated files
• Configurable, e.g. “my project directory”
• Generate entire data layer
• Can exclude stored procedures
Building Data Access APIs
Database Documentation
• DbDocumenter Templates (master.cst)
• Set basic information and run batch file
• Ex, database connection and title
• Great demo of CodeSmith capabilities
• Simple repetitive problem
• Would take weeks to create manually
• Demonstrates CodeSmith “best practices”
• Additional ideas…
• Modify templates to generate ASP.NET
• Generate .CHM help files
• Add execute capabilities, etc.
Database Documentation
Working with XML
• New XmlProperty
• Work with XML in a strongly typed manner
• Using XML as metadata very easy
• With an XSD
• Strongly typed accessory to XML file
• Read-only access
• Without an XSD file
• XmlDocument type returned
XmlProperty
Directive
Advanced Tips & Tricks
Debugging Templates
• Set Debugger.Break() in code
• Break-point in Template execution
• .NET JIT Debugger window opens
• From .NET JIT Debugger window
• Select Debug Tool
• EX, Visual Studio .NET 2003
• Step through template source
• Reports error in template directly
• Most tools allow debugging of the result
Debugging Templates, cont
• Compilation is similar to ASP.NET
• Occasionally template is not enough
• Need the ability to examine source
• LinePragmas
• Defined in <%@ CodeTemplate %>
• Set to true or false
• Default to true
• Reports line number in template
• False, reports line number in generated code
Debugging
Templates
Template Events & Overrides
• Initialization events
• Called once when template is instantiated
• OnInit
• Called once when template is instantiated
• All other events are raised on each use
• ParseDefaultValue()
• Allows for handling of type conversions
• Called for every default value of a property
• GetFileName()
• Override the default output file name
Template Events & Overrides
• ‘Render’ events
• Similar in concept to ASP.NET events
• Called each time template instance is rendered
• OnPreRender
• Called before template rendering begins
• Set up default state
• Render
• If overridden takes over rendering process
• Example, if you want a ‘master’ template
• OnPostRender
• Called after template is executed
• Contains string result of rendered template
Template Events &
Overrides
Automated Build Process
• Easily fit with your build environment
• Constantly validate ability to build code
• Example: NAnt, MSBuild
• CodeSmith Command line tool
• Build project from command line
• CodeSmith used for Active Generation
• Easily integrated into environment
Command Line Tool
• Console Application (cs.exe)
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XML file identifying templates to run
Mirror Visual Studio Custom Tool behavior
Execute single template, or…
Execute batches of templates
Set properties via the Command Line
• Example usage:
• SampleProjects\ConsoleSamples
• Use /batch:<file>
cs.exe /batch:BatchModeSample.xml
Batch Generation File Format
• <defaultTemplate/>
• Default template used to generate output
• Can be overridden in <propertySet/>
• <variables/>
• Metadata used in property definitions
• <defaultProperties/>
• Define global properties
• <propertySet/>
• Serialized representation of template properties
Batch Generation
Merge Strategies
• Enable Active Generation
• Can’t always generate exactly what you
need
• Custom logic along with Active Generation
• Example
• SampleProjects\ConsoleSamples
• PreserveRegionsMergeSample.cst
Merge Strategies
Licensing
• CodeSmith 2.6
• Standard Edition was free
• Professional Edition: $79
• CodeSmith 3.0
• Upgrade from 2.6 to 3.0 Professional: $49
• Standard Edition: $49
• Professional Edition: $299
• Support Options
• Community Support codesmithtools.com
• Premier / Incident support: $99
Conclusion
• CodeSmith 3.0
• Most powerful code generation tool available
• Reduces time spent writing trivial code
• Be more productive
• Template driven means it’s still your code
• Saves you time and money
• Coming soon: CodeSmith 3.1
• Minor bug fix, etc. release
• Includes updated product documentation
Learn more
• www.codesmithtools.com
• Download free 30 day trial
Contact Us
• [email protected]
• +1 972 407 0688