CodeDocumentor

A Visual Studio Extension to generate XML documentation automatically for c# code using IntelliSense for interface,class,enum, field, constructor, property and method. While VS2022 provides basic documentation capabilities this fills the gap in trying to populate the summary and return nodes. This also gives control over how the summaries are translated.

In the age of copilots this extension is still valuable when working on projects where sending code to the cloud is not possible. This creates the documentation locally on your machine. Nothing is ever sent to the cloud. No Internet connection is required for this to work.

Installation

Download and install the VSIX from the VS Marketplace

Table of Contents

• CodeDocumentor
  • Installation
  • Table of Contents
  • Instruction
  • Known Issues
  • Comment Ordering
  • Supported Comment Refactorings
  • Settings
    • Word Translations
    • Recommended Settings
  • Also Supports
  • Excluding ErrorList Messages
    • Available DiagnosticId Codes
    • Supported Members
    • Attribute
    • Example
  • Usage Examples
  • Errors and Crashes
  • Changelog
    • Example Cref Support
  • Special Thanks

Instruction

1. When you installed it successful to your Visual Studio. You can see the warning wave line below the members which don't have documentation on it.
2. Then you can click the bulb to see the fix option. When you click the option, the documentation will be added.
3. You can use shortcut(Alt+Enter or Ctrl+.) to quickly add the documentation. Documentation fixes can be implemented at the member, document, project, and solution levels.

Known Issues

• As of VS2022 verison 17.6.x there is some bug that makes extension analyzers not being to work work properly if you have Run code analysis in seperate process

  

  Please disable this setting to allow CodeDocumentor to work correctly.

• As of VS2022 Version 17.8.6. Out of process works but ONLY if you deselect Run code analysis on latest .NET.

  

Comment Ordering

Comments are structured in the following order

• Summary
• Generic Types *if applies
• Parameter Types *if applies
• Exception Types *if applies
• Property Value Types *if applies
• Remarks
• Examples
• Return Types *if applies

Supported Comment Refactorings

Code Documentor supports creating, updating, and recreating on a given type. There is also an avaialble fix at eny level to comment the whole file.

Settings

To adjust these defaults go to Tools > Options > CodeDocumentor

Word Translations

As part of the settings WordMaps can be defined to help control how you want text displayed. There are already a set of default WordMaps defined.

Recommended Settings

These are the recommended settings that create the best output experience

Also Supports

• For method documenting it will scan the method code for any exceptions and automatically add them as exception nodes
• For method generic return types it uses XML CDATA so the actual generic type is displayed
• For method documenting where generics are used typeparam nodes are added.
• Whole file, project and solution comment adding

To adjust these defaults go to Tools > Options > CodeDocumentor

One Word Methods

In an attempt to create valid summary statements when a method is only 1 word (plus Async suffix) we will read the return type of the method. If the method is a generic type an attempt will be made to create text representing that string. In the example below in the summary line CodeDocumentor added and return a <see cref="Task"/> of type <see cref="ActionResult"/> of type <see cref="ClientDto"/> This is leveraging the new setting Try to include return types in documentation to generate those <see cref=""/> elements.

Example

With Try to include return types in documentation enabled

/// <summary>
/// Creates and return a <see cref="Task"/> of type <see cref="ActionResult"/> of type <see cref="ClientDto"/> asynchronously.
/// </summary>
/// <returns>A <see cref="Task"/> of type <see cref="ActionResult"/> of type <see cref="ClientDto"/></returns>
internal Task<ActionResult<ClientDto>> CreateAsync()
{
}

With Try to include return types in documentation disabled

/// <summary>
/// Creates and return a task of type actionresult of type clientdto asynchronously.
/// </summary>
/// <returns>A <see cref="Task"/> of type <see cref="ActionResult"/> of type <see cref="ClientDto"/></returns>
internal Task<ActionResult<ClientDto>> CreateAsync()
{
}

Excluding ErrorList Messages

There are 2 ways to exclude analyzer messaging. Defauly level is set to Warning

1. Add the SuppressMessage attribute to any member.
2. Add DiagnosticId exclusions to the editorconfig

Available DiagnosticId Codes

• CD1600: Class
• CD1601: Constructor
• CD1602: Enum
• CD1603: Field
• CD1604: Interface
• CD1605: Method
• CD1606: Property
• CD1608: Record

Supported Members

• Class
• Method
• Interface
• Property
• Field
• Constructor
• Enum
• Record

Attribute

[System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis.SuppressMessage("XMLDocumentation", "")]

Example

//This will remove the analyzer messaging for entire class and all child members
[System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis.SuppressMessage("XMLDocumentation", "")]
public class Test<T>
{
	public string GetAsync(string name)
    {
		return name;
    }
    public TResult Tester<TResult>()
    {
		throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(Tester));
		return default;
    }
}

Usage Examples

Inline code notification

Add comments to a single type

Update comments to a single type

Update comments to a single type when preserving the summary setting is true

Update comments to a single type when preserving the summary setting is false

Update the whole file at once

How fast comments can be added

Errors and Crashes

If you are finding the code documentor is crashing or causing errors. All errors are written to the EventLog in windows. Check there for causes, and use this information to file a bug.

Source: "Visual Studio"

Message Prefix: "CodeDocumentor: "

Changelog

Example Cref Support

/// <summary>
/// Creates and return a <see cref="Task"/> of type <see cref="ActionResult"/> of type <see cref="ClientDto"/> asynchronously.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="clientDto">The client data transfer object.</param>
/// <exception cref="ArgumentException"></exception>
/// <returns>A <see cref="Task"/> of type <see cref="ActionResult"/> of type <see cref="ClientDto"/></returns>
internal Task<ActionResult<ClientDto>> CreateAsync(CreateClientDto clientDto)
{
throw new ArgumentException("test");
}

Special Thanks

This was forked and modified from jinyafeng