Contents
- Introduction: What is Code Snippet??
- Can we create our own code snippet ??
- Create a .snippet file (Step by Step)
- How to Manage Code Snippets inside VS Editor ??
- Add/Register a snippet
- Remove a snippet
- Modify an existing snippet
- Code Snippet Functions
- GenerateSwitchCases( EnumerationLiteral )
- ClassName()
- SimpleTypeName( TypeName )
- Is it possible to share it with all of my team mates ??
- Create a vsi installer (Step by Step)
- An example
- Singleton Pattern Example: 1
- Singleton Pattern Example: 2
A. Introduction: What is Code Snippet??
Code snippets are ready-made snippets of code we can quickly insert into our code.
We can use code snippets to type a short alias, and then expand it into a common programming construct.
For example, the prop code snippet creates an empty property block.
Benefits
- Write once use anywhere: Reduce the repeatable writing of code effort.
- Define/Maintain a Coding Standard to be used for any Project/Organization.
- Provide easier way to write/define a group of code. Like a code snippet can generate a Switch case statement only through its shortcut (as myswitch)
- Easy to use as well as create and also easily maintainable.
- Share management with other developers
How to Use
Step 1. In the Code Editor by typing a short name for the alias or a code snippet shortcut
Step 2. Press two times Tab key. It will generate a Property block automatically
Step 3. Once a code snippet has been chosen, the text of the code snippet is inserted automatically at the cursor position. At this point, any editable fields in the code snippet are highlighted in light green, and the first editable field is selected automatically.
When a field is selected, users can type a new value for the field. Pressing TAB cycles through the editable fields of the code snippet; pressing SHIFT+TAB cycles through them in reverse order. Clicking on a field places the cursor in the field, and double-clicking on a field selects it.
Only the first instance of a given field is editable; when that field is highlighted, the other instances of that field are outlined. When you change the value of an editable field, that field is changed everywhere it is used in the code snippet.
B. Can we create our own code snippet ??
Yes we can create and utilize custom code snippets, in addition to the code snippets that are included with Visual Studio by default.
IntelliSense Code Snippets are XML files with a .snippet file name extension that adhere to the IntelliSense Code Snippet XML schema.
To create a .snippet file
- Go to File - New - File.
- From Template select XML File and then click Open, it will open a blank XML file for editing.
- On the File menu, click Save <XMLFileName>.
- In the Save as type box, select All Files (*.*).
- In the File name box, enter a file name with the .snippet file name extension.
- Click Save.
Writing the Code
Now we have an XML file, we need to write the XML code that makes up our code snippet.
- Below the automatically generated line of XML, add a
CodeSnippets element with the proper xmlns attribute value, and a CodeSnippet element to create an individual code snippet. For example:
="1.0"="utf-8"
<CodeSnippets xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
<CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
</CodeSnippet>
</CodeSnippets>
Note : This is the standard defined by VS that every snippet file must start with the CodeSnippets tag, identifying the namespace that defines the code snippet schema. Within these tags, each snippet is defined using the CodeSnippet tag, which will in turn contain the definition of the snippet itself:
- Add a header section to the code snippet. Each code snippet has a header area and a body area, known as the
Header and Snippet, respectively. The Header area mainly contains three tags:
Title: The name of the snippet Description: The description of the snippet Shortcut: Shortcut names provide a way for us to insert IntelliSense Code Snippets into our code by typing a shortcut name and then pressing Tab.
Apart from these Tags we can also use Author , SnippetTypes tags like:
="1.0"="utf-8"
<CodeSnippets xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
<CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
<Header>
<Title>Property</Title>
<Shortcut>propcs</Shortcut>
<Description>Code snippet to define a property .</Description>
<Author>Anand Ranjan</Author>
<SnippetTypes>
<SnippetType>Expansion</SnippetType>
</SnippetTypes>
</Header>
</CodeSnippet>
</CodeSnippets>
What is what : A snapshot of Code Snippet Manager – Uses of Header Tag elements
What is what : A snapshot of VS Editor – Uses of Header Tag elements
- Add the elements that define the code snippet itself. For example:
="1.0"="utf-8"
<CodeSnippets xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
<CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
<Header>
<Title>Property</Title>
<Shortcut>propcs</Shortcut>
<Description>Code snippet to define a property .</Description>
<Author>Anand Ranjan</Author>
<SnippetTypes>
<SnippetType>Expansion</SnippetType>
</SnippetTypes>
</Header>
<Snippet>
<Code Language="csharp">
</Code>
</Snippet>
</CodeSnippet>
</CodeSnippets>
- Inside the Code element of Snippet Tag, add the C# code for the snippet. All snippet code must be placed between
<![CDATA[ and ]]> brackets. For example
="1.0"="utf-8"
<CodeSnippets xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
<CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
<Header>
<Title>Property</Title>
<Shortcut>propcs</Shortcut>
<Description>Code snippet to define a property .</Description>
<Author>Anand Ranjan</Author>
<SnippetTypes>
<SnippetType>Expansion</SnippetType>
</SnippetTypes>
</Header>
<Snippet>
<Code Language="csharp">
<
