Tips

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Tips TricksTips and Tricks for CodeSmith 3.0

• Rob Howardrhoward_at_telligent.com
• CodeSmith Tools, LLC

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For More Information

• Learn more
• www.codesmithtools.com
• Download free 30 day trial
• Contact Us
• sales_at_codesmithtools.com
• 1 972 407 0688
• CodeSmith Telligent
• Partnered together with a common goal
• Build world-class software tools

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Agenda

• What is CodeSmith?
• Using CodeSmith 3.0
• Working with Data XML
• Advanced Tips Tricks
• Licensing Pricing

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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 dont 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

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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

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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
• CodeSmith Professional Studio (IDE)
• Visual Studio .NET integration
• Command line code generation engine
• Base set of common templates

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New in Version 3.0

• 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

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Customers include
and many others
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Using CodeSmith 3.0
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CodeSmith Professional Studio

• Integrated Development Environment
• Editing and Executing templates
• Template Explorer
• Professional Edition only
• Features
• Database schema browser
• Template syntax highlighting
• Template, Output, and Compilation views
• Property editing

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CodeSmith Templates

• Similar to ASP.NET page
• CodeSmith Templates will be familiar
• Event and lt gt code
• Template contains
• 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

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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

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My First Template
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Visual Studio Integration

• Integrated with Visual Studio .NET
• Automatically integrated during installation
• Visual Studio add-in
• Using CodeSmith within Visual Studio .NET
• Tools -gt Add-in Manager
• Tools -gt CodeSmith Explorer
• Executing Templates in Visual Studio .NET
• View templates in Template Explorer
• Right-click to execute templates

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CodeSmithAdd-in
CodeSmithExplorer
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Visual Studio Integration
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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)

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Active Generation Templates

• Enabled through Visual Studio Custom Tool
• Active Generation Templates
• Executed each time the input file changes
• Perfect for Active Generation
• Example SampleProjects\CSharpCodeGeneratorSample
• Execute Active Generation Templates
• 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

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Bound toCustom Tool
GeneratedSource File
GeneratedSource
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Active Generation Template
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Working with Data XML
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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

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Creating Data Access Layer
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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

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Script Execution
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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

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Building Data Access APIs
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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

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Building Data Access APIs
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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.

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Database Documentation
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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

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XmlProperty Directive
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Advanced Tips Tricks
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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

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Debugging Templates, cont

• Compilation is similar to ASP.NET
• Occasionally template is not enough
• Need the ability to examine source
• LinePragmas
• Defined in lt_at_ CodeTemplate gt
• Set to true or false
• Default to true
• Reports line number in template
• False, reports line number in generated code

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Debugging Templates
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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

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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

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Template Events Overrides
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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

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Command Line Tool

• Console Application (cs.exe)
• 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 /batchltfilegt

cs.exe /batchBatchModeSample.xml
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Batch Generation File Format

• ltdefaultTemplate/gt
• Default template used to generate output
• Can be overridden in ltpropertySet/gt
• ltvariables/gt
• Metadata used in property definitions
• ltdefaultProperties/gt
• Define global properties
• ltpropertySet/gt
• Serialized representation of template properties

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Batch Generation
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Merge Strategies

• Enable Active Generation
• Cant always generate exactly what you need
• Custom logic along with Active Generation
• Example
• SampleProjects\ConsoleSamples
• PreserveRegionsMergeSample.cst

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Merge Strategies
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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

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Conclusion

• CodeSmith 3.0
• Most powerful code generation tool available
• Reduces time spent writing trivial code
• Be more productive
• Template driven means its still your code
• Saves you time and money
• Coming soon CodeSmith 3.1
• Minor bug fix, etc. release
• Includes updated product documentation

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• Learn more
• www.codesmithtools.com
• Download free 30 day trial

• Contact Us
• sales_at_codesmithtools.com
• 1 972 407 0688