Visual Studio Visual Studio tools Snippets

Example

Intoduction

Since Visual Studio 2005 can you make Intellisense Code Snippets. This allow you to generate some code just by typing one keyword and press two times the tab key.

Using the code

The XML code you need for make an Intellisense Code Snippet stands below:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<CodeSnippets xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/CodeSnippet">
  <CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0"> <!-- format attribute is required -->

    <Header> <!-- 1 -->
      <Title></Title>
      <Author></Author>
      <Shortcut></Shortcut>
      <Description></Description>
      <Keywords>
        <Keyword>abc<Keyword>
        <Keyword>def<Keyword>
      </keywords>
    </Header>

    <Snippet> <!-- 2 -->

      <Imports> <!-- 2.1 -->
        <Import>
          <Namespace>System</Namespace>
        </Import>
      </Imports>

      <Declarations> <!-- 2.2 -->
        <Literal Editable="true/false"> <!-- 2.2.1 -->
          <ID>example</ID>
          <Type>System.String</Type>
          <ToolTip>A tip you can show</ToolTip>
          <Default>default value</Default>
          <Function></Function> <!-- 2.2.2 -->
        </Literal>

        <Object> <!-- 2.2.1 -->
          <ID>example</ID>
          <Type>System.String</Type>
          <ToolTip>A tip you can show</ToolTip>
          <Default>default value</Default>
          <Function></Function> <!-- 2.2.2 -->
        </Object>
      </Declarations>

      <References> <!-- 2.3 -->
        <Reference>
          <Assembly>System.Data.dll</Assembly>
        </Reference>
      </References>

      <Code Language=""> <!-- 2.4 -->
        <![CDATA[
            <!-- your code here if you use literals use dollar chars  -->
        ]]>
      </Code>

    </Snippet>

  </CodeSnippet>
</CodeSnippets>

In the snippet tag, you have two required tags named Header and Snippet. You can find more information in next headings. The number near the name are correspondents with the numbers in the code above.

There can be zero or more CodeSnippet elements added into the CodeSnippets element.

1. Header

In the Header-tag, you can place some specific information about the snippet and what he does. The important tags you can use inside this tag are:

^{Source table (but edits): msdn.microsoft.com}

2. Snippet

In the snippet tag, you can use three different tags. This can be:

• Imports
• Declarations
• Code (required)
• References

These are explained below.

2.1 Imports

Imports contain the needed namespaces you need for the code. Use the import-tag inside this tag and here you can place the needed namespaces each with the Namespace-tag.

2.2 Declarations

Declarations can be used for declaring some literals or objects into your code in the Code-tag. The children are literals and objects.

Literals and objects define the literals and objects of the code snippet that you can edit. Functionality are literals and objects are the same, but it has an additional type constraint.

The Literal and object-tag can contain next children:

• ID: The ID of the literal (required)
• Type: The type of that object including namespace and class (required by objects)
• ToolTip: Gives a tip
• Default: A default value of that object (required)
• Functions

In the snippets, there are some predefined literals. They are listed below:

A $selected$ is an object that I like.

A car is an object that I like.

Functions in the Literal- or Object-tag means that you can use a function for generating code depending on another element. There are three functions that I know:

_{¹ only available in Visual Studio 2005.}

^{Source table: msdn.microsoft.com}

The Literal and Object tags can have some optional attributes.

^{Source table: msdn.microsoft.com}

2.3 References

Groups reference elements that contains information about assembly references for the code snippet. This can contain next elements:

• Assembly: Contains the name of the assembly by the code snippet (required)
• Url: Contains a website that gives more information about the assembly

2.4 Code

Code is the code you will generate between <![CDATA[ and ]]>. Place the ID of your literal between dollar chars and Visual Studio will ask you for change these default value if the declarations are filled in. Here, you've an example for C# and VB for the shortcut propfull.

<!-- ... Other code ... -->
<Declarations>
  <Literal>
    <Id>variablename</Id>
    <Default>_myproperty</Default>
  </Literal>

  <Literal>
    <Id>propertytype</Id>
    <Default>int</Default>
  </Literal>

  <Literal>
    <Id>propertyname</Id>
    <Default>myproperty</Default>
  </Literal>
</Declarations>

<Code Language="CSharp">
  <![CDATA[
    private $propertyvalue$ $variablename$;

    public $propertyvalue$ $propertyname$
    {
        get { return $variablename$; }
        set { $Variablename$ = Value; }
    }
  ]]>
</Code>

<!-- ... Other code ... -->

<Declarations>
  <Literal>
    <Id>variablename</Id>
    <Default>_myproperty</Default>
  </Literal>

  <Literal>
    <Id>propertytype</Id>
    <Default>int</Default>
  </Literal>

  <Literal>
    <Id>propertyname</Id>
    <Default>myproperty</Default>
  </Literal> 
</Declarations>

<Code Language="VB">
  <![CDATA[
    Private $variablename$ As $propertyvalue$ 
    
    Public Property $propertyname$ As $propertyvalue$
        Get
            Return $variablename$ 
        End Get

        Set (ByVal value As $propertyvalue$)
            $variablename$ = value
        End Set
    End Property
  ]]>
</Code>

<!-- ... Other code ... -->

In the required Language attribute, you can define your language where you are making the snippet. You can find the languages you can use in the next table.

Other optional attributes are:

The valid values for the kind variable are:

^{Source tables: msdn.microsoft.com}

Import Snippet into Visual Studio

1. Save the XML code and give it the extension .snippet.

2. You can add the new made snippet into Visual Studio by pressing Control + K, Control + B or go to "Tools" → "Code Snippets Manager...". This open next window:

   

3. Choose the language into the combo box for which language you've made the snippet. click on "Import..." and choose the file you've made.

   

4. Click on "Finish". If the file name already has been used, Visual Studio go ask to override the existing file. You've three options:

   • Overwrite: Overwrites the file. You can use this option if you will edit an old snippet.
   • Rename: Goes to rename the file to an unique name.
   • Skip: Cancels the import. Renames the file to a unique name.

You could also add a new location with all the snippets you've made by clicking on the "Add..." button on the first window and select the folder in the "select folder window". The advantage is now when a new valid snippet is added in that folder, you can use this directly in Visual Studio.

Note: Test after importing your snippet for errors, so you don't have any problems when you use the snippet. You can always remove or overwrite the snippet if there is an error.

Point of intrest

You can also see the documentation on MSDN for more information.

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