Does .NET have a Javadoc equivalent feature?

[Winston]

As the thread name says it all.

[pballsim]

Yup, and it's a lot nicer.

you use "///" for your comments and use xml.

you will do something like:

/// <summary>
/// blah
/// </summary>
/// <remarks>
/// foo blah
/// </remarks>
/// <param name="bar">Does foo-bar</parm>
/// <returns>a bool, like <c>true</c></returns>
public bool IsThis42(int bar)
{
}

If you have the .Net Framework SDK Documenation look up "summary". It will tell you all the XML and how to compile it.

[pballsim]

you compile it with the "/doc" command.

The defined xml tags are:

c

code

param

para

see

seealso

example

paramref

summary

exception

permission

value

include

remarks

list

returns

The XML in the .Net is really nice. A lot better than Java. I should know I've worked w/ both really intensively.

[Winston]

Nice... you know using the /doc command, it's not working, do i have to set my variable paths or whatever? :s... i only have VS.NET 2K3 installed and MSDN documentation, i'm assuming VS.NET 2K3 install will incorporate everything the SDK has itself as well right?

[Cleaver]

That just creates an XML file that doesn't really look very nice. You could apply some sort of style sheet, but why bother when there's something to do it for you! NDoc - http://ndoc.sourceforge.net/wiki/HomePage is still in development, but I've used it to create some documentation and it works a treat! You can output to a JavaDoc style (like the Java API), MSDN style and various others! Makes everything look professional!

You have to document your code properly like pballsim says though. And I agree, it's a lot nicer than Java!

[pballsim]

It should generate an xml document so you should have: /doc:myclass.xml I don't think it will incorporate itself into the SDK (Java doesn't even do that very easily). I'm not sure how to actually use the xml document. I have a nice utility at work that does it for us.

This may help you (from the SDK)

  Quote

To set this compiler option in the Visual Studio development environment

Open the project's Property Pages dialog box. For details, see Setting Visual C# Project Properties.

Click the Configuration Properties folder.

Click the Build property page.

Modify the XML Documentation File property.

To set this compiler option programmatically

[Cleaver]

  Winston said:

Nice... you know using the /doc command, it's not working, do i have to set my variable paths or whatever? :s... i only have VS.NET 2K3 installed and MSDN documentation, i'm assuming VS.NET 2K3 install will incorporate everything the SDK has itself as well right?

Get rid of the /doc property that you've added manually and do the following:

Goto 'Project' on the menu and click 'Project Properties' (project will be the name of you project). In that dialog, click 'Configuration Properties' in the left hand pane, and then 'Build'. Under 'Outputs' change the attribute 'XML Documentation File' to some filename e.g. doc.xml. Click OK and compile again. Should work for you this time.

[Cleaver]

  pballsim said:

This may help you (from the SDK)

You beat me to it!

[pballsim]

It's actually part of our build process, so I hardly ever use it =). I just write in the xml code.

[Cleaver]

  pballsim said:

It's actually part of our build process, so I hardly ever use it =). I just write in the xml code.

What's part of your build process? Sorry if I'm being stupid :blush:

[pballsim]

Sorry, generating the docs is part of my build process -> Compiling -> Testing -> Generating Docs. That's why I had to look it up in the SDK....it's always opened, and I was actually looking up some of the xml stuff when he asked the question =).

[Winston]

i dont get it, it generates it in XMl, but it's not even in a readable form.

[azcodemonkey]

  Winston said:

i dont get it, it generates it in XMl, but it's not even in a readable form.

All XML is human readable. It just isn't styled, which leaves a lot of flexibility. You can easliy create formats for online and paper documents.

[Cleaver]

Use NDoc if you want it looking pretty! http://ndoc.sourceforge.net/wiki/HomePage

[pballsim]

Microsoft should also have a style sheet if you look for it on their website you should be able to find it. I have heard NDocs rocks. I never used it myself.

[karma_police]

If you dont like XML just Open VS -> Tools -> Build Comment Web Pages, and you will get pure HTML but I prefer NDOC