C# – Code Snippets

In this post, we will see how to use Code Snippets and how to create a custom one.
But first of all, what is a Code Snippet?
From Microsoft web site:
“Code snippets are ready-made snippets of code you can quickly insert into your code. For example, the for code snippet creates an empty for loop.
You can insert a code snippet at the cursor location, or insert a surround-with code snippet around the currently selected code”
In a nutshell, a Code Snippets is simple “command” that can help us to be more productive during our develops.

We start opening Visual Studio, we create a Console application and then we open the file Program.cs for testing some Code Snippets:

creating a new class: class + Tab twice

creating a constructor: ctor + Tab twice

creating a public property: prop + Tab twice

create a public/private property: propfull + Tab twice

creating an interface: interface + Tab twice

creating a for loop: for + Tab twice

creating a foreach loop: foreach + Tab twice

creating a switch block: switch + Tab twice

creating a try-catch block: try + Tab twice

CREATING TWO CUSTOM CODE SNIPPETS

The first Code Snippet is used for creating a template of a class User.
We create a file xml called CompleteUserClass where we will insert this code:

[COMPLETEUSERCLASS.XML]

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<CodeSnippets xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
	<CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
		<Header>
			<Title>User Class</Title>
			<Author>Damiano Abballe</Author>
			<Description>Template for a User class</Description>
			<Shortcut>user</Shortcut>
		</Header>
		<Snippet>
			<Code Language="CSharp">
				<![CDATA[
					public class User
					{
						private Guid _id = Guid.Empty;
						private string _username = string.Empty;
						private string _password = string.Empty;

						public User(string Username, string Password)
						{
							_username = Username;	
							_password = Password;
							_id = Guid.NewGuid();
						}

						public Guid GetUserId()
						{
							return _id;
						}
					}
				]]>
			</Code>
		</Snippet>
	</CodeSnippet>
</CodeSnippets>

Then, we have to save the file with the snippet extension:

Now, we go to Tools/Code Snippets Manager:

We select “Import”:

We select our snippet file:

Finally, we click on “Finish”

We have done and now, we can use this new Code Snippet with “user + Tab twice”:

The second Code Snippet is used to calculate the square of a number.
We create a Code Snippet called Square.snippet, where we will insert this code:

[SQUARE.SNIPPET]

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<CodeSnippets xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
	<CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
		<Header>
			<Title>Square Operation</Title>
			<Author>Damiano Abballe</Author>
			<Description>Calculates the square of a number.</Description>
			<Shortcut>square</Shortcut>
		</Header>
		<Snippet>
			<Code Language="CSharp">
				<![CDATA[double result= $value$ * $value$;]]>
			</Code>
			<Declarations>
				<Literal>
					<ID>value</ID>
					<ToolTip>Choose the number you want the calcolate the square.</ToolTip>
					<Default>1</Default>
				</Literal>
			</Declarations>
		</Snippet>
	</CodeSnippet>
</CodeSnippets>

Then, after we added it in the same way as above, we can use it with “square + Tab twice”: