I am developing a couple of small apps for a client, and I am considering ways to document the code. If I use XML comments, I understand that a 3rd party utility is necessary to view the raw XML in a pleasing style. Unfortunately, I'm not using such a utility while developing these apps.
It may be that I'm getting crotchety as I age (oh, I hope not), but I find raw XML comments harder to read than the well-formatted C++ comments to which I am accustomed.
Without a 3rd party utility, are there still benefits to using XML comments vs. non-XML comments
Thank you for your suggestions.
What benefits do XML documentation comments offer?
Prasadi de Silva
To clarify:
If I were creating a C# library for distribution to other programmers, I can see how an XML stylesheet or 3rd party tool could expedite creating help docs that accompany the library. However, as a programmer reading the code in the IDE, I find the raw XML comments harder to read.
How do most programmers use the XML comments to document their code Is it possible to view the raw XML as HTML in the IDE while I edit the code
Thanks again.
hytechpro
I think DevExpress have an add-in which allows you to get a readable preview of your XML comments. Not tried it though.
Denis Brasfield
One benefit of XML doc comments is that Intellisense will extract information from them to display in the tool tips you get when hovering over a type or variable, or when you highlight an item in a completion list. Object Browser also displays information extracted from XML doc comments. This isn't exactly an HTML version of the XML, but may be what you're looking for.
In general, XML doc comments are useful because they standardize certain types of information commonly found in comments, and makes them available to tools both inside and outside the IDE.
-Tom Meschter
Software Dev, Visual C# IDE