Comments in Object Browser

SR · Nov 21 '05, 01:48 AM

Re: Comments in Object Browser

OK, so I've just read that only C# supports this fully, with C++ having
limited functionality. Hopefully VB will support this soon.

"SR" <simonriley900@ hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ek6UD5VlEH A.536@TK2MSFTNG P11.phx.gbl...[color=blue]
> I've been trying to find out how to get comments to appear in the 'Object
> Browser' for my VB.Net components.
>
> What a nightmare!!
>
> I've created the XML Code document, so when I reference the component(s)[/color]
the[color=blue]
> comments appear in the object browser. However, the comment don't appear[/color]
in[color=blue]
> the object browser for the current solution - only when I reference it
> within another solution.
>
> And the 'Code Comment Web Report' just doesn't become useful in VB.Net.
>
> In C++.Net it's much easier.
>
> Why is VB.Net so different?
>
> Is there an easier/better way of doing this?
>
> Hopefully I'm missing a trick and someone can help. Thanks
>
> SR.
>
>[/color]

**Cor Ligthert** · Nov 21 '05, 01:48 AM

Re: Comments in Object Browser

SR,

There are some thirth party freeware tools for that, however I do not know
how far that is compatible with VB2005 where it is implemented.

Here a part of the list where you can find them in advance of the bunch of
links Herfried will provide for sure to this thread, however I saw he was
still active in this newsgroup, when it is here almost 4 o'clock (Herfried
lives in the same timezone) and now it is 8 o'clock here so probably you
will have to wait for that.

I hope this helps?

Cor

VB Commenter

http://www.gotdotnet.com/team/ide/

XML Documentation

http://www.gotdotnet.com/team/vb/

VBXC - VB.NET XML Commentor

http://vbxmldoc.tor-erik.net/index.shtml

NDOC

NDoc Online

http://ndoc.sourceforge.net/

VB.DOC

http://vb-doc.sourceforge.net/

Cor

"SR"[color=blue]
> OK, so I've just read that only C# supports this fully, with C++ having
> limited functionality. Hopefully VB will support this soon.
>
>
> "SR" <simonriley900@ hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:ek6UD5VlEH A.536@TK2MSFTNG P11.phx.gbl...[color=green]
> > I've been trying to find out how to get comments to appear in the[/color][/color]
'Object[color=blue][color=green]
> > Browser' for my VB.Net components.
> >
> > What a nightmare!!
> >
> > I've created the XML Code document, so when I reference the component(s)[/color]
> the[color=green]
> > comments appear in the object browser. However, the comment don't appear[/color]
> in[color=green]
> > the object browser for the current solution - only when I reference it
> > within another solution.
> >
> > And the 'Code Comment Web Report' just doesn't become useful in VB.Net.
> >
> > In C++.Net it's much easier.
> >
> > Why is VB.Net so different?
> >
> > Is there an easier/better way of doing this?
> >
> > Hopefully I'm missing a trick and someone can help. Thanks
> >
> > SR.
> >
> >[/color]
>
>[/color]

**Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]** · Nov 21 '05, 01:49 AM

Re: Comments in Object Browser

* "SR" <simonriley900@ hotmail.com> scripsit:[color=blue]
> I've been trying to find out how to get comments to appear in the 'Object
> Browser' for my VB.Net components.
>
> What a nightmare!!
>
> I've created the XML Code document, so when I reference the component(s) the
> comments appear in the object browser. However, the comment don't appear in
> the object browser for the current solution - only when I reference it
> within another solution.
>
> And the 'Code Comment Web Report' just doesn't become useful in VB.Net.
>
> In C++.Net it's much easier.
>
> Why is VB.Net so different?
>
> Is there an easier/better way of doing this?[/color]

Adding tooltips in intellisense for VB.NET assemblies and creating HTML Help
documentation:

VS.NET takes the text shown in intellisense tips from an XML file that is
provided in addition to the assembly (for example, a DLL). The XML file
must have the same name as the corresponding DLL with ".xml" appended and
has to be placed in the same folder as the assembly (assembly "Foo.dll",
XML file "Foo.dll.xm l").

The format of the XML file taken by VS.NET is specified here:

<URL:http://msdn.microsoft. com/library/en-us/csref/html/vclrfprocessing xmlfile.asp>

For C#, VS.NET creates this XML file automatically (compiler option "/doc").
For VB.NET, that's currently not supported, but this will be possible in VB
2005.

You can create the XML file by hand, but notice that this will take a lot of
time and it will be hard to keep the file up to date when parts of the
assembly change. It's much easier to use one of the tools listed below to
create the XML file. Tools like NDOC will take the XML file and create an
HTML Help file from the XML formatted data.

One easy way to create the XML file is to provide information for tooltips
as XML comments inside the VB.NET source files and then use tools like
VB.DOC to create the XML file that contains the data. Then you can copy
this file into the assembly's directory to provide information to VS.NET
that enables it to display tooltips, or you can create a help file. The
help file can be deployed with the assembly and can be used by other
developers who use the assembly as reference.

For VB.NET 2002/2003:

VB Commenter
<URL:http://www.gotdotnet.c om/team/ide/>
-> "VB Commenter"

XML Documentation
<URL:http://www.gotdotnet.c om/team/vb/>
-> "XML Documentation"

VBXC - VB.NET XML Commentor
<URL:http://vbxmldoc.tor-erik.net/>

NDOC (formerly DOC.NET)
<URL:http://ndoc.sourceforg e.net/>

VB.DOC
<URL:http://vb-doc.sourceforge .net/>

<URL:http://www.gotdotnet.c om/Community/Workspaces/Workspace.aspx? id=112b5449-f702-46e2-87fa-86bdf39a17dd>

XML comments will be introduced to VB in version 2005 ("Whidbey").

C# XML comments:

C# Programmer's Reference -- Recommended Tags for Documentation Comments
<URL:http://msdn.microsoft. com/library/en-us/csref/html/vclrfTagsForDoc umentationComme nts.asp>

--
M S Herfried K. Wagner
M V P <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
V B <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/dotnet/faqs/>

SR · Nov 21 '05, 01:51 AM

Re: Comments in Object Browser

Thanks Herfried and Cor.

"Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]" <hirf-spam-me-here@gmx.at> wrote in message
news:2q8cp8Fsdj e0U2@uni-berlin.de...[color=blue]
> * "SR" <simonriley900@ hotmail.com> scripsit:[color=green]
> > I've been trying to find out how to get comments to appear in the[/color][/color]
'Object[color=blue][color=green]
> > Browser' for my VB.Net components.
> >
> > What a nightmare!!
> >
> > I've created the XML Code document, so when I reference the component(s)[/color][/color]
the[color=blue][color=green]
> > comments appear in the object browser. However, the comment don't appear[/color][/color]
in[color=blue][color=green]
> > the object browser for the current solution - only when I reference it
> > within another solution.
> >
> > And the 'Code Comment Web Report' just doesn't become useful in VB.Net.
> >
> > In C++.Net it's much easier.
> >
> > Why is VB.Net so different?
> >
> > Is there an easier/better way of doing this?[/color]
>
> Adding tooltips in intellisense for VB.NET assemblies and creating HTML[/color]
Help[color=blue]
> documentation:
>
> VS.NET takes the text shown in intellisense tips from an XML file that is
> provided in addition to the assembly (for example, a DLL). The XML file
> must have the same name as the corresponding DLL with ".xml" appended and
> has to be placed in the same folder as the assembly (assembly "Foo.dll",
> XML file "Foo.dll.xm l").
>
> The format of the XML file taken by VS.NET is specified here:
>
>[/color]
<URL:http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en...rocessingxmlfi
le.asp>[color=blue]
>
> For C#, VS.NET creates this XML file automatically (compiler option[/color]
"/doc").[color=blue]
> For VB.NET, that's currently not supported, but this will be possible in[/color]
VB[color=blue]
> 2005.
>
> You can create the XML file by hand, but notice that this will take a lot[/color]
of[color=blue]
> time and it will be hard to keep the file up to date when parts of the
> assembly change. It's much easier to use one of the tools listed below to
> create the XML file. Tools like NDOC will take the XML file and create an
> HTML Help file from the XML formatted data.
>
> One easy way to create the XML file is to provide information for tooltips
> as XML comments inside the VB.NET source files and then use tools like
> VB.DOC to create the XML file that contains the data. Then you can copy
> this file into the assembly's directory to provide information to VS.NET
> that enables it to display tooltips, or you can create a help file. The
> help file can be deployed with the assembly and can be used by other
> developers who use the assembly as reference.
>
> For VB.NET 2002/2003:
>
> VB Commenter
> <URL:http://www.gotdotnet.c om/team/ide/>
> -> "VB Commenter"
>
> XML Documentation
> <URL:http://www.gotdotnet.c om/team/vb/>
> -> "XML Documentation"
>
> VBXC - VB.NET XML Commentor
> <URL:http://vbxmldoc.tor-erik.net/>
>
> NDOC (formerly DOC.NET)
> <URL:http://ndoc.sourceforg e.net/>
>
> VB.DOC
> <URL:http://vb-doc.sourceforge .net/>
>
>[/color]
<URL:http://www.gotdotnet.com/Community/W...spx?id=112b544
9-f702-46e2-87fa-86bdf39a17dd>[color=blue]
>
> XML comments will be introduced to VB in version 2005 ("Whidbey").
>
> C# XML comments:
>
> C# Programmer's Reference -- Recommended Tags for Documentation Comments
>[/color]
<URL:http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en...agsForDocument
ationComments.a sp>[color=blue]
>
> --
> M S Herfried K. Wagner
> M V P <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
> V B <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/dotnet/faqs/>[/color]