ShadowWriterBuilder by Stefan Stolz
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Name: ShadowWriterBuilder
Leverage the capabilities of Roslyn source generators to help generate boilerplate code efficiently.
Author: Stefan Stolz
NuGet: https://www.nuget.org/packages/ShadowWriter/
You can find more details at https://github.com/StefanStolz/ShadowWriter
Original Readme
ShadowWriter
ShadowWriter is a Roslyn Source Generator designed to simplify and automate aspects of .NET development.
It currently supports the following features:
✨ Features
Samples can be found in the Source-Code or in the Wiki.
1. Generate Null Objects
The NullObject feature in ShadowWriter provides a simple way to automatically generate null object implementations for interfaces and classes. This pattern is useful for providing default "do nothing" implementations that can help avoid null reference exceptions and simplify code.
Usage
To create a null object implementation, simply add the [NullObject] attribute to your class:
[NullObject]
public partial class ImplementingMyInterface : IMyInterface
{
}
2. Inject Project Information
Embeds values from the project file (*.csproj) directly into your source code.
This is useful for build metadata, version numbers, or project-specific configuration.
Available Properties
The generated TheProject class provides the following static properties:
| Property | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
FullPath | The complete path to the project file | /path/to/YourProject.csproj |
ProjectDirectory | The directory containing the project file | /path/to/ |
Name | The name of the project | YourProject |
OutDir | The output directory for compiled artifacts | /path/to/artifacts/bin/YourProject/debug/ |
Version | The current version of the project | 1.0.0 |
RootNamespace | The root namespace of the project | YourProject |
Example Usage
// Access project information anywhere in your code
Console.WriteLine($"Project Name: {TheProject.Name}");
Console.WriteLine($"Project Version: {TheProject.Version}");
Console.WriteLine($"Project Output Directory: {TheProject.OutDir}");
3. Experimental: Typed Access to EmbeddedResources
Generates strongly typed wrappers for EmbeddedResources, allowing safe and convenient access to resources at runtime.
⚠️ Feature #3 is experimental and may change significantly in future versions.
Details can be found in the Wiki.
4. Generate Builders for Records
The Builder feature in ShadowWriter automatically generates builder classes for your record types. This significantly reduces boilerplate when constructing complex objects, especially with optional and nullable parameters or when you want to use a fluent API pattern for object creation.
Usage
To enable builder generation, simply annotate your partial record with the [Builder] attribute:
[Builder]
public partial record WithBuilder(int Number);
The generator will create a corresponding builder class (e.g., WithBuilder.Builder) with mutable Properties for each Parameter.
Examples
A variety of record types are supported:
// Record with a single value type
[Builder]
public partial record WithBuilder(int Number);
The generated builder enables you to create instances using a clear, chainable API. For example:
var builder = new WithBuilder.Builder();
builder.Number = 1;
var item = builder.Build();
📦 Installation
You can install ShadowWriter via NuGet:
dotnet package add ShadowWriter
⚙️ Usage ShadowWriter runs automatically during compilation. No manual setup is needed. Documentation and configuration options will be expanded in future versions.
📄 License This project is licensed under the MIT License.
About
Generating null objects for testing
How to use
Example (source csproj, source files)
- CSharp Project
- Program.cs
- Person.cs
This is the CSharp Project that references ShadowWriterBuilder
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
<PropertyGroup>
<OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
<TargetFramework>net9.0</TargetFramework>
</PropertyGroup>
<PropertyGroup>
<EmitCompilerGeneratedFiles>true</EmitCompilerGeneratedFiles>
<CompilerGeneratedFilesOutputPath>$(BaseIntermediateOutputPath)\GX</CompilerGeneratedFilesOutputPath>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<PackageReference Include="ShadowWriter" Version="0.9.5">
<PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
<IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
</PackageReference>
</ItemGroup>
</Project>
This is the use of ShadowWriterBuilder in Program.cs
using Builder;
var pOld = new Person("Andrei", "G", "Ignat");
var build = new Person.Builder();
build.FirstName = pOld.FirstName;
build.MiddleName = "";
build.LastName = (pOld.LastName) ;
var pNew = build.Build();
System.Console.WriteLine(pNew.FullName());
System.Console.WriteLine(pOld.FullName());
This is the use of ShadowWriterBuilder in Person.cs
namespace Builder;
[ShadowWriter.Builder]
public partial record Person(string FirstName, string? MiddleName, string LastName)
{
public string FullName()
{
return FirstName + " " + MiddleName + " "+LastName;
}
}
Generated Files
Those are taken from $(BaseIntermediateOutputPath)\GX
- BuilderAttribute.g.cs
- BuilderPerson.g.cs
// <auto-generated/>
using System;
using System.CodeDom.Compiler;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
namespace ShadowWriter
{
[CompilerGenerated]
[GeneratedCode("ShadowWriter", "0.9.5.0")]
[System.AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Class)]
internal sealed class BuilderAttribute : System.Attribute
{
}
}
using System;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.CodeDom.Compiler;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
#nullable disable
namespace Builder;
[CompilerGenerated]
[GeneratedCode("ShadowWriter", "0.9.5.0")]
public partial record Person
{
public sealed class Builder
{
// Parameter: FirstName: string
public string FirstName { get; set; } = "";
// Parameter: MiddleName: string?
public string? MiddleName { get; set; } = "";
// Parameter: LastName: string
public string LastName { get; set; } = "";
public Person Build()
{
return new(this.FirstName, this.MiddleName, this.LastName );
}
}
}
Useful
Download Example (.NET C#)
Share ShadowWriterBuilder
https://ignatandrei.github.io/RSCG_Examples/v2/docs/ShadowWriterBuilder