Posts tagged with c - page 3
5 simple steps to publishing a NuGet package
There is a fair amount of info on making and publishing NuGet packages but I couldn’t find a simplified guide for the simple case. Here it is and start by downloading nuget.exe and putting it in your path.
1. Multi-platform considerations (optional)
Supporting multiple platforms gives you a choice to make:
- Portable Class Library (PCL)
- One project with MSBuild magic
- Multiple projects
If you can go with PCL do it. For CSharpAnalytics we use platform-specific system info and hooks so it’s not an option – we went with multiple projects.
Multiple projects
Creating a separate .csproj for each platform and putting in the same folder means adding files isn’t too painful (show all files then include the ones you need) but you do need to take steps to make sure the build process for the projects don’t interfere with each other by separating the bin and obj paths:
- Set the output path in the Build tab of project properties to be unique per configuration to for the bin files, e.g. “bin\Net45\Release\”
- Edit the .csproj file adding a BaseIntermediateOutputPath tag for obj files, e.g.
<BaseIntermediateOutputPath>obj\Net45</BaseIntermediateOutputPath>
2. Create your .nuspec definition
Now that you know which release dll files you need to include you can go ahead and create the nuspec file that tells nuget how to package your files up.
Open a PowerShell and type nuget spec to create you an XML file to edit in your text editor
Once you’ve entered your author details, a snappy description and links to your project page and license you can then add the files. Libraries will want to copy the .dlls into the lib folder with element like these:
<file src="..\bin\Net45\Release\MyLibrary.dll" target="lib\net45" />
Each platform will require a specific target and they should use platform name (e.g. net45, sl5, windows8) described in the NuSpec creating packages documentation. That page has a lot more detail on things such as content file types etc.
If you prefer a graphical UI then NuGet Package Explorer will make your life easier.
Remember to check your .nuspec file to source control (there is nothing private in it) and add it to your solution as a solution item so it doesn’t get missed.
3. Create your .nupkg package
The easiest part of the process. From PowerShell type:
nuget pack yourfile.nuspec
If all goes well it will create yourfile.nupkg.
4. Test your package
Just because your package was created doesn’t mean it works and you don’t want to publish to the world until you know it works especially given you can’t delete packages from NuGet:
- Create a folder to be your own private testing NuGet repository, e.g. c:\testnuget
- Publish to your test repository with
nuget push yourfile.nupkg -source c:\testnuget - Configure Visual Studio to use your test repository by going to Tools > Library Package Manager > Package Manager Settings > Package Sources and then adding your test folder to the Available package sources test
- Create a new test application and then add a reference using Manage NuGet Packages to choose your new package from your test repository.
- Write a few lines of code to test you can actually use your package OK!
5. Publish to the world
Okay, you’re now ready to publish. If you haven’t yet signed up for an account over at Nuget.org you’ll need to do that first.
- Go to Your Account and copy your API key
- Run the PowerShell command
nuget setApiKeyfollowed by your API key, e.g.nuget setApiKey 99995594-38d2-42cd-a8b1-ddcd722bb7e7 - Run
nuget push yourfile.nupkgagain this time without the -source option to publish to the default public repository
[)amien
Probable C# 6.0 features illustrated
C# 6.0 is now available and the final list of features is well explained by Sunny Ahuwanya so go there and try it with his interactive samples page.
Adam Ralph has a list of the probable C# 6.0 features Mads Torgersen from the C# design team covered at new Developers Conference() NDC 2013 in London.
I thought it would be fun to show some before and after syntax for comparison and in doing so ended up with a few thoughts and questions.
1. Primary Constructors
Shorter way to write a constructor that automatically assigns to private instance variables.
Before
public class Point {
private int x, y;
public Point(int x, int y)
this.x = x;
this.y = y;
}
}
After
public class Point(int x, int y) {
private int x, y;
}
Thoughts
- Do you need to independently define x and y?
- Can you still write a body?
- How would you make the default private?
This solution feels too constrained, would have preferred something like:
public Point(set int x, set int y)
That set the property and optionally created a private one if it didn’t. Would allow bodies, use on multiple constructors etc.
2. Readonly auto properties
Readonly properties require less syntax.
Before
private readonly int x;
public int X { get { return x; } }
After
public int X { get; } = x;
Thoughts
- Love this.
- Very useful for immutable classes.
3. Static type using statements;
Imports all the public static methods of a type into the current namespace.
Before
public double A { get { return Math.Sqrt(Math.Round(5.142)); } }
After
using System.Math;
public double A { get { return Sqrt(Round(5.142)); } }
Thoughts
- Not something I’ve run into often but no doubt very useful for Math-heavy classes.
- Could be useful for Enumerable LINQ-heavy classes if it works with static extension methods.
4. Property Expressions
Allows you to define a property using a shorthand syntax.
Before
public double Distance {
get { return Math.Sqrt((X * X) + (Y * Y)); }
}
After
public double Distance => Math.Sqrt((X * X) + (Y * Y));
Thoughts
- Small but useful syntax reduction.
- Has nothing to do with System.Linq.Expression despite the name.
5. Method Expressions
Allows you to define a method using a shorthand syntax.
Before
public Point Move(int dx, int dy) {
return new Point(X + dx1, Y + dy1);
}
After
public Point Move(int dx, int dy) => new Point(X + dx, Y + dy);
Thoughts
Same as Property Expressions.
6. Params for enumerables
No longer need to define your params methods as an array and force early evaluation of the arguments.
Before
Do(someEnum.ToArray());
public void Do(params int[] values) { ... }
After
Do(someEnum);
public void Do(params IEnumerable<Point> points) { ... }
Thoughts
- Can have params methods for IEnumerable and array side-by-side? Probably not.
- Is evaluation deferred until evaluated if you pass a single IEnumerable instead of a params?
7. Monadic null checking
Removes the need to check for nulls before accessing properties or methods. Known as the Safe Navigation Operator in Groovy.
Before
if (points != null) {
var next = points.FirstOrDefault();
if (next != null && next.X != null) return next.X;
}
return -1;
After
var bestValue = points?.FirstOrDefault()?.X ?? -1;
Thoughts
Love it. Will reduce noise in code and hopefully reduce null reference errors everywhere!
8. Constructor type parameter inference
Removes the need to create static factory methods to infer generic types. This is helpful with Tuples etc.
Before
var x = MyClass.Create(1, "X");
public MyClass<T1, T2> Create<T1, T2>(T1 a, T2 b) {
return new MyClass<T1, T2>(a, b);
}
After
var x = new MyClass(1, "X");
Thoughts
- Another great addition.
- Does it understand list and collection initializers to automatically determine the generic types too?
9. Inline declarations for out params
Lets you declare the out variables inline with the call.
Before
int x;
int.TryParse("123", out x);
After
int.TryParse("123", out int x);
Thoughts
- Not a particularly large syntax reduction.
- Shorter code for Try methods and DirectX.
Wrapping up
Hopefully there are a few more gems to come that would help reduce noise. Would especially like to see syntax that wired up an interface to an internal instance variable where not specifically overridden to aid in encapsulation, e.g.
public MyClass : IList => myList {
private IList myList;
public Add(object item) {
// Do something first
myList.Add(item);
}
}
[)amien
8 things you probably didn’t know about C#
Here’s a few unusual things about C# that few C# developers seem to know about.
1. Indexers can use params
We all know the regular indexer pattern x = something["a"] and to implement it, you write:
public string this[string key] {
get { return internalDictionary[key]; }
}
But did you know that you can use params to allow x = something["a", "b", "c", "d"] ?
You write your indexer like this:
public IEnumerable<string> this[params string[] keys] {
get { return keys.Select(key => internalDictionary[key]).AsEnumerable(); }
}
The cool thing is you can have both indexers in the same class side-by-side. If somebody passes an array or multiple args, they get an IEnumerable back but call with a single arg, and they get a single value.
2. Strings defined multiple times in your code are folded into one instance
Many developers believe that:
if (x == "" || x == "y") { }
creates a couple of strings every time. It doesn’t.
C#, like many languages, has string interning, and every string your app compiles with gets put into an in-memory list referenced at runtime.
You can use String.Intern to see if it’s currently in this list but bear in mind that doing String.Intern("what") == "what" will always return true as you just defined another string in your source. String.IsInterned("wh" + "at") == "what" will also return true thanks to compiler optimizations. String.IsInterned(new string(new char[] { 'w','h','a','t' }) == new string(new char[] { 'w','h','a','t' }) will only return true if you have "what" elsewhere in your program or something else at runtime has added it to the intern pool.
If you have classes that build-up or retrieve regularly used strings at runtime, consider using String.Intern to add them to the pool. Bear in mind once they’re in, they remain there until your app quits, so use String.Intern carefully. The syntax is simply String.Intern(someClass.ToString())
Another caveat is that doing (object)"Hi" == (object)"Hi" returns true in your app thanks to interning. Try it in your debug intermediate window, and it is false as the debugger does not intern your strings.
3. Exposing types as a less capable type doesn’t prevent use as their real type
A great example of this is when internal lists are exposed as IEnumerable properties, e.g.
private readonly List<string> internalStrings = new List<string>();
public IEnumerable<string> AllStrings { get { return internalStrings; } }
You’d likely think nobody can modify internal strings. Alas, it’s all too easy:
((List<string>)x.AllStrings).Add("Hello");
Even AsEnumerable won’t help as that’s a LINQ method that does nothing :( You can use AsReadOnly, which creates a wrapper over the list that throws when you try and set anything, however, and provides a good pattern for doing similar things with your classes should you need to expose a subset of internal structures if unavoidable.
4. Variables in methods can be scoped with just braces
In Pascal you had to declare all the variables your function would use at the start of the function. Thankfully, declarations today can live next to their assignment, which prevents accidentally using the variable before you intended to.
What it doesn’t do is to prevent you from using it after you intended. Given that for/if/while/using and such allow a nested scope, it should come as no surprise that you can declare variables within braces without a keyword to achieve the same result:
private void MultipleScopes() {
{ var a = 1; Console.WriteLine(a); }
{ var b = 2; Console.WriteLine(a); }
}
It’s useful as now the second copy-and-pasted code block doesn’t compile, but a much better solution is to split your method into smaller ones using the extract method refactoring.
5. Enums can have extension methods
Extension methods provide a way to write methods for existing classes that other people on your team might discover and use. Given that enums are classes like any other, it shouldn’t be too surprising that you can extend them, like:
enum Duration { Day, Week, Month };
static class DurationExtensions {
public static DateTime From(this Duration duration, DateTime dateTime) {
switch(duration) {
case Day: return dateTime.AddDays(1);
case Week: return dateTime.AddDays(7);
case Month: return dateTime.AddMonths(1);
default: throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("duration");
}
}
}
I think enums are a little harmful, but at least this lets you centralize some of the switch/if handling and abstract them away a bit until you can do something better. Remember to check the values are within the range too.
6. Order of static variable declaration in your source code matters
Some people insist that variables be ordered alphabetically, and there are tools around that can reorder for you. However, there is one scenario where reordering can break your app.
static class Program {
private static int a = 5;
private static int b = a;
static void Main(string[] args) {
Console.WriteLine(b);
}
}
This prints the value 5. Reorder the a and b declarations, and it prints 0.
7. Private instance variables of a class can be accessed by other instances
You might think the following code wouldn’t work:
class KeepSecret {
private int someSecret;
public bool Equals(KeepSecret other) {
return other.someSecret == someSecret;
}
}
It’s easy to think of private as meaning only this instance of a class can access them. The reality is it means only this class can access it - including other instances of this class. It’s quite useful when writing some comparison methods.
8. The C# Language specification is already on your computer
Providing you have Visual Studio installed, you can find it in your Visual Studio folder in your Program Files folder (x86 if on a 64-bit machine) within the VC#\Specifications folder. VS 2010 comes with the C# 5.0 document in Word format.
It’s full of many more interesting facts such as:
i = 1is atomic (thread-safe) for an int but not long- You can
&and|nullable booleans with SQL compatibility [Conditional("DEBUG")]is an alternative to#if DEBUG
And to those of you that say, “I knew all/most of these!”, I say “Where are you when I’m recruiting!” It’s hard enough to find developers with a solid understanding of the well-know parts of the language.
[)amien
Enums – Better syntax, improved performance and TryParse in NET 3.5
Recently I needed to map external data into in-memory objects. In such scenarios the TryParse methods of Int and String are useful but where is Enum.TryParse? TryParse exists in .NET 4.0 but like a lot of people I’m on .NET 3.5.
A quick look at Enum left me scratching my head.
- Why didn’t enums receive the generic love that collections received in .NET 2.0?
- Why do I have to pass in
typeof(MyEnum)everywhere? - Why do I have to the cast results back to MyEnum all the time?
- Can I write
TryParseand still make quick – i.e. without try/catch?
I found myself with a small class, Enum<T> that solved all these. I was surprised when I put it through some benchmarks that also showed the various methods were significantly faster when processing a lot of documents. Even my TryParse was quicker than that in .NET 4.0.
While there is some small memory overhead with the initial class (about 5KB for the first, a few KB per enum after) the performance benefits came as an additional bonus on top of the nicer syntax.
Before (System.Enum)
var getValues = Enum.GetValues(typeof(MyEnumbers)).OfType();
var parse = (MyEnumbers)Enum.Parse(typeof(MyEnumbers), "Seven");
var isDefined = Enum.IsDefined(typeof(MyEnumbers), 3);
var getName = Enum.GetName(typeof(MyEnumbers), MyEnumbers.Eight);
MyEnumbers tryParse;
Enum.TryParse<MyEnumbers>("Zero", out tryParse);
After (Enum)
var getValues = Enum<MyEnumbers>.GetValues();
var parse = Enum<MyEnumbers>.Parse("Seven");
var isDefined = Enum<MyEnumbers>.IsDefined(MyEnumbers.Eight);
var getName = Enum<MyEnumbers>.GetName(MyEnumbers.Eight);
MyEnumbers tryParse;
Enum<MyEnumbers>.TryParse("Zero", out tryParse);
I also added a useful ParseOrNull method that lets you either return null or default using the coalesce so you don’t have to mess around with out parameters, e.g.
MyEnumbers myValue = Enum<MyEnumbers>.ParseOrNull("Nine-teen") ?? MyEnumbers.Zero;
The class
GitHub has the latest version of EnumT.cs
Usage notes
- This class as-is only works for Enum’s backed by an int (the default) although you could modify the class to use longs etc.
- I doubt very much this class is of much use for flag enums
- Casting from long can be done using the
CastOrNullfunction instead of just putting (T) GetNameis actually much quicker thanToStringon the Enum… (e.g. Enum.GetName(a) over a.ToString()) - IsDefined doesn’t take an object like Enum and instead has three overloads which map to the actual types
Enum.IsDefinedcan deal with and saves run-time lookup - Some of the method may not behave exactly like their Enum counterparts in terms of exception messages, nulls etc.
[)amien