Zastai.Build.ApiReference 2.0.0

Zastai.Build.ApiReference

Extends an MSBuild project to produce an API reference source for each output assembly.

This source is not intended to be compilable; rather the intent is for it to be kept under source control, so that any changes to public API are easy to detect and track.

Configuration - Properties

The following properties can be set in the project to affect the behaviour:

ApiReferenceFormat

The format to use for the API Reference source.

Supported Values: C# (or cs or csharp) for C#, and C#-MarkDown (or variations using cs, csharp instead of C# and/or md instead of MarkDown) for MarkDown-with-C#.

ApiReferenceLibraryPath

The directories to search for the dependencies of the output assemblies (separated by semicolons).

If not specified, it will use the list of referenced assemblies as determined by the build.

ApiReferenceOutputDir

The directory where the API Reference source is created.

Defaults to $(TargetDir).

ApiReferenceOutputExt

The extension used for the API Reference source.

Defaults to .cs when the format is C#, and .cs.md when the format is MarkDown-with-C#.

ApiReferenceOutputPath

The full path of the API Reference source.

Defaults to $(ApiReferenceOutputDir)$(TargetName)$(ApiReferenceOutputExt).

Note: when setting this yourself in a project file, you cannot rely on any of the other defaulted properties (like ApiReferenceOutputExt, for example), because that defaulting happens after the project file is read. To be able to do that, set it in Directory.Build.targets (docs).

CreateApiReferenceOutputDir

Determines whether the directory part of ApiReferenceOutputPath will be created as part of the processing.

Defaults to false.

GenerateApiReference

Determines whether API Reference sources will be generated for each assembly.

Defaults to true.

MonoRunner

The program used to run the generator under Mono.

Defaults to mono --runtime=v4.0.30319.

NetCoreRunner

The program used to run the generator under .NET Core.

Defaults to dotnet.

SkipApiReferenceOutputPathFileWrite

Determines whether the output files are registered in @(FileWrites).

Defaults to false.

Configuration - Which Attributes to Include

The choice of which attributes to consider part of the public API is based on two item groups:

In both cases, names match against the full internal name of the attribute type (like Namespace.GenericTypeName`2/NestedAttribute). Attributes handled as part of syntax generation (like System.ParamArrayAttribute and System.Runtime.CompilerServices.ExtensionAttribute) are never included. Note that wildcards are not supported (MSBuild would match those against the file system).

ApiReferenceExcludeAttribute has a number of attributes preloaded; you can list these out using something like this:

  <Target Name="ListAttributesExcludedFromApiReference">
    <Message Importance="high" Text="The following attributes are configured to be excluded from the generated API reference:" />
    <Message Importance="high" Text="- %(ApiReferenceExcludeAttribute.Identity)" />
  </Target>

You can also use the Remove option of the ItemGroup to remove some or all of them if you would prefer to retain them; this option does allow wildcards (they are matched against existing items).

For example,

  <ItemGroup>
    <ApiReferenceExcludeAttribute Remove="System.Reflection.Assembly*Attribute" />
  </ItemGroup>

will re-enable all the assembly metadata attributes (like [AssemblyProduct] and [AssemblyCopyright]).

Release Notes

These are available on GitHub.

Credits

Package icon created by DinosoftLabs - FlatIcon.