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Code Review Tools: The Different Kinds and 3 You Must Have

Carlos SchultsArticles, CarlosSchults, CodeReviewsNo Comments

A butler, a bouncer, and a nerdCode review is one of the most common topics here on the SubMain blog. Today’s post covers this subject again, this time attacking a very specific angle: code review tools. If you’ve been a software developer for a while, you’re probably familiar with at least a few of them.

But do you know the different types of tools out there? Would you know how to categorize them? Knowing how to do so might be the difference between adopting the right tool for the right situation or being paralyzed by doubt. Which situation would you prefer?

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XML Comments: Using Them in XML and Other Languages

Carlos SchultsArticles, CarlosSchults, DocumentationNo Comments

XML_comment_sign_with_java_c_sharp_language_logosDoes the term “XML comments” confuse you? Well, rest assured. You’re not alone. “Does that refer to comments inside an XML file?” you might wonder. Or maybe you have this vague notion that it has something to do with some kind of documentation for programming source code. Both assumptions are kind of right. But you’re still reading this post, which means that “kind of” isn’t going cut for you, right?

So this post is all about XML comments. You’re going to learn what this term actually means, what XML comments are (and aren’t) good for, and learn a thing or two about software documentation. If you’re ready, then let’s get started!

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CodeIt.Right for VS2019

Serge BaranovskyBeta, CodeIt.Right, NewsNo Comments

CodeIt.Right v2019 Bate is now available!

You need this version if you want to use CodeIt.Right with Visual Studio 2019.

Download CodeIt.Right v2019 Beta

Older version licenses

Note to the CodeIt.Right v3.x users: The v3.x (or earlier) license codes won’t work with the v2019. For users with License Protection and active Software Assurance subscription, we will be sending out the v2019 license codes. Alternatively, you can retrieve your v2019 licenses at the My Account page right now. Users without the License Protection or with expired Software Assurance subscription will need to purchase the new version. Currently, we are not offering an upgrade path other than the Software Assurance subscription. For information about the upgrade protection see our Software Assurance and Support – Renewal / Reinstatement Terms

C# Operators: A Detailed Guide to All Of Them

Phil VuolletArticles, CodeBasics, CodeIt.Right, PhilVuollet8 Comments

C# OperatorsEvery programming language has operators. Operators are the components of the language that, well, operate on variables—mostly. Most C# operators are symbols such as % and ??. And some are words, like async and is. In this guide, you’ll see all of them, including an example of each one. We’ll start with the operators that are common among programming languages and end on some that are more specific to C#.

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Released: GhostDoc v2019

Serge BaranovskyGhostDoc, News, ReleasesNo Comments

GhostDoc v2019 is now available!

You need this version if you want to use GhostDoc with Visual Studio 2019.

Download GhostDoc

Older version licenses

Note to the GhostDoc v2018 users: The v2018.x (or earlier) license codes won’t work with the v2019. For users with License Protection and active Software Assurance subscription, we will be sending out the v2019 license codes. Alternatively, you can retrieve your v2019 licenses at the My Account page right now. Users without the License Protection or with expired Software Assurance subscription will need to purchase the new version. Currently, we are not offering an upgrade path other than the Software Assurance subscription. For information about the upgrade protection see our Software Assurance and Support – Renewal / Reinstatement Terms

Visual Studio Comment Shortcuts: Make Yourself More Efficient

Phil VuolletArticles, PhilVuolletNo Comments

Cntrl_shift_d_keys_for_GhostDoc_launch_shortcutBy now, we all know Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V like the backs of our hands. Heck, some developers write entire programs using these copy/paste shortcuts! But what about using other shortcuts to make yourself more efficient?

That’s right, I’m talking about Visual Studio comment shortcuts. You may be aware that the Ctrl+K, Ctrl+C chord creates a comment, but there’s a bit more magic to it than the shortcut alone. This post will delve into some details about context, language, and efficiency when it comes to comments in Visual Studio. Let’s follow tradition by starting with the basics and working our way to more advanced concepts as we go along.

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Team Room Problems: 5 Signs of a Toxic Code Review Culture

Mark HenkeArticles, CodeIt.Right, CodeReviews, MarkHenke4 Comments

Code Review biohazardMany people have explored the concept of code reviews at length. They continue to be an integral part of the developer experience, for reasons I will discuss below. But, like most things that challenge us to improve, they can easily become awkward and a host for a variety of toxic behaviors. A number of articles have been written about proper code reviews, and they usually center around the idea of “being nice.” But I’m going to hone in on a few slightly different signs of toxicity in your code reviews. And with each sign, I’ll help you understand how you can change your team’s behavior to create a healthier environment.

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C# Comments: A Complete Guide, Including Examples

Carlos SchultsArticles, CarlosSchults, CodeBasics, Documentation, GhostDocNo Comments

C_sharp_comments_sign_with_arrowTime for another C#-related post. We’ve already covered a fair amount of the language’s keywords, types, and concepts in previous posts. Today’s post covers comments, a topic that you might think is trivial. My mission in this post is to convince you otherwise. True, comments are far from being the most exciting programming topic you could think of, I admit. And sure, comments have gotten a negative reputation over the years. But there’s more to comments than you might think.

In this post, you’ll learn about the definition of C# comments, followed by common justifications for their usage. Then we’ll proceed to show you the different possible types of C# comments and how to use them in practice. Let’s get started.

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DateTime.Now: Usage, Examples, Best Practices, and Pitfalls

Carlos SchultsArticles, CarlosSchults, CodeBasics, CodeIt.Right, CodeQuality2 Comments

Datetime.now_code_snippet_hand_drawnIf I were to summarize DateTime.Now using one word, it would be “don’t.” DateTime.Now is a very problematic way of retrieving the current date and time, and you should—almost—never use it.

But that would make for a super short post and an incredibly unhelpful one at that. It’s not enough to say you shouldn’t use a given approach without going further to explain why it’s problematic and what to do instead.

So, that’s what we’re going to do now—take a look at the dos and don’ts of DateTime.Now as well as a few best practices and alternatives. Let’s get started.

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Software Documentation: What You Need to Document and How

Vlad GeorgescuArticles, Documentation, GhostDoc, VladGeorgescuNo Comments

 

A hand writing software documentation on paper

Software documentation is all about bringing clarity into a code baseline. It provides clues to clarify the meaning of certain code structures. For this purpose, we use best programming practices and tools to clarify our software. When documenting software, we aim to minimize time spent hunting for meaning. We want anyone using or reading our code to know exactly what we meant when we wrote it. In addition, they should also know how to use our code without having to look for extra clues. Whether it’s an API, a suite of REST services, or simply a method in your code, it should all be clear.  When things are not clear, you have to dig up the meaning from other parts of the code, and this is a waste of time.

In this article, we’ll explore what information to document and how to do it. Lastly, we will talk about presenting our software documentation.

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