Understanding C# XML Documentation

C# XML documentation is a way to document code using XML tags within the code file. This documentation can be extracted into an external file that can be used for different purposes like generating documentation, providing intellisense suggestions, and creating API documentation.

C# XML documentation is written using XML tags that begin with a triple forward slash (///) located above a class, method, property, or parameter. These XML tags provide a way to document the purpose and functionality of the code.

Some commonly used XML tags in C# XML documentation are:

– `

`: Used to provide a summary of the code’s purpose.
– ``: Used to describe a method or function parameter.
– ``: Used to describe the return value of a method or function.
– ``: Used to provide additional information or details about the code.
– ``: Used to provide an example of how to use the code.

Here is an example of C# XML documentation:

“`csharp
///

/// Adds two numbers and returns the sum.
///

/// The first number. /// The second number. /// The sum of the two numbers.
public int Add(int a, int b)
{
return a + b;
}
“`

This XML documentation can then be extracted using tools like Sandcastle or Visual Studio’s Intellisense to generate documentation files.

C# XML documentation is valuable because it helps in understanding the purpose and functionality of code. It makes code more self-explanatory, allows for generating documentation files, and helps in creating reusable and maintainable code.