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Survey Results

Do you use C# style XML comments when programming?   [Edit]

Survey period: 9 May 2005 to 15 May 2005

XML comments make documentation easy and they don't have to be reserved for C# only. Regardless of your programming language, do you use XML comments? (suggested by Matthias Steinbart)

OptionVotes% 
I don't use C# and don't use XML comments at all41032.83
I use C# and don't use them at all20916.73
I only provide summaries15512.41
I provide summaries, return values and parameters37029.62
I provide everything including fully formatted remarks, examples and exception tags.1058.41



 
GeneralRe: Double-edged sword Pin
Ray Cassick10-May-05 7:25
Ray Cassick10-May-05 7:25 
GeneralRe: Double-edged sword Pin
Kevin McFarlane11-May-05 9:30
Kevin McFarlane11-May-05 9:30 
GeneralRe: Double-edged sword Pin
Roland Bär12-May-05 1:15
Roland Bär12-May-05 1:15 
GeneralRe: Double-edged sword Pin
Bob Stanneveld12-May-05 22:13
Bob Stanneveld12-May-05 22:13 
GeneralRe: Double-edged sword Pin
Kevin McFarlane11-May-05 9:31
Kevin McFarlane11-May-05 9:31 
GeneralRe: Double-edged sword Pin
SHaroz11-May-05 18:21
SHaroz11-May-05 18:21 
GeneralNo Pin
PJ Arends8-May-05 21:59
professionalPJ Arends8-May-05 21:59 
GeneralRe: No Pin
David Wulff9-May-05 3:23
David Wulff9-May-05 3:23 
I agree, from what I've seen, that Doxygen formatting makes comments hard to read.

I disagree however that XML comments make the comments hard to read. By default if you let VS.NET generate the stubs for you then the summary section will be on it's own line with no formatting at all. Even for those that do share lines, like params, it is a non-event to read the information you require. Granted I come from a web development background but XML syntax makes it very easy to to strip out information by eye.

I don't use XML comments for readability though, I use them because a) they are used in the object browser which is a major plus point for me, and b) because you can easily generate interlinked documentation that gives you high-level and even language specific information about your objects. Neither might be particularly useful if you only work with your own code, but if you have to share code around a team or with third parties it reduces the time taken to learn new objects dramatically.




Die Freiheit spielt auf allen Geigen
GeneralRe: No Pin
Anna-Jayne Metcalfe9-May-05 5:49
Anna-Jayne Metcalfe9-May-05 5:49 
GeneralRe: No Pin
Jim A. Johnson9-May-05 7:04
Jim A. Johnson9-May-05 7:04 
GeneralRe: No Pin
Shog99-May-05 10:43
sitebuilderShog99-May-05 10:43 
GeneralI provide summaries, return values and parameters ... Pin
Roland Bär8-May-05 21:49
Roland Bär8-May-05 21:49 
GeneralRe: I provide summaries, return values and parameters ... Pin
David Wulff9-May-05 3:16
David Wulff9-May-05 3:16 
GeneralRe: I provide summaries, return values and parameters ... Pin
Ray Cassick9-May-05 7:23
Ray Cassick9-May-05 7:23 
GeneralRe: I provide summaries, return values and parameters ... Pin
David Wulff9-May-05 7:29
David Wulff9-May-05 7:29 
GeneralRe: I provide summaries, return values and parameters ... Pin
Blake Miller10-May-05 4:16
Blake Miller10-May-05 4:16 
GeneralRe: I provide summaries, return values and parameters ... Pin
David Wulff10-May-05 5:26
David Wulff10-May-05 5:26 
GeneralRe: I provide summaries, return values and parameters ... Pin
Shog910-May-05 17:38
sitebuilderShog910-May-05 17:38 

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