How to: Create a Basic Code Snippet

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Microsoft Visual Studio 2005/.NET Framework 2.0

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Creating Code Snippets

Visual Studio

How to: Create a Basic Code Snippet

IntelliSense Code Snippets are XML files with a .snippet file name extension that adhere to the IntelliSense Code Snippet XML schema. In this topic, you will create a basic code snippet that displays a message box. For more information on the Code Snippet XML schema, see Code Snippets Schema Reference.

Creating an .snippet File

Before you can begin writing your code snippet, you must create an XML file with a .snippet file name extension.

To create a .snippet file

On the File menu, click New and then click File.
Click XML File and then click Open.
On the File menu, click Save <XMLFileName>.
In the Save as type box, select All Files (*.*).
In the File name box, enter a file name with the .snippet file name extension.
Click Save.

Writing the Code

Now that you have an XML file, you need to write the XML code that makes up your code snippet. For more information on any of the XML elements used in the following examples, see Code Snippets Schema Reference.

To write the code for the code snippet

Below the automatically generated line of XML, add a CodeSnippets element with the proper xmlns attribute value, and a CodeSnippet element to create an individual code snippet. For example:
```
<CodeSnippets xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
    <CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
```

Add a header section to the code snippet. For example:

<Header>
    <Title>
        My Snippet
    </Title>
</Header>

Add the elements that define the code snippet itself. In the following example, the language of the code snippet is Visual Basic.
```
<Snippet>
    <Code Language="VB">

    </Code>
</Snippet>
```
Note

The Language attribute also accepts the values CSharp, VJSharp, and XML. For more information, see Code Element (IntelliSense Code Snippets).
Inside the Code element, add the Visual Basic code for the snippet. All snippet code must be placed between <![CDATA[ and ]]> brackets. In the following example, the code that will be inserted is MessageBox.Show("Hello World").
```
<Code Language="VB">
    <![CDATA[MessageBox.Show("Hello World")]]>
</Code>
```
Inside the Snippet element, add the References element and all of the required child elements that add a reference to the project when the snippet is inserted. In this example, the code snippet adds a reference to System.Windows.Forms.dll when the snippet is inserted.

Note

Only Visual Basic code snippets support the References section. Code snippets in other languages require that the correct references be added manually.
```
<Snippet>
    <References>
        <Reference>
            <Assembly>System.Windows.Forms.dll</Assembly>
        </Reference>
    </References>
    <Code Language="VB">
        <![CDATA[MessageBox.Show("Hello World")]]>
    </Code>
</Snippet>
```

Note
The Language attribute also accepts the values CSharp, VJSharp, and XML. For more information, see Code Element (IntelliSense Code Snippets).

Note
Only Visual Basic code snippets support the References section. Code snippets in other languages require that the correct references be added manually.

You can now use this IntelliSense Code Snippet in Visual Studio 2005 by following the procedures in How to: Manage Code Snippets and How to: Insert IntelliSense Code Snippets.

Example

This example contains the entire IntelliSense Code Snippet created in the previous steps.

<CodeSnippets
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
    <CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
        <Header>
            <Title>
                My Snippet
            </Title>
        </Header>
        <Snippet>
            <References>
                <Reference>
                    <Assembly>System.Windows.Forms.dll</Assembly>
                </Reference>
            </References>
            <Code Language="VB">
                <![CDATA[MessageBox.Show("Hello World")]]>
            </Code>
        </Snippet>
    </CodeSnippet>
</CodeSnippets>

This example contains a Visual C# version of the IntelliSense Code Snippet created in the previous steps. Visual C# code snippets to do not support the References section, so a reference to System.Windows.Forms.dll must be added to the project manually.

<CodeSnippets
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
    <CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
        <Header>
            <Title>
                My Snippet
            </Title>
        </Header>
        <Snippet>
            <Code Language="CSharp">
                <![CDATA[MessageBox.Show("Hello World");]]>
            </Code>
        </Snippet>
    </CodeSnippet>
</CodeSnippets>

When in code view, the toolbox is still available but it is empty by default. You can drag code segments onto the toolbox and in effect create a snippet. It's just not read by intellisense. You can then double click that text to fill it's contents at the cursor position or drag it to the location where you want the snippets contents to appear. Unfortunately, your toolbox is wiped clean for every new project.

The snippets in this article are better geared towards code which require references and literals. I agree, it's a lot more work then it's worth. Even getting your snippets to be read by the intellisense or forcing intellisense to display snippets is unorthodox, awkward, and slightly 'out of the way'.

.NET treats XML like the second coming, and although useful at times, I think it's entirely over-rated.

Creating an .snippet File

To create a .snippet file

Writing the Code

To write the code for the code snippet

Example

See Also

Reference

Concepts