Why use t4 templates

Typically you use several templates that read the data in a single input file or database, and generate some of your.

Each template generates one file. For example, your input data could be an XML file of configuration data. Whenever you edit the XML file during development, the text templates regenerate part of the application code. One of the templates could resemble the following example:. Depending on the values in the XML file, the generated. As another example, the input could be a diagram of workflow in a business activity.

When the users change their business workflow, or when you start work with new users who have a different workflow, it is easy to regenerate the code to fit the new model.

Design-time templates make it quicker and more reliable to change the configuration when the requirements change. Typically the input is defined in terms of business requirements, as in the workflow example.

This makes it easier to discuss the changes with your users. Improve this answer. Net webforms, both HTML and codebehind, based on a database schema scafolding.

It gives me a good, quick, simple, basic starting point for my projects. And the best is I'm in control. And if you're really good you can make it support a database it wasn't intended to. Robert Harvey. I'm considering switching my code to use these templates. Anybody have any testimonial resources or some encouraging words about using l2st4? Net code base. Tim Fischer. Sign up or log in Sign up using Google.

Sign up using Facebook. Sign up using Email and Password. Post as a guest Name. In the past I have also Runtime Text Templates to read data from a database and generate C static mock data for use in unit tests. Software development involves manipulating a lot of text files. Anytime some of that can be automated means that you can get to your high-value work faster. Tutorial for working with Text Templates.

Tutorial for working with Runtime Text Templates. April 5, Tags : CSharp Tweet. My name is Eric Potter. I have an amazing wife and 5 wonderful children. I am a Microsoft MVP for. I am a software architect for Aptera Software in Ft. Wayne Indiana and an adjunct professor for Indiana Tech. If you are in that camp and think it is a great tool for a lot of problems, I am not going to argue with you. After all, this post is not about proving code generation is a bad idea.

Very rarely though, I find myself in a situation where code generation is a good fit for the problem at hand and the alternative solutions would either be harder or uglier. You should still try to evaluate alternative solutions and weigh your options. Also if you go for code generation make sure to still write unit tests.