Csharp Docs

C# Documentation Best Practices

• Public members should be documented with XML comments.
• It is encouraged to document internal members as well, especially if they are complex or not self-explanatory.

Guidance for all APIs

• Use `` to provide a brief, one sentence, description of what the type or member does. Start the summary with a present-tense, third-person verb.
• Use `` for additional information, which can include implementation details, usage notes, or any other relevant context.
• Use ` for language-specific keywords like null, true, false, int, bool`, etc.
• Use `` for inline code snippets.
• Use `` for usage examples on how to use the member.
• Use ` for code blocks. tags should be placed within an tag. Add the language of the code example using the language attribute, for example, `.
• Use `` to reference other types or members inline (in a sentence).
• Use `` for standalone (not in a sentence) references to other types or members in the "See also" section of the online docs.
• Use `` to inherit documentation from base classes or interfaces.
• Unless there is major behavior change, in which case you should document the differences.

Methods

• Use `` to describe method parameters.
• The description should be a noun phrase that doesn't specify the data type.
• Begin with an introductory article.
• If the parameter is a flag enum, start the description with "A bitwise combination of the enumeration values that specifies...".
• If the parameter is a non-flag enum, start the description with "One of the enumeration values that specifies...".
• If the parameter is a Boolean, the wording should be of the form "` to ...; otherwise, `.".
• If the parameter is an "out" parameter, the wording should be of the form "When this method returns, contains .... This parameter is treated as uninitialized.".
• Use `` to reference parameter names in documentation.
• Use `` to describe type parameters in generic types or methods.
• Use `` to reference type parameters in documentation.
• Use `` to describe what the method returns.
• The description should be a noun phrase that doesn't specify the data type.
• Begin with an introductory article.
• If the return type is Boolean, the wording should be of the form "` if ...; otherwise, `.".

Constructors

• The summary wording should be "Initializes a new instance of the class [or struct].".

Properties

• The `` should start with:
• "Gets or sets..." for a read-write property.
• "Gets..." for a read-only property.
• "Gets [or sets] a value that indicates whether..." for properties that return a Boolean value.
• Use `` to describe the value of the property.
• The description should be a noun phrase that doesn't specify the data type.
• If the property has a default value, add it in a separate sentence, for example, "The default is ``".
• If the value type is Boolean, the wording should be of the form "` if ...; otherwise, `. The default is ...".

Exceptions

• Use `` to document exceptions thrown by constructors, properties, indexers, methods, operators, and events.
• Document all exceptions thrown directly by the member.
• For exceptions thrown by nested members, document only the exceptions users are most likely to encounter.
• The description of the exception describes the condition under which it's thrown.
• Omit "Thrown if ..." or "If ..." at the beginning of the sentence. Just state the condition directly, for example "An error occurred when accessing a Message Queuing API."

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: Harmeet10000
• Source: Harmeet10000/skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.