Using the Generator SDK

This page shows you how to download, install and use the CodeSmith Generator SDK in your applications. It also walks through the most common uses of the Generator API:

• Compiling a template
• Retrieving compile errors
• Creating a template instance
• Filling in template metadata
• Rendering a template

Download Generator

Sign in to your account, then download CodeSmith Generator from the downloads page.

Install the license

When you buy an SDK license from the online store, you receive a license key file by email. Make it available to your application in one of these ways:

• Embed the license file as an embedded resource in the assembly that calls CodeSmith.Engine.
• Put the license file in the same folder as your application.
• Set the license key in the Generator:License environment variable, or in code with the CodeSmithLicense.SetLicenseKey(key) method. Use this option only on build and web servers, because it overrides any locally defined licenses.

Create a project

Create a project that targets the .NET Framework 4.8. This example uses a console application.

Add package references

Your project must reference this NuGet package:

• CodeSmith.Generator

The example below also uses these packages:

• CodeSmith.Generator.BaseTemplates
• CodeSmith.Generator.CustomProperties
• SchemaExplorer
• SchemaExplorer.SqlSchemaProvider

Write the code

Add this code to the console application:

public static void Main() {
    string path = System.IO.Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, @"..\..\StoredProcedures.cst");
    var engine = new TemplateEngine(new DefaultEngineHost(System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(path)));

    CompileTemplateResult result = engine.Compile(path);
    if (result.Errors.Count == 0) {
        var database = new DatabaseSchema(new SqlSchemaProvider(), @"Server=.;Database=PetShop;Integrated Security=True;");
        TableSchema table = database.Tables["Inventory"];

        CodeTemplate template = result.CreateTemplateInstance();
        template.SetProperty("SourceTable", table);
        template.SetProperty("IncludeDrop", false);
        template.SetProperty("InsertPrefix", "Insert");
        template.Render(Console.Out);
    } else {
        foreach (var error in result.Errors)
            Console.Error.WriteLine(error.ToString());
    }

    Console.WriteLine("\r\nPress any key to continue.");
    Console.ReadKey();
}

The code compiles and runs, but it needs the StoredProcedures.cst template from the APISample project.

Step	API
Compile the template	TemplateEngine.Compile returns a CompileTemplateResult.
Retrieve compile errors	CompileTemplateResult.Errors.
Create a template instance	CompileTemplateResult.CreateTemplateInstance() returns a CodeTemplate.
Fill in template metadata	CodeTemplate.SetProperty(name, value).
Render the template	CodeTemplate.Render(TextWriter).

If you have questions about the SDK API, contact support.