Generating Markdown Documentation from C# Libraries using Python

Generating Markdown Documentation from C# Libraries using Python

If you are developing a C# library or application and want to generate beautiful and organized documentation, markdowndotnet is the perfect tool for you. This Python command line tool allows you to convert C# library files and their XML documentation into markdown documents. In this article, we will explore the features and usage of markdowndotnet, as well as provide code examples to get you started.

Setting up markdowndotnet

Before we can start generating markdown documentation, we need to set up the markdowndotnet tool. Here are the requirements:

• Python 3.6 or higher
• pythonnet
• PyYAML
• click

You can install these dependencies using pip. Once you have Python and the required packages installed, you are ready to proceed.

Running the markdowndotnet script

To generate markdown documentation, we need to provide the path to the C# library file (.dll) and its corresponding XML documentation file. The script takes these two file paths as arguments. Here’s an example:

python markdowndotnet.py ExampleProject.dll ExampleProject.xml

By default, the generated markdown files will be stored in a folder named “output/” in the current working directory. You can change this location by modifying the script. The markdown files are organized by namespace, with each object in the assembly having its own markdown file.

Features of markdowndotnet

• Generates markdown documents from compiled C# binaries and their XML documentation.
• Displays all public fields, properties, and methods, along with their parameters and return types.
• Generates internal links between members for easy navigation.
• Supports external links to system classes.
• Provides partial support for summary, params, and returns tags.

Example code implementations

1. Example 1: Generating Markdown Documentation for a C# Library

import markdowndotnet

# Specify the paths to the C# library file and XML documentation file
dll_path = "ExampleProject.dll"
xml_path = "ExampleProject.xml"

# Generate the markdown documentation
markdowndotnet.generate_markdown(dll_path, xml_path)

2. Example 2: Customizing the Output Location

import markdowndotnet

# Specify the paths to the C# library file and XML documentation file
dll_path = "ExampleProject.dll"
xml_path = "ExampleProject.xml"

# Customize the output location
output_dir = "docs/"

# Generate the markdown documentation
markdowndotnet.generate_markdown(dll_path, xml_path, output_dir)

3. Example 3: Generating Documentation for Multiple C# Libraries

import markdowndotnet

# Specify the paths to the C# library files and XML documentation files
dll_paths = ["Library1.dll", "Library2.dll"]
xml_paths = ["Library1.xml", "Library2.xml"]

# Generate the markdown documentation for each library
for dll_path, xml_path in zip(dll_paths, xml_paths):
markdowndotnet.generate_markdown(dll_path, xml_path)

In this article, we discussed how to use the markdowndotnet Python command line tool to generate markdown documentation from C# libraries and their XML documentation. We explored the setup process, provided code examples, and highlighted the features and limitations of the tool. With markdowndotnet, you can effortlessly create well-organized documentation for your C# projects.

Category: Documentation, Python Package, C#

Tags: markdown, documentation, Python, C#, command line tool, XML, mkdocs