C#•2y ago

What's the proper way to build source generator?

Problem

I've just started my source generator with minimal example.
When I made change to

C.Text

C.Text

C.Text

C.Text, and run

dotnet build

dotnet build

dotnet build

dotnet build or

dotnet clean && dotnet build

dotnet clean && dotnet build

dotnet clean && dotnet build

dotnet clean && dotnet build for generator project, the change doesn't apply to the console app references this generator(sometimes it may work)

Console project

using MyGenerator;

Console.WriteLine(C.Text);

using MyGenerator;

Console.WriteLine(C.Text);

using MyGenerator;

Console.WriteLine(C.Text);

using MyGenerator;

Console.WriteLine(C.Text);

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
  </PropertyGroup>

 <ItemGroup>
  <ProjectReference Include="../MySourceGenerator/MySourceGenerator.csproj" OutputItemType="Analyzer" ReferenceOutputAssembly="false" />
 </ItemGroup>
</Project>

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
  </PropertyGroup>

 <ItemGroup>
  <ProjectReference Include="../MySourceGenerator/MySourceGenerator.csproj" OutputItemType="Analyzer" ReferenceOutputAssembly="false" />
 </ItemGroup>
</Project>

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
  </PropertyGroup>

 <ItemGroup>
  <ProjectReference Include="../MySourceGenerator/MySourceGenerator.csproj" OutputItemType="Analyzer" ReferenceOutputAssembly="false" />
 </ItemGroup>
</Project>

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
  </PropertyGroup>

 <ItemGroup>
  <ProjectReference Include="../MySourceGenerator/MySourceGenerator.csproj" OutputItemType="Analyzer" ReferenceOutputAssembly="false" />
 </ItemGroup>
</Project>

## Generator project

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>netstandard2.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    <EnforceExtendedAnalyzerRules>true</EnforceExtendedAnalyzerRules>
    <LangVersion>latest</LangVersion>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Analyzers" Version="3.3.4">
      <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
    </PackageReference>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.CSharp" Version="4.8.0" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>netstandard2.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    <EnforceExtendedAnalyzerRules>true</EnforceExtendedAnalyzerRules>
    <LangVersion>latest</LangVersion>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Analyzers" Version="3.3.4">
      <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
    </PackageReference>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.CSharp" Version="4.8.0" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>netstandard2.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    <EnforceExtendedAnalyzerRules>true</EnforceExtendedAnalyzerRules>
    <LangVersion>latest</LangVersion>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Analyzers" Version="3.3.4">
      <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
    </PackageReference>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.CSharp" Version="4.8.0" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>netstandard2.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    <EnforceExtendedAnalyzerRules>true</EnforceExtendedAnalyzerRules>
    <LangVersion>latest</LangVersion>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Analyzers" Version="3.3.4">
      <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
    </PackageReference>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.CSharp" Version="4.8.0" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

Thinker•1/5/24, 4:14 PM

If you're asking about the proper way to build source generators, then the proper way is to write unit tests for the generator.

Thinker•1/5/24, 4:15 PM

It's generally a pain to debug and test generators by running them from the command-line, and tests are a much more reliable method of testing them.

Thinker•1/5/24, 4:16 PM

On another note, this generator is quite obviously a work-in-progress, but you should never do context.CompilationProvider.Combine(...);context.CompilationProvider.Combine(...); as passing CompilationCompilations through your incremental pipeline completely breaks incrementality.

TThinker On another note, this generator is quite obviously a work-in-progress, but you s...

wtq40cy3nOP•1/6/24, 9:59 AM

I simply followed the introduction from dotnet channel on youtube, I can't find documentation of IIncrementalGeneratorIIncrementalGenerator with unit testing, they're almost all about ISourceGeneratorISourceGenerator. Currently I don't really understand what incrementalityincrementality is, is a there any recommended doc or video to follow?