About GhostDoc

Simplify your XML Comments.

GhostDoc is a Visual Studio extension that automatically generates XML documentation comments for methods and properties based on their type, parameters, name, and other contextual information. When generating documentation for class derived from a base class or for interface implementation (e.g. .NET Framework or your custom framework), GhostDoc will use the documentation that Microsoft or the framework vendor has already written for the base class or interface.

GhostDoc Features

Automatic XML Comment Generation

  • Generate properly formatted method and type documentation instantly.
  • Have parameter and return values pre-populated with intelligent starting descriptions of what they do.

Customizable XML Comment Templates

  • Customize the generated documentation precisely to your specific needs using templates.
    • Standard T4 templates allow you to customize the documentation generation exactly according to your needs.
    • Make use of the template editing and validation to ensure easy customization.
    • Customize code documentation for methods as well as interfaces, structs, fields, events, Javascript variables, and many more.

Easy Code Documentation Maintenance

  • If you've renamed a method, have your documentation updated accordingly.
  • Likewise, revisit renamed parameters and return values.
  • If you've added parameters, have those put into the documentation.
  • Or, if you've removed parameters, have them taken out.
  • Find missing or outdated documentation.
  • Discover or remove the auto-generated documentation.

Documentation in Your Preferred Format

  • Give your users documentation in multiple formats and let them choose their preferred format instead of the one you happen to know and maintain.
  • With a single click, generate CHM, MS Help, Intellisense file, or Web-based documentation for your entire solution.
  • Re-generating the documentation after you've modified your code is as simple as yet another single click.

Visual Comment Editor

  • Edit inline in the actual help documentation so that you see the end result as you go.
  • Leave the result in your source code files as XML documentation when you're satisfied.
  • Never worry about hand-typing escape sequences or remembering how best to format the method or type summary.

Custom Help Content

  • Build code review into everyone's routine.
  • Save countless person-hours in conference rooms.
  • Perform checks prior to commits, rather than after the fact.
  • Incorporate code review into the team build.
  • Avoid needless team conflict.

Documentation from the Build

  • Automatically generate documentation as part of each build.
  • Never worry about syncing the documentation and the code, as GhostDoc handles this automatically.
  • Treat your documentation as yet another artifact associated with releases.

Smart Spell Check

  • Have GhostDoc check your comments and your code for misspellings.
  • Enjoy a rich set of options to help you combat false positives, such as disabling checks on email addresses and URLs.
  • Work with a spell checker that understands Pascal and camel casing.
  • Enable in-editor spell checking, generate a custom report, or turn it off altogether - whatever level of assistance you want is available.

Intellisense Control

  • Design the exact Intellisense experience you want users of your API to have.
  • Produce your custom Intellisense file with a single click or as part of your build.
  • Control the content of the Intellisense file with the scope and tag filtering.

Code Contract Compatible

  • Code Contracts help are a great technique to reduce bugs in code. They are a software artifact and, as such, should be documented. GhostDoc consumes code contract XML tags and outputs their information in the help documentation and the Visual Editor.

StyleCop Compliance

  • Instant StyleCop compliance out of the box.
  • No need to create custom templates, manually update documentation or reconfigure StyleCop to avoid warnings and false positives.

GhostDoc Pro Edition includes:

General

  • Auto-generate a starting point for your docs
  • Visual Editor for XML Comments
  • Full-featured Help Documentation Builder
  • Intelligent source code Spell Checker
  • Documentation Maintenance features
  • Documentation Quality editor hints
  • XML Comment Preview
  • New output format - VS IntelliSense file
  • Toolbar for quick command access

XML Documentation Templates

  • Document This
  • Document Type
  • Document File
  • Document Project
  • Document File Header
  • Auto-generate a starting point for your docs
  • Copy base class documentation when available
  • Document Exceptions
  • StyleCop compliant documentation templates
  • Configurable rules, acronyms and macros
  • Abbreviation expansion
  • Non-breaking Words list
  • Summary Override table
  • Summary Override regular expressions
  • Global Properties
  • Support for <inheritdoc /> tag
  • Exclude from Documentation action
  • Add a 'must edit' TODO task
  • Add <autogeneratedoc /> tag
  • Highlight auto-generated summary
  • XML Comment template - T4
  • Template editor IntelliSense support
  • XML Comment Template Libraries
  • Assignable shortcut (default Ctrl-Shift-D)
  • Any menu command can be assigned a shortcut
  • Option to re-build documentation
  • Import/Export of the configuration

Documentation Quality and Maintenance

  • Documentation Quality editor hints
  • Find auto-generated comments
  • Find and fix missing documentation
  • Fix out of sync comments
  • Can be copied from the base class
  • Auto-generated docs to be edited

Help Documentation Builder

  • Preview Comment
  • Theme support for help documentation
  • Frameless web help documentation themes
  • Help Configurations
  • Help Content Targeting
  • Embed images into the Help markup
  • Automatic linking to .NET Framework docs
  • Support for <inheritdoc /> tag
  • Include Code Contracts into help docs
  • Custom Tags support
  • Code sample syntax highlighting
  • Select projects to include
  • Define documentation Header and Footer
  • Include/exclude by Scope
  • Mark auto-generated and 'to be edited'

Documentation Formats

  • Html Help1 (.CHM)
  • VS IntelliSense file
  • MS Help Viewer aka MS Help 3 (.MSHC)
  • Frameless web site (HTML, ASP.NET, PHP)
  • Web Site (HTML, ASP.NET, PHP)

Spell Checking

  • Check spelling as you type
  • Spell check code
  • Spelling report for entire project/solution
  • Specify files to check
  • Spelling suggestions with automated correction
  • Customize spell checking options
  • Dictionaries out of the box
  • Programming dictionary included
  • Add any language Open Office dictionary
  • Create custom dictionaries

GhostDoc Enterprise Edition Features - includes everything in the GhostDoc Pro Edition plus the following:

General

  • Command Line Version

Help Documentation Builder

  • Produce help documentation from build
  • Customize layout and template
  • Preview Comment customization
  • Create own themes for help documentation
  • Add custom content
  • Remove "Generated with GhostDoc"

Unattended Deployment

  • Silent Deployment
  • Silent Activation
  • Enterprise Licensing Server (option)
  • Priority Support