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Speed Your Development

Posted May 3, 2004

Workstate's Codify 1.3 is a simple, inexpensive tool for using and building code templates. It's well integrated into VS.NET and comes with basic templates for C++, C#, and VB.NET (see Figure 1). You can also extend Codify to work with other languages outside of the VS.NET environment.

Templates let you standardize your team's development by adding predefined code to projects automatically. For example, if you want to ensure that all your classes support a tracing method, you can define a template that includes the code for tracing, then use this template for new classes. Templates also provide an effective mechanism for encouraging a variety of development standards and for promoting effective coding. Once you have an efficient template, reusing it ensures continued efficiency.

Another advantage to templates is that they can speed development by reducing time you might spend writing the same code repeatedly. Codify's templates are far more effective than copy-and-paste editing, because the product supports parameterized templates. For example, suppose you want to ensure that all your database-table-access classes use an identification property, but you know that the property name will change from table to table. In this case, you can make the identification property name a parameter, then fill in the parameter with an appropriate name for each new class.

Codify comes with predefined templates for creating remote application-configuration files, SQL Server stored procedure wrappers, class properties, strongly typed collections, Visual Studio add-ins, and a number of other useful operations. Codify is at its best within the Visual Studio environment, but it also includes a standalone editor. You'll also find a standalone file-builder tool for generating template-based code outside the VS.NET environment.

You do face a fair amount of work if you choose to build your own templates. Codify requires you to develop software for creating the generated code. Workstate provides a straightforward API and an editor for defining parameters, but it's up to you to use the API to implement your template. This isn't terribly difficult—and it does make Codify a flexible and efficient template tool—but you should be aware of the time you must invest up front.

Workstate's support team is responsive and knowledgeable. However, the company needs to improve the documentation for Codify. For example, the documentation for the template-generation API consists only of a documented sample template. The sample is thorough, but the API should still be documented fully within the help system.

Codify reflects thoughtful design and can generate a variety of template types. Once you've written your templates, you'll find them simple to use. Codify is a good, affordable choice if you're prepared to do the type of work that developing good templates requires.

Codify 1.3
Workstate
Web: www.workstate.com
Phone: 614-559-3904
Price: $75
Quick Facts: Basic tool for creating C#, C++, and VB.NET code templates.
Pros: Integrates fully into VS.NET.
Cons: Poor documentation.

About the Author
Andy Clark is a consultant with iGate Inc. in the Richmond, Va., area. He holds PMP, MCSD, and SJCP certifications. Reach him at .