Xml2Doc.Core 2.0.0

Xml2Doc.Core

Core library for the Xml2Doc toolset (part of mod-posh). Now multi-targeted and verified for consistent output across modern .NET TFMs.

Overview

Xml2Doc.Core is the engine behind the Xml2Doc CLI and MSBuild task. It parses XML doc comments, resolves references, and renders clean, linkable Markdown—either one file per type or a single combined document.

Features

• Parses common XML doc elements: <summary>, <remarks>, <example>, <seealso>, <exception>, <inheritdoc/>.
• Converts <see>, <paramref> into inline Markdown links and code spans.
• Cleans namespaces and shortens generics (List<T> vs System.Collections.Generic.List<T>).
• Built-in type aliasing (System.String → string, etc.) without breaking identifiers (StringComparer remains intact).
• Overload grouping for cleaner member sections.
• Two output modes:
  • Per-type (RenderToDirectory) → TypeName.md with in-file member anchors.
  • Single-file (RenderToSingleFile / RenderToString) → one Markdown with headings + explicit anchors.
• Stable, explicit anchors for members; GitHub-style heading slugs for types (single-file).
• Depth-aware generic formatting (correctly renders nested generics).
• Paragraph- and code-block–preserving normalization.
• Configuration via RendererOptions:
  • Filename mode: Verbatim or CleanGenerics
  • RootNamespaceToTrim (display-only trimming)
  • Code block language (default csharp)
  • Per-type index.md generation (GenerateIndex, default true)
  • Markdown line endings (Lf default, CrLf, or Native)
  • Output mode (single vs. multi-file)

Supported Target Frameworks

Shipped TFMs:

• netstandard2.0 — broad library reach
• net8.0
• net9.0

Guarantee: Default Markdown output is deterministic and equivalent across these TFMs and hosts, including LF line endings. We test cross-TFM output directly without relying on post-render newline normalization.

Language-version notes

• netstandard2.0: Source uses C# 10 syntax (file-scoped namespaces/global usings) but avoids runtime-only APIs not present in NS2.0. Where needed, we use compatibility shims and alternate overloads (e.g., prefer string.Split(char, StringSplitOptions) and avoid Index/Range in hot paths).
• net8.0 / net9.0: SDK defaults.

Behavior Guarantees Across TFMs

• Anchors/slugs: Identical across TFMs and modes.
• Linking: Member cref targets resolve to owning type pages (per-type) or in-document anchors (single-file).
• Formatting: Built-in aliases, generic labels, paragraph and code-block handling match exactly.

Compatibility (netstandard2.0)

To keep netstandard2.0 first-class:

• Removed reliance on APIs absent in NS2.0 (AsSpan, Range/Index, certain Split overloads).
• Added targeted nullability guards where analyzers flagged potential issues (no behavior changes).
• Kept rendering logic identical to newer TFMs.

Anchors & Link Behavior

• Per-type (RenderToDirectory)

  • Types render to *.md files (filename strategy controlled by FileNameMode).
  • Members link to anchors inside the type file (e.g., Type.md#member-anchor).

• Single-file (RenderToSingleFile / RenderToString)

  • Types get heading-based slugs (GitHub-style).
  • Members get explicit anchors in the combined document.

Example

using Xml2Doc.Core;

var model = XmlDocModel.Load("MyLibrary.xml");

var options = new RendererOptions(
    FileNameMode: FileNameMode.CleanGenerics,
    RootNamespaceToTrim: "MyCompany.MyProduct",
    CodeBlockLanguage: "csharp"
);

var renderer = new MarkdownRenderer(model, options);

// Per-type output
renderer.RenderToDirectory("./docs");

// Single-file output
renderer.RenderToSingleFile("./docs/api.md");

Tests & Snapshots

• Snapshot tests assert stable Markdown for representative inputs.
• Cross-TFM test renders via CLI for net8.0 and net9.0 and compares outputs (with EOL normalization).
• A Windows-only, opt-in check ensures the MSBuild task graph stays healthy (especially P2P TFM mapping).

Related Work / Issues

• #33 — Multi-framework support: Core (netstandard2.0;net8.0;net9.0), CLI (net8.0;net9.0), MSBuild task (net472;net8.0).
• #46 — netstandard2.0 compatibility: removed Index/Range usages, updated Split usage, and added nullability guards.

Maintenance & Support

• Tracks current .NET (e.g., net8.0, net9.0) while keeping netstandard2.0 for broad compatibility.
• If you notice any cross-TFM drift in output, please open an issue with a minimal XML sample plus expected vs. actual Markdown.