How to: Use the CodeModel Object to Analyze Visual Basic Code

Using the CodeModel2 object hierarchy is an alternative to the potentially complex task of parsing text in a code file. You can use the CodeModel2 object:

• To analyze the structure of your code.

• As a basis for documenting your code.

The procedures that follow assume that you know how to access the Macros development environment and create a macro project. For more information, see Add Macro Project Dialog Box.

Namespaces are contained at the root level of the CodeModel2 object or nested in other CodeNamespace objects. This reflects the syntax constraints on namespaces. A namespace is either a top-level code block or contained in another namespace. To use the following procedures, you must have a project open in the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE).

Note

The dialog boxes and menu commands you see might differ from those described in Help depending on your active settings or edition. These procedures were developed with the General Development Settings active. To change your settings, choose Import and Export Settings on the Tools menu. For more information, see Working with Settings.

To find all the namespaces contained in your project

• Write a recursive method to retrieve all the namespaces in an application.

  The CodeNamespace object has a Members property that contains all the CodeElements at the first level of the namespace.

  ' Macro editor
  Sub FindAllNamespaces()
     Dim cm As CodeModel
     cm = DTE.Solution.Projects.Item(1).CodeModel
  
     ' Look for all the namespaces in the CodeElements
     ' of the project.
     Dim list As String
     Dim ce As CodeElement
     For Each ce In cm.CodeElements
        If TypeOf ce Is CodeNamespace Then
           GetNamespace(CType(ce, CodeNamespace), list)
        End If
     Next
  
     MsgBox(list)
  End Sub
  
  Sub GetNamespace(ByVal ns As CodeNamespace, ByRef list As String)
     ' Add this namespace to the list.
     list &= ns.Name & ControlChars.CrLf
     Dim aspace As CodeNamespace
     Dim ce As CodeElement
     ' Look for more namespaces.
     For Each ce In ns.Members
        If TypeOf ce Is CodeNamespace Then
           GetNamespace(CType(ce, CodeNamespace), list)
        End If
     Next
  End Sub
  

  Note

  You can find all the namespaces in one source file by using the FileCodeModel property of the ProjectItem object associated with the source file. Using this approach would require a slight change to the FindAllNamespaces method.

Finding the Default Namespace

The procedure above returns only the namespaces you have defined in your application. Every Visual Basic project also contains a default namespace. All the code elements in your application are contained in the default namespace, although the CodeElements collection does not contain a CodeNamespace object for it. The default namespace can be retrieved from any top-level CodeType element.

To find the default namespace for your project

• Test the top-level code elements of the project. Any code element that is a CodeType returns the CodeNamespace element for the project.

  Sub FindDefaultNamespace()
     Dim cm As CodeModel
     cm = DTE.Solution.Projects.Item(1).CodeModel
  
     Dim ce As CodeElement
     Dim ct As CodeType = Nothing
     Dim defNameSpace As CodeNamespace
     For Each ce In cm.CodeElements
        If TypeOf ce Is CodeType Then
           ct = CType(ce, CodeType)
           defNameSpace = ct.Namespace
        End If
     Next
  
     If Not IsNothing(defNameSpace) Then
        MsgBox(defNameSpace.Name)
     End If
  End Sub
  

Finding Classes

Class declarations and namespaces are retrieved through similar means. Because classes can be nested in other classes, you can find classes defined both in namespaces and in other classes.

To find all the classes contained in your project

• Write a recursive method, such as the one that follows, to find the class declarations in a project.

  ' Macro editor
  Sub FindAllClasses()
     Dim cm As CodeModel
     cm = DTE.Solution.Projects.Item(1).CodeModel
  
     ' Look for all the namespaces and classes in the 
     ' project.
     Dim list As String
     Dim ce As CodeElement
     For Each ce In cm.CodeElements
        If (TypeOf ce Is CodeNamespace) Or (TypeOf ce Is CodeClass) Then
           ' Determine whether that namespace or class 
           ' contains other classes.
           GetClass(ce, list)
        End If
     Next
  
     MsgBox(list)
  End Sub
  
  Sub GetClass(ByVal ct As CodeElement, ByRef list As String)
     ' ct could be a namespace or a class. Add it to the list
     ' if it is a class.
     If (TypeOf ct Is CodeClass) Then
        list &= ct.Name & ControlChars.CrLf
     End If
  
     ' Determine whether there are nested namespaces or classes that 
     ' might contain other classes.
     Dim aspace As CodeNamespace
     Dim ce As CodeElement
     Dim cn As CodeNamespace
     Dim cc As CodeClass
     Dim elements As CodeElements
     If (TypeOf ct Is CodeNamespace) Then
        cn = CType(ct, CodeNamespace)
        elements = cn.Members
     Else
        cc = CType(ct, CodeClass)
        elements = cc.Members
     End If
  
     For Each ce In elements
        If (TypeOf ce Is CodeNamespace) Or (TypeOf ce Is CodeClass) Then
           GetClass(ce, list)
        End If
     Next
  End Sub
  

See Also

Tasks

How to: Create a C# Class by Using the CodeModel Object

Concepts

Overview of the CodeModel Object for Visual Basic and C# Applications

Discovering Code by Using the Code Model (Visual Basic)

Discovering Code by Using the Code Model (Visual C#)