Generating Artifacts By Using Text Templates

Domain-Specific Language Tools includes a text template transformation toolkit that supports the processing of text templates. A text template is a file that contains a mixture of text blocks and control logic. When you transform a text template, the control logic combines the text blocks with the data in a model to produce an output file. You can use text templates to create text artifacts such as code files and HTML reports. For example, a model of the flow of control between the individual pages in a user interface, such as a wizard, can be passed as input to a text template. The text template can generate code and configuration files that implement that flow of control.

Note

All domain-specific language solutions include a debugging solution. The debugging solution is started whenever you press F5 or Ctrl+F5 from your domain-specific language solution. The debugging solution includes two sample text templates: one in Visual C# and one in Visual Basic.

The following are examples of tasks that you can perform by using text templates:

• After creating models, you can iterate over their in-memory-representation (instead of their raw XML representation) to generate arbitrary text.

• You can generate custom code by using either Visual C# or Visual Basic to navigate through a model.

• You can generate custom reports in XML or HTML.

In This Section

• Architecture of Text Templates
  Contains topics that discuss the architecture of the text template transformation process in detail.

• Security of Text Templates
  Explains security concerns with text templates, such as running arbitrary code and malicious directive processors.

• Basic Text Template Tasks
  Contains topics that list the steps for basic text template tasks, such as opening and running text templates.

• Using Built-in Directives in Text Templates
  Contains topics that explain how to use built-in directives, such as output and include, in text templates.

• Adding Code to Text Templates
  Contains topics that explain how to add code, such as statements and expressions, to text templates.

• Generating Specific Kinds of Artifacts from Text Templates
  Contains topics that show examples of how to create different types of output, such as HTML and code, from text templates.

• Text Template Walkthroughs
  Contains walkthroughs that provide step-by-step instructions for common text template scenarios.

• Advanced Tasks with Text Templates
  Contains topics about advanced text template tasks, such as how to create custom host and directive processor components.

• Troubleshooting Text Templates
  Contains topics to help you debug common text template errors.

• Command-Line Tools for Text Templates
  Explains the TextTransform and DslTextTransform command line tools.

Reference

Domain-Specific Language Tools

Related Sections

• Working with Domain-Specific Language Solutions
  Describes the solution templates that you can use to create different types of domain-specific language solutions by using Domain-Specific Language Tools.

• About Domain-Specific Languages
  Provides an introduction to Domain-Specific Language Tools.

• Domain-Specific Language Tools Glossary
  Defines key terms that are used in the Help for Domain-Specific Language Tools.