4 easy steps to auto-merge configuration settings as part of package installation

Usually, installing a package through NuGet corresponds to a set of assemblies whose references get added to the consuming system. However, some packages contain more than mere assembly references. They may also expose certain configuration settings that are required for the assemblies to work. Creating .nupkg packages (either using project reference or .nuspec file) for such applications isn't straightforward. We should let NuGet know that it has to pack certain additional content when it creates the .nupkg file.

 

So, here are 4 easy steps to auto-import configuration settings as part of package installation -

1. Add a folder names 'content' and place it in the same folder as where the .nuspec file resides.
2. Add an empty .config file to the content folder
• If all the consumers are web-based, then, name it web.config.transform.
• If all the consumers are non-web (Ex: Console Apps, Desktop apps, etc..), then, name it app.config.transform.
• If consumers are a mix of both the above, then, name it web.config.transform and add a new file named app.config.transform --- in this case, NuGet will decide which one to pick at the time of installation, based on the consuming application.
3. Pick the configuration settings required from the project configuration file and copy such values to the new file(s) created.
4. Now, carefully, pick all the parent tags of those values copied above from the project configuration file and add as parents in the new file(s) created(in step #2) --- make sure you add closing tags corresponding to whatever node is newly added.

Once these 4 steps are done, then use the .nuspec file to create the package. Now, when consumers try to install such package, then, their configuration files would get auto-merged (Not replaced) with the settings present in the .config.transform files we created in step #2.

While this looks to be a cool feature, it is actually a much wider feature of NuGet, where you can even add transforms to source code, add PowerShell scripts to be auto-run, etc.. Refer this section on the official NuGet documentation on this for its full power.

PS: Please comment if this served your purpose by any chance. Happy coding :)

Oledb and sql provider parameter treatment

SQL provider - The creation of the parameters is name-dependent and not order-dependent.

OleDb provider - The creation of the parameters is order-dependent and not order dependent.

 

 

 

 

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Using parentheses with object initializers

public class ClassWithDefaultConstructor

{

    public string Property { get; set; }

}

public class ClassWithConstructorWithParameters

{

    public ClassWithConstructorWithParameters(string property)

    {

        this.Property = property;

    }

    public string Property { get; set; }

}

   

Correct usages -

var c = new ClassWithDefaultConstructor { Property = "value" };

var c = new ClassWithDefaultConstructor() { Property = "value" };

var c = new ClassWithConstructorWithParameters() { Property = "value" };

 

Wrong usage -

var c = new ClassWithConstructorWithParameters { Property = "value" };

 

Reason -

If you are using a parameterless constructor, as shown, the parentheses are optional, but if you are executing a constructor that requires parameters, the parentheses are mandatory, o/w, the compiler would cry as below -
 

Compile error -

'LINQProcessing.ClassWithConstructorWithParameters' does not contain a constructor that takes 0 arguments

PS: Please comment if this served your purpose by any chance. Happy coding :)

Joins-to-C# Query Extension Methods Mapping

Joins and their corresponding LINQ Query Extension methods

Type of join	Query extension method	Example	Example Result (By enumerating through the query variable and displaying the details on console)
Inner Join	Join	var makes = new string[] { "Audi", "BMW", "Ford", "Mazda", "VW" }; var cars = GetCars(); var query = makes.Join(cars, make => make, car => car.Make, (make, innerCar) => new { Make = make, Car = innerCar });	Make: Audi, Car:ABC456 Audi TT Make: BMW, Car:DEF123 BMW Z-3 Make: Ford, Car:ABC123 Ford F-250 Make: Ford, Car:DEF456 Ford F-150 Make: VW, Car:HIJ123 VW Bug
Left Outer Join	GroupJoin	var makes = new string[] { "Audi", "BMW", "Ford", "Mazda", "VW" }; var cars = GetCars(); var query = makes.GroupJoin(cars, make => make, car => car.Make, (make, innerCars) => new { Make = make, Cars = innerCars });	Make: Audi Car VIN:ABC456, Model:TT Make: BMW Car VIN:DEF123, Model:Z-3 Make: Ford Car VIN:ABC123, Model:F-250 Car VIN:DEF456, Model:F-150 Make: Mazda Make: VW Car VIN:HIJ123, Model:Bug
Cross Join (Cartesian product)	SelectMany	var repairs = new List<Tuple<string, List<string>>> { Tuple.Create("ABC123", new List<string>{"Rotate Tires","Change oil"}), Tuple.Create("DEF123", new List<string>{"Fix Flat","Wash Vehicle"}), Tuple.Create("ABC456", new List<string>{"Alignment","Vacuum", "Wax"}), Tuple.Create("HIJ123", new List<string>{"Spark plugs","Air filter"}), Tuple.Create("DEF456", new List<string>{"Wiper blades","PVC valve"}), }; var query = repairs.SelectMany(t => t.Item2.Select(r => new { VIN = t.Item1, Repair = r }));	VIN:ABC123 Repair:Rotate Tires VIN:ABC123 Repair:Change oil VIN:DEF123 Repair:Fix Flat VIN:DEF123 Repair:Wash Vehicle VIN:ABC456 Repair:Alignment VIN:ABC456 Repair:Vacuum VIN:ABC456 Repair:Wax VIN:HIJ123 Repair:Spark plugs VIN:HIJ123 Repair:Air filter VIN:DEF456 Repair:Wiper blades VIN:DEF456 Repair:PVC valve

Extension method syntax - [source collection].[extension method].[extension method]…;

PS: Please comment if this served your purpose by any chance. Happy coding :)