How to use XML documentation files

Question

1. When using an external assembly which comes with an XML documentation file, how do I get visual studio to find it?

2. When having an XML documentation file

Answer 1

1: you simply drop it in the same folder as the dll

2: does it need to be persisted? For "live" use, both the VS IDE and "reflector" allow you to review the documentation (against the types/members/etc). There are tools to transform it, but I've never bothered. Sandcastle may be worth a look, but it was never nice to me ;-p

Answer 2

Regarding 2: You should be able to look at a "pretty version" of the documentation using the Object browser (View > Object Browser (Ctrl W + J)) and then browse your way to the class for which to review the documentation. I used the Object Browser to review my own documenation since it is more reader friendly than the xml files or the comments.

Answer 3

Answer to your first question: the xml should have the same name as the assembly and be right next to it. So if you have an assembly called Svish.dll then your documentation file should be Svish.xml and be in the same directory.

Answer 4

1) The documentation file must have the same name as the assembly name, with the added extension '.xml', and reside in the same directory as its corresponding assembly. So for example, you have an 'MyCompany.MyNamespace.dll' and a 'MyCompany.MyNamespace.dll.xml' file in the same directory.

2) NDOC can generate some dirrent formats of documentation.