Demo: Exec-Inline, an Add-in that executes the currently selected code, immediately

You're in Visual Studio (2003 in this case)

1. Highlight the code you want to run.
2. Press the 'exec inline' button on the toolbar.
3. The code is compiled and executed in its own little assembly

All credit goes to these four places:

Code compilation retyped from jconwell's Dot Net Script Project at CodeProject.

Wrapper around compilation retyped from dstang2000's DynamicCompileAndRun project.

Help with writing a VS Add-in: Scott Swigart, PasteAs Visual Basic Add-in

And help with getting the currently selected text from the IDE, retyped from Kevin McFarlane's VS Csharp Macros page.

I deliberately re-typed, rather than copying and pasting their code, so that I'd have to really look at what was going on in every place.

(continues with 'how does it work')

'Snippet Compiler' on Thu, 19 Oct 2006 21:34:00 GMT, sez:

Check out Jeff Key's snippet compiler -- 3 years old now!

maybe when errors occur then snippet compiler could be launched with the generated code in there.

and when the snippet is done, it could be pasted over the top of the original selected text in visual studio.

'Dan F' on Thu, 19 Oct 2006 22:24:38 GMT, sez:

Dude! This feels like the old method of banging some code into the immediate window for days when you were having a brain fade, only it's better! I love it. Or, I'm pretty sure I'll love it, haven't actually tried it yet. This is going straight to the pool room though.

I think it's got a definite advantage over snippet compiler for some situations. Sometimes you just want to test a certain behaviour, a small snippet, etc. Being able to do that in mid flow without having to copy, paste into snippet compiler, test, copy, paste back into the IDE, will be ace.

'Dan F' on Thu, 19 Oct 2006 22:35:11 GMT, sez:

Am I having one of the aforementioned brain fade days, or is there no link to try this beast? Help a fellow downunderian out lb :)

'lb' on Thu, 19 Oct 2006 23:04:05 GMT, sez:

@Dan: code is winging its way to you now.

'Joshua Flanagan' on Fri, 20 Oct 2006 03:09:44 GMT, sez:

Neat tool.
Another simliar solution to this and Snippet Compiler is the "Ad-hoc" test runner in the TestDriven.NET Add-in. Requires a little more overhead than yours (you have to make a void Foo() method to wrap the code you want to play with), but has the nice advantage of being able to interact with all of the other objects in your project.

'lb' on Fri, 20 Oct 2006 03:19:22 GMT, sez:

Yeh this tool works by wrapping the void Foo() around your code --

In the case of a simple 'MessageBox.Show("HelloWord")', this is the code that actually gets compiled:


Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic
Imports System
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Threading
Imports System.Xml
Imports System.Collections
Imports System.Diagnostics
Public Class Fred
  Public Sub New()
    MessageBox.Show("Hello")
  End Sub
  Private Shared Sub Main()
    Dim f As New Fred()
  End Sub
End Class

'Jim Mc' on Fri, 20 Oct 2006 05:32:12 GMT, sez:

hi,

i'm a long time reader, first time poster. great site!!

is there any chance I Could get a copy of the VB Source? This would be a very useful tool to have :o) (sorry, im impatient and wanted to try this)

i'm at (removed for privacy reasons)@Hotmail.com

thanks,
Jim

'lb' on Thu, 26 Oct 2006 09:02:56 GMT, sez:

** BETA TESTERS NEEDED **

anyone else who's after the code to this one -- just write and ask for it:

leonbambrick at gmail dot com

'JIthendra' on Tue, 31 Oct 2006 03:41:39 GMT, sez:

Hi can I get a copy of this cool stuff.

'Ian' on Fri, 03 Nov 2006 01:28:08 GMT, sez:

could i please get a copy of the code??

(removed for privacy reasons) at hotmail.com

thanks!! great idea btw

name


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