Start your first source generator

Init your source generator project

Create a new classlib project for source generator

dotnet new classlib -n MySourceGenerator

Add dependencies

dotnet add package Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Analyzers && dotnet add package Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.CSharp

Configure .csproj property

• Set TargetFramework as netstandard2.0, it's required, not an option.

Additionally, set the LangVersion as your need, or it will target to C# 7.3 by default.

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>netstandard2.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    <LangVersion>latest</LangVersion>
    <EnforceExtendedAnalyzerRules>true</EnforceExtendedAnalyzerRules>
  </PropertyGroup>

</Project>

Init your console project for testing your generator

Create a new console project

dotnet new console -n WorkWithSourceGenerator

Reference source generator project in console project

Edit your .csproj in console project as following.

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <ItemGroup>
    <ProjectReference Include="../MySourceGenerator/MySourceGenerator.csproj" OutputItemType="Analyzer" ReferenceOutputAssembly="false" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

TIP

In this case, two projects are placed in a same folder.

Create a new generator

Create a new file in generator project, implement IIncrementalGenerator for your generator.

using Microsoft.CodeAnalysis;

namespace MySourceGenerator;

[Generator]
public class HelloSourceGenerator : IIncrementalGenerator
{
    public void Initialize(IncrementalGeneratorInitializationContext context)
    {
        throw new NotImplementedException();
    }
}

WARNING

ISourceGenerator should be deprecated since .NET6, why is that? Check out this: Source generator updates: incremental generators

Start with SyntaxProvider

Filter what syntax node to work with

INFO

Check all syntax api available