I find the tools listed in Visual Studio Add-Ins Every Developer Should Download Now also very helpful

I am using code generation for the custom business objects and data access layer in the code, as well as matching stored procedures in my Sql Server database. Each BO closely matches the structure of a table (and sometimes a corresponding view as well) inside the database. I have templates set up (partly based on the samples provided with CodeSmith, and partly custom-built) that will read the columns in a table/view, and based on other parameters that I feed in (read-only columns, columns to exclude, types of Get/Insert/Update/Delete procedures to generate), will completely generate 3 .cs files as well as the corresponding stored procedures (and put these into the DB).

Although I have generated 300,000+ lines of code, my current code-base is around 18K. This includes lots of UI code that is generated by Visual Studio, as well as other functionality code. Currently, I have 44 files making up the DAL and BO layers in the code, as well as around 150 stored procedures. This is all less than 10,000 lines of code. The bulk of the code-generated line sum comes from regerating these files and sprocs whenever I change the DB structure from its initial format. Adding a column, changing a column name, removing a column, adding a foreign key relationship – all of these things affect the DAL, BO and Sproc layers. The code-generation allows me to standardize these files (eliminating errors that would come from copying and pasting) as well as save the time of changing individual lines of code in VS and the DB whenever I make a change to the DB. Instead of fishing around in 2 files and 5 stored procedures if I add a column to a table, I just run my CodeSmith template again for that table and reimport the files into my project.

As far as upkeep (and I will be the one supporting it after conclusion), if new tables are addded or the db structure changes, it is as simple as rerunning the template (with parameters saved locally in an xml file) and reimporting the files.

I try very hard not to use tools like this as a crutch. I avoid the humongous templates that will generate many times more code you may ever use just because you can. However, in the way in which I am using it, I have saved myself lots of boredom and tedious code manipulation, as well as at least 100 hours of programming time that I can better use on more creative tasks.

The 300K lines of code you have generated is a very large number. My career has been largely involved with supporting, refactoring, and extending existing applications. I don’t know you or your code, so you well may be a superstar, but that number strikes me as odd, especially since it was autogenerated from templates. To me, autogeneration + templates = needless redundancy.

Is this a turnkey solution that you will not have to support after completion? If so, kudos on getting so much work done so quickly, it will become someone else’s problem soon enough. Otherwise, I can’t help but think you are creating a huge support burden on yourself in the future by creating so much repetitive code. In my experience, ceteris paribus, more code equals more complexity. Was there really no possibility of applying polymorphism and useful specialization design paterns such as the template pattern to reduce redundancy?

If I am wrong, please tell me more about how you used this tool to leverage your talents so effectively. In that case I would love to see how I could take advantage of tools like CodeSmith in the future.

Thanks,

Dave