Contribute docs for .NET code analysis rules

.NET compiler platform (Roslyn) analyzers inspect your C# or Visual Basic code for code quality and code style issues. These analyzers are included with the .NET SDK.

• Code quality analysis ("CAxxxx" rules):
  • Implemented in the dotnet/sdk repo (previously implemented in dotnet/roslyn-analyzers repo).
  • Documented here in the dotnet/docs repo. See Contribute docs for 'CAxxxx' rules.
• Code style analysis ("IDExxxx" rules):
  • Implemented in the dotnet/roslyn repo.
  • Documented here in the dotnet/docs repo. See Contribute docs for 'IDExxxx' rules.

Contribute docs for 'CAxxxx' rules

Please follow the following steps to contribute documentation for code quality analysis rules to the dotnet/docs repo:

1. Determine Rule ID and Category: Ensure that you know the 'CAxxxx' rule ID and category for the rule to be documented. This means either your CA analyzer has been merged into the dotnet/sdk repo or you have an open PR with an approved ID and category that has been assigned to the rule.
2. Add rule doc:
   1. Clone an existing CA rule file under root folder, say ca1000.md, and rename it.
   2. Update the content of the file appropriately.
3. Add an entry for the rule to following tables:
   • In table of contents file under the rule category list. For example, for a CA rule with Performance category, search for the term - name: Performance rules in the file and add an entry to the list. If none exists, create a new category list under - name: Code quality rules.
   • In top-level rule index file.
   • In category based rule index file:
     1. Identify the category based index file under root folder. For example, for a CA rule with Performance category, this file is named performance-warnings.md. If none exists, create a new category based index file by cloning an existing one.
     2. Add an entry for the rule ID in this file.

Tip

Perform a repo search in the dotnet/docs repo for a known, existing CA rule ID to identify potential places that might need an update. For example, see https://github.com/dotnet/docs/search?q=CA2000.

Contribute docs for 'IDExxxx' rules

Please follow the following steps to contribute documentation for code style analysis rules to the dotnet/docs repo:

1. Determine Rule ID and code style options, if any: Ensure that you know the 'IDExxxx' rule ID and code style options for the rule to be documented. This means either the IDE analyzer has been merged into the dotnet/roslyn repo or you have an open PR with an approved ID and code style options that have been assigned to the rule.
2. Determine rule subcategory: IDE rules have category Style. Identify the rule subcategory by reading through the introductory section of Code style rules. Most of the IDE code style rules are under the Language subcategory.
3. Determine rule preference group: Identify the preference group for the rule by reading through the preferences headers here.
   • If the rule has known, associated code style option(s), the preferences group will match the OptionGroup specified in the code style option declaration.
   • Otherwise, determine if the rule belongs to an existing preference group or needs a new preference group.
4. Add rule doc:
   1. Clone an existing IDE rule file under root folder, say ide0011.md, and rename it.
   2. Update the content of the file appropriately.
5. Add an entry for the IDE rule and/or code style option(s) to the following tables:
   • In table of contents file under the rule's sub-category and preferences list. For example, for an IDE code style rule with Language subcategory and Modifier preferences group, search for the term - name: Language rules and a child node - name: Modifier preferences in the file and add an entry to the list. If either the subcategory list or the preferences list under the subcategory does not exist, create a new one under - name: Code style rules.
   • In the code style option-based index file.
   • In the rule ID-based index file.
   • In preferences group based rule index file:
     1. Identify the preferences group based index file under root folder. For example, for an IDE rule for Modifier preferences, this file is named modifier-preferences.md. If none exists, create a new preferences group based index file by cloning an existing one.
     2. Add an entry for the rule ID in this file.

Tip

Perform a repo search in the dotnet/docs repo, for a known, existing IDE rule and/or code style option(s) to identify potential places that might need an update. For example, see https://github.com/dotnet/docs/search?q=IDE0011 and https://github.com/dotnet/docs/search?q=csharp_prefer_braces.

See also

• Contribute to the .NET docs repositories