CR_Documentor

Writing XML documentation comments in .NET can be troublesome sometimes because you can't really see what it's going to look like - you have to compile the code, then take the extracted XML doc and feed it to a rendering engine like Sandcastle, then wait for the compiled help to come out so you can read it.

CR_Documentor is a plugin for DXCore (the engine that powers CodeRush, CodeRush Express, and Refactor! Pro) that allows you to preview what the documentation will look like when it's rendered - in a tool window inside Visual Studio.

Install From the Visual Studio Gallery

If you're on Visual Studio 2010 and DXCore 11.2.8 or higher, you can install the plugin right from the Visual Studio Extension Gallery.

Go to the CR_Documentor page in the Visual Studio Extension Gallery.

If you are not on the latest DXCore then check the download list to be sure you get the right version of CR_Documentor for your DXCore version. The featured download in the navigation column is for the latest DXCore version.

Example

Your inline XML docs...

/// <summary>
/// This method returns a string.
/// </summary>
/// <returns>Empty string is the return value.</returns>
public string Method()
{
  return "";
}

...get previewed in the window:

...and here's what it looks like in the context of Visual Studio: