Introduction to Series

Writing efficient and clear code is of utmost importance in today's software development. This series, "Useful C# Attributes for Great Developer UX and Compiler Happiness," delves into the realm of C# attributes and explores their vital role in improving the developer's experience (DevUX), strengthening the code's resilience, and aiding the compiler in better comprehending the code.

C# attributes serve as powerful tools in the developer’s toolkit, offering a means to annotate code for various purposes - from influencing compiler behavior to improving code readability and maintainability (especially for large codebases and teams).

Article Summaries

General DevUX & Compiler Helper Attributes

This article explores the essential attributes that guide static analysis tools and enhance coding practices. It delves into how attributes like PublicAPI, Obsolete, Pure, and others can prevent errors, enhance code quality, and serve as a form of self-documenting code.

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Debugger Attributes: Providing Better Debugging UX

Focusing on attributes that streamline the debugging process, this piece covers DebuggerStepThrough, DebuggerDisplay, and more. It demonstrates how these attributes can simplify debugging, making the process more efficient and intuitive.

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Caller Attributes: Better Error Handling and Validation

Here, we delve into attributes like CallerArgumentExpression, CallerMemberName, and others, which significantly improve error handling and provide better validation. These attributes aid in creating more expressive and self-documenting code.

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Conditional Compilation with Attributes

This article discusses the use of conditional compilation in C# through attributes like ConditionalAttribute. It highlights how to write flexible and environment-specific code segments, catering to different build configurations and deployment targets.

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Affecting JIT Execution with Attributes

Focusing on JIT compiler optimization, this piece explores attributes like MethodImpl, AggressiveInlining, and others. It provides insight into how these attributes can be used to control method inlining and optimization for better application performance.

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JetBrains Annotations

In addition to built-in C# attributes, JetBrains’ annotations offer an extended set of tools that greatly enhance the developer experience and codebase resilience and are used throughout the series.

JetBrains' annotations provide a rich set of tools for guiding developers and static analysis tools, enhancing the developer experience, and ensuring a more consistent and resilient codebase. They help make the code self-descriptive, reduce the chances of runtime errors, and maintain a clear and reliable API.

JetBrains provides a set of attributes as a nice package that enhances developer experience and contributes to a more consistent, robust codebase. These attributes help in various aspects, from nullability checks to method contract enforcement.