[Feature request, dotnet-codegencs] Be able to reuse code for templates

[ig-sinicyn]

Hi!

First of all, thank you very much for the tool! It is easy to use, it's simple and it keeps saving a lot of time for our team.

Second, I need an advice on how to to reuse code for templates while keeping "text template + codegen tool" approach. We do use dotnet-codegencs tool to scaffold boilerplate code for our projects. Something like dotnet new but with some logic involved. It will be nice to be able to reuse basic logic and do not copypaste it across csx templates.

What I have tried so far

Use #load directive

Sadly, this option is not supported. The TemplateBuilder supports only #r directives.

Pass multiple templates as args to the dotnet-codegencs tool

Not supported, there currently can be only one template

reference local dll (not nuget package)

#r "ScaffoldHelpers.dll"
...

or

dotnet-codegencs template run .\TestTemplate.csx -r .\ScaffoldHelpers.dll

Fail with

Unhandled exception: System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'TestTemplate' threw an exception.
 ---> System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'ScaffoldHelpers, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null'.

the reason is that referenced assemblies are not copied into the build directory and are not loaded by TemplateLoader.

Write custom runner using TemplateBuilder / TemplateLoader classes

Sadly, these are not distributed as a nuget packages, only as a part of dotnet-codegencs tool

Fork the dotnet-codegencs

We are currently using custom fork but it looks like a hack, I'd prefer to keep using original tool:)

Thanks in advance, hope you have a good Holidays!

[ig-sinicyn]

As a workaround:

#r "ScaffoldHelpers.dll"
...
// template here
...
internal static class FixAssemblyLoad
{
    [ModuleInitializer]
    public static void OnModuleLoad()
    {
        Assembly.LoadFrom("ScaffoldHelpers.dll");
    }
}