Postfix templates

Apply postfix templates

One of the simplest examples of postfix templates is negating a boolean expression. Suppose you have just typed a boolean expression and then realized that the comparison logic should be reversed. Normally, you have to move your caret back and change == to != or vice versa, and then return to where you were. With ReSharper, you can just continue typing .not and press Enter.

There are a lot more postfix templates that you can use to speed up coding. For example, you can wrap the current expression with if, while, lock, using, add return, yield return, await in front of the current expression, iterate over a collection, generate a switch statement, cast the expression to a specific type, or even introduce a field or property for the expression.

Postfix template could even change your typing routine. Consider the CheckInput method below and imagine how you would type the null-checking clause.

private void CheckInput(string input)
{
  if (input == null)
  {
    throw new ArgumentNullException("The input is null");
  }
  // do something with 'input'
}

As soon as your caret is in the method body, you can start typing input right away because that is what you want to check. When the input is there, just continue typing .null - a postfix template for checking the expression for null:

This will compare input with null and wrap the comparison in an if statement, and place the caret at the position where you can continue typing:

Now, instead of typing throw, you can go ahead with typing the exception class name, and invoke the .throw template after it:

After applying this template, you have the complete throw statement, and the caret at a place to enter arguments:

Configure postfix templates

List of postfix templates

Shortcut	Description	Example
.arg	Surrounds expression with invocation	`Method(expr)`
.await	Awaits expressions of 'Task' type	`await expr`
.cast	Surrounds expression with cast	`((SomeType) expr)`
.else	Checks boolean expression to be 'false'	`if (!expr)`
.field	Introduces field for expression	`_field = expr;`
.for	Iterates over collection with index	`for (var i = 0; i < xs.Length; i++)`
.foreach	Iterates over enumerable collection	`foreach (var x in expr)`
.forr	Iterates over collection in reverse with index	`for (var i = xs.Length-1; i >= 0; i--)`
.if	Checks boolean expression to be 'true'	`if (expr)`
.lock	Surrounds expression with lock block	`lock (expr)`
.new	Produces instantiation expression for type	`new SomeType()`
.not	Negates boolean expression	`!expr`
.notnull	Checks expression to be not-null	`if (expr != null)`
.null	Checks expression to be null	`if (expr == null)`
.par	Parenthesizes current expression	`(expr)`
.parse	Parses string as value of some type	`int.Parse(expr)`
.prop	Introduces property for expression	`Property = expr;`
.return	Returns expression from current function	`return expr;`
.sel	Selects expression in editor	`\|selected + expression\|`
.switch	Produces switch statement	`switch (expr)`
.throw	Throws expression of 'Exception' type	`throw expr;`
.to	Assigns current expression to some variable	`lvalue = expr;`
.tryparse	Parses string as value of some type	`int.TryParse(expr, out value)`
.typeof	Wraps type usage with typeof() expression	`typeof(TExpr)`
.using	Wraps resource with using statement	`using (expr)`
.var	Introduces variable for expression	`var x = expr;`
.while	Iterating while boolean statement is 'true'	`while (expr)`
.yield	Yields value from iterator method	`yield return expr;`

Shortcut	Description	Example
.beg..end	Produces iterators from range	`sort(range.begin(), range.end())`
.Cast	Surrounds expression with UE cast	`Cast<SomeType>(expr)`
.cbeg..cend	Produces iterators from range	`is_sorted(range.cbegin(), range.cend())`
.co_await	Passes expression as argument to co_await	`co_await expr`
.co_return	Returns expression from current coroutine	`co_return expr;`
.co_yield	Passes expression as argument to co_yield	`co_yield expr`
.const_cast	Surrounds expression with const_cast	`const_cast<SomeType &>(expr)`
.do	Iterating until boolean expression becomes 'false'	`do { } while (expr);`
.dynamic_cast	Surrounds expression with dynamic_cast	`dynamic_cast<SomeType &>(expr)`
.else	Checks boolean expression to be 'false'	`if (!expr)`
.foreach	Iterates over range	`for (auto && x : range)`
.forward	Forwards function parameter	`std::forward<Arg>(arg)`
.if	Checks boolean expression to be 'true'	`if (expr)`
.make_shared	Constructs an object and wraps it in a std::shared_ptr	`std::make_shared<SomeType>()`
.make_unique	Constructs an object and wraps it in a std::unique_ptr	`std::make_unique<SomeType>()`
.new	Produces instantiation expression for type	`new SomeType()`
.reinterpret_cast	Surrounds expression with reinterpret_cast	`reinterpret_cast<SomeType &>(expr)`
.return	Returns expression from current function	`return expr;`
.safe_cast	Surrounds expression with safe_cast (C++/CLI)	`safe_cast<SomeType>(expr)`
.static_cast	Surrounds expression with static_cast	`static_cast<SomeType>(expr)`
.switch	Produces switch over integral/enum type	`switch (expr)`
.var	Introduces variable for expression	`auto x = expr;`
.while	Iterating while boolean expression is 'true'	`while (expr)`

Shortcut	Description	Example
.else	Checks boolean expression to be 'false'	`if (!expr)`
.forof	Iterates over an iterable object	`for (let x of expr)`
.if	Checks boolean expression to be 'true'	`if (expr)`
.notnull	Checks expression to be not-null	`if (expr !== null)`
.notundefined	Checks expression to be not-undefined	`if (expr !== undefined)`
.null	Checks expression to be null	`if (expr === null)`
.return	Returns expression from current function	`return expr;`
.undefined	Checks expression to be undefined	`if (expr === undefined)`
.var	Introduces variable for expression	`var x = expr;`

Shortcut	Description	Example
.else	Checks boolean expression to be 'false'	`if (!expr)`
.forof	Iterates over an iterable object	`for (let x of expr)`
.if	Checks boolean expression to be 'true'	`if (expr)`
.instanceof	Checks instance of expression	`if (x instanceof Class)`
.notnull	Checks expression to be not-null	`if (expr !== null)`
.notundefined	Checks expression to be not-undefined	`if (expr !== undefined)`
.null	Checks expression to be null	`if (expr === null)`
.return	Returns expression from current function	`return expr;`
.typeof	Checks type of expression	`if (typeof x === 'string')`
.undefined	Checks expression to be undefined	`if (expr === undefined)`
.var	Introduces variable for expression	`let x = expr;`