The '.NET Runtime Target' selection box can be pulled down and a different .NET version targetted for code generation.  Currently only the following .NET versions are supported:

• Version 1.1 [1.1.4322]
• Version 2.0 [2.0.50727]

Version 2.0 is set as the default version.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

The code generated by the .NET 2.0 version of CodeXS WILL NOT build in VS2003/.NET 1.1, primarily because the generated objects are implemented using partial classes.  The code generated by the .NET 1.1 version of CodeXS WILL (almost always) build and execute correctly in VS2005/.NET 2.0.

The 'Use CodeXS code modifiers' check-box can be checked to include all the standard code modifiers when generating code.  Unchecking the box causes the .NET Framework 'raw' code to be generated - exactly as if running the Microsoft .NET utility XSD.EXE.

By default, the code modifiers are used.

The 'Code Language' selection box can be pulled down and a different code generation language selected.  Currently only the following .NET languages are supported:

• C#.NET
• VB.NET

C#.NET is set as the default language.

The 'Code Namespace' text box must be completed at all times:

• The namespace name must be a valid C# or VB namespace name.
• The CodeXS tool will attempt to repair a non-valid namespace name when code generation commences.

When the code is generated, the code files are placed in a Zip file which can be downloaded. The Zip file name is usually the same as the code namespace name.

This option allows you to specify the URL of a schema to read.  The URL must be an http protocol URL and must be publicly available on the internet for the CodeXS tool to access.  The schemaLocation attribute for each included schema must be specified relative to the target schema schemaLocation, or be absolute URL locations, all of which must be publicly available.  This option is executed as follows:

• Specify the URL in the 'Schema Source URL' textbox.
• Click the associated 'Generate' button.

This option allows you to upload a Zip file containing the schema set to use for code generation directly from your local hard disk.  The directory structure must support the directory structure specified in the schemaLocation attribute of each schema file root element and must specify relative paths rooted from the target schema file location, or be publicly available URL locations as for option 1 above. This option is executed as follows:

• Specify the local path of the Zip file in the 'Upload File' text box, or alternatively browse for the Zip file.
• If more than one file is located in the root location, then it is necessary to specify the filename (not path) of the file that will assume the target schema file. 
• Click the associated 'Generate' button.

This option allows you to enter the schema as a text string normally by copying the textual representation from an XML/Schema editor and pasting it into the 'Schema text input' text box.  This option is executed as follows:

• Paste or type in the schema text into the 'Schema Text Input' text box.
• Click the associated 'Generate' button.

Important Notes:

• Only a single schema with no included or imported schemas can be entered in this option.

The best way to use the generated code files is to add them to a class library project. No other files are required to do this. The files can also be added to any other code-compile type project in the same way.

• Why is Visual Studio slow when editing CodeXS generated files?

Some generated code-files are large. If the file is a C# file and its size is in excess of 2MB, then VS becomes irritatingly slow. For VB, the situation is even worse...

For VS2005, when editing VB files, the situation can become so bad that VS hangs up. It would appear that the XML comments in the generated code are causing memory leaks due to a bug in VS2005. Microsoft has provided a working hot-fix for this error condition:

• FIX: You may experience performance issues when you use solutions that contain large Visual Basic projects in Visual Studio 2005

My thanks to Wes Graves for reporting this problem and testing the hot-fix.