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Here is quickstart documentation cheatsheet for Reinforced.Typings (a.k.a. RT). Here you will find out information about how to set up RT, how to generate your first typings and how to extend RT.

Installation and overview

To use Reinforced.Typings in your ASP.NET MVC project you need to install it from NuGet. Use UI or run from Package Manager Console:

PM> Install-Package Reinforced.Typings

It will install following components:

• RT .dll library to be used in project. It contains configuration classes, attributes and other stuff
• RT command-line utility that will be called every project's build and generate TypeScript typings for your project's assembly
• MSBuild script parts (.targets file and .dll containing MSBuild task for callint RT CLI)
• RT configuration file (Reinforced.Typings.settings.xml) that is being added to your project root.

RT has 3 configuration points:

• Reinforced.Typings.settings.xml file contains common generation properties. This file is well-documented. Feel free to read configuration parameters description right inside this file. Please do not delete or move this file out of project root. Actually Reinforced.Typings.settings.xml is MSBuild script part being executed each build. It is referenced inside Reinforced.Typings.targets file that is referenced and contains necessary properties to successfully run code generation.
• Attribute configuration - consists of attributes that you must arrange around your code to achieve specific code generation results. See more details about attribute configuration in corresponding part of this article
• Fluent configuration - an alternate way to configure code generation results. Could be used within attribute configuration. See more details in corresponding part of this article

Quick start

Simpliest way to start working with RT is using attribute configuration. Let's try to export sample class as TS interface. Let's assume that we have ASP.NET MVC project with TypeScript feature enabled and /Scripts folder located in root of project.

1. Navigate to your class

   public class OrderViewModel
   {
       public string ItemName { get; set; }
       public int Quantity { get; set; }
       public decimal Subtotal { get; set; }
       public bool IsPaid { get; set; }
       public string ClientName { get; set; }
       public string Address { get; set; }
   }

2. Specify using for Reinforced.Typings.Attributes namespace and place [TsInterface] attribute above your class

   using Reinforced.Typings.Attributes; // !
   
   [TsInterface] // !
   public class OrderViewModel
   {
       // fold
   }

3. Rebuild your project

4. According to default value of RtTargetFile parameter specified in Reinforced.Typings.settings.xml, generated code droped to $(ProjectDir)Scripts\project.ts. So you need to add this file to your solution. To do that in VisualStudio navigate to your project's /Scripts folder. Then Right click - "Add Existing item..." - Locate project.ts - Press "Add". Or locate generated file in Windows explorer then drag generated file into VisualStudio and drop it inside /Scripts folder.

5. Feel free to reference generated .ts file in your other TypeScripts. Contents of generated file are:

   module _your_namespace_ {
       export interface IOrderViewModel {	
           ItemName: string;		
           Quantity: number;		
           Subtotal: number;		
           IsPaid: boolean;		
           ClientName: string;		
           Address: string;		
       }
   
   }

Attribute configuration

Besides [TsInterface] attribute there are others. Avaiable attributes are presented at Configuration attributes page

Fluent configuration

There are some cases when attribute configuration is not applicable. E.g. when you trying to export typings for types belonging to another assembly which source code you do not have. In this case fluent configuration may be usable. Let's rewrite example above using fluent configuration:

1. Create static class containing static method that consumes instance of Reinforced.Typings.Fluent.ConfigurationBuilder somewhere as follows

   using Reinforced.Typings.Fluent;
   
   namespace YourProjectNamespace {
       public static class ReinforcedTypingsConfiguration
       {
           public static void Configure(ConfigurationBuilder builder)
           {
               builder
                   .ExportAsInterface<OrderViewModel>()
                   .WithPublicProperties();
           }
       }    
   }

2. Go to Reinforced.Typings.settings.xml and set there RtConfigurationMethod parameter to full-qualified name of Configure method as follows:

   ...
       <RtConfigurationMethod>YourProjectNamespace.ReinforcedTypingsConfiguration.Configure</RtConfigurationMethod>
   ...

3. Rebuild your project and check project.ts file

You can find out more info about fluent configuration on this page.