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SA1642: ConstructorSummaryDocumentationMustBeginWithStandardText

Glossary Item Box

TypeName	ConstructorSummaryDocumentationMustBeginWithStandardText
CheckId	SA1642
Category	Documentation Rules

Cause

The Xml documentation header for a C# constructor does not contain the appropriate summary text.

Rule Description

C# syntax provides a mechanism for inserting documentation for classes and elements directly into the code, through the use of Xml documentation headers. For an introduction to these headers and a description of the header syntax, see the following article: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc302121.aspx.

A violation of this rule occurs when the summary tag within the documentation header for a constructor does not begin with the proper text.

The rule is intended to standardize the summary text for a constructor based on the access level of the constructor. The summary for a non-private instance constructor must begin with “Initializes a new instance of the {class name} class.” For example, the following shows the constructor for the Customer class.

/// <summary>

/// Initializes a new instance of the Customer class.

/// </summary>

public Customer()

{

}

It is possible to embed other tags into the summary text. For example:

/// <summary>

/// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="Customer"/> class.

/// </summary>

public Customer()

{

}

If the constructor is static, the summary text should begin with “Initializes static members of the {class name} class.” For example:

/// <summary>

/// Initializes static members of the Customer class.

/// </summary>

public static Customer()

{

}

Private instance constructors must use the summary text “Prevents a default instance of the {class name} class from being created.”

/// <summary>

/// Prevents a default instance of the Customer class from being created.

/// </summary>

private Customer()

{

}

How to Fix Violations

To fix a violation of this rule, edit the summary text for the constructor as described above.