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I researched the use of a condition framework to verify data instead of 

if(cond) throw new SomeException();

SomeFramework.MakeSure(cond);

In the end my choice is to use either the CodeContract or CuttingEdge.Conditions frameworks.

I can not decide which framework to use. I can tell you that what I don't like about the 'CodeContract' framework is that you have to install the extra msi in order to use it and the options you need to choose; not that its bad, but it feels not natural. (And of course its still under MS research.)

What do you think?

Matthew Strawbridge
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guyl
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3 Answers3

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The CodeContracts framework is part of .NET 4. So you can write code against it without having to install anything, it's just that without the rewriter component the code contracts won't have any effect at runtime. I take this inclusion in the framework as a sign that Microsoft intends to integrate code contracts more in future.

According to the stats on the CuttingEdge.Conditions CodePlex page, it's only been downloaded 4,189 times. There are some nice things about the syntax, but unless there is something specifically supported by CuttingEdge.Conditions and not by CodeContracts, you might as well stick with the version that's part of .NET.

The key features of code contracts, as far as I am concerned, are as follows:

  1. You can set up code contracts on interfaces, to specify the expected behaviour of types implementing those interfaces.

  2. Code contracts are inherited.

I haven't tried CuttingEdge.Conditions, but it's not obvious that it supports these two features (whereas CodeContracts does).

Matthew Strawbridge
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The main difference is that Code Contracts includes a static checker. This means your contracts will be checked at compile time for correctness.

Also, as long as you are building for .NET 4, your users don't need to install anything. The rewriter works at compile time and the rest of CC is part of .NET.

porges
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    Wow - "There is now just one version that works with every edition of Visual Studio (except Express) and includes the static checker!" So it's no longer Ultimate-only for that feature! :) – TrueWill Feb 19 '12 at 20:07
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    are you sure, as i know in order to make `Contract` work (insert the IL) you still need to install the msi and set the rewriter? – guyl Feb 19 '12 at 22:01
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    @guyl: Yes, but only the machine building the code needs to have it installed. Once the DLLs are rewritten, you can run them on any machine without Code Contracts. – porges Feb 19 '12 at 23:26
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Edit: I recommend people use https://github.com/adamralph/liteguard

CuttingEdge.Conditions has been forked to become just Conditions. The original author was no longer maintaining nor uses the project: https://conditions.codeplex.com/workitem/20064

CodeContracts are not implemented in Mono. There was a GSOC project but it didn't end up with a complete solution so Conditions is your only choice if targeting Xamarin.iOS/Xamarin.Android/Xamarin.Mac platforms or just mono in general.

The library is now a portable class library and cross-platform support by default is in:

https://github.com/ghuntley/Conditions and https://www.nuget.org/packages/Conditions/

Geoffrey Huntley
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