Code Generation - lobodava/artisan-orm GitHub Wiki

Artisan.Orm ships with a T-SQL helper script that prints a Mapper class skeleton and a model class for any table or view in your database. Run it once when adding a new entity, paste the output into your project, then customise.

How to run it

  1. Open the script in SQL Server Management Studio or in Visual Studio's T-SQL editor.
  2. Point the query window at your database.
  3. Edit the declared variables at the top of the script — pick the target table or view name, the C# namespace, and any output preferences.
  4. Execute. The script reads the table's metadata from INFORMATION_SCHEMA / sys views; it does not modify any database objects.
  5. The generated code appears in the Messages pane.

What gets generated

  • A C# class matching the table's columns, with int / string / DateTime? / etc. property types derived from the SQL column types and nullability.
  • A static *Mapper class with CreateObject, CreateObjectRow, CreateDataTable and CreateDataRow.
  • The corresponding [MapperFor(typeof(...))] attribute.
  • A user-defined table type definition that matches the CreateDataTable shape — paste this into your database project as a starting point.

What you still need to write

  • Stored procedures (read / save / delete / business operations).
  • Repository methods that wire the procedures together.
  • Validation logic — see Artisan Way of DataReply.
  • Tests.

Caveats

The generator is a pragmatic SQL script, not a full source generator. Treat the output as a starting point:

  • Review nullable-vs-non-nullable distinctions on each property — SQL null-able columns become int? / string?, but the meaning may differ.
  • For tables with computed columns or columns with strange types (hierarchyid, geography, custom UDTs), the generated mapping may need hand-edits.
  • Decimals get rendered with their SQL precision/scale — double-check those match what you actually want in C#.

The script is also a good starting point for your own variations — for instance, generating record types instead of classes, or producing only the model without the mapper.

See also: