So far in the Open Source Blog Series, we’ve taken a look at Gepsio (created by Jeff Ferguson) and MVVM Fabric (created by Brent Edwards) in an effort to showcase some great open source tools created by Magenic consultants. In this latest installment, we’re going to take a look at principal consultant and Microsoft MVP, Jason Bock, and his project, Spackle.
Instead of having one primary function, Spackle is actually a utility library that can benefit developers using C# and Virtual Basic (VB) in many ways. It is a collection of tools that can supplement the core classes in .NET and Silverlight. These tools include:
- Collection Manipulation – Valuable in performing rotations, shuffling, and element swapping with IList<T>-based objects.
- Binding – Beneficial for changing the value of a property field, or local variable in a scope.
- Timing Extension – Helpful in doing a performance test on a piece of code.
- String Extensions – Useful for changing a string to a Uri.
- Random Value Generation – Convenient for generating random data.
- Ranges – Perfect for defining a range class to intersect other ranges.
- Secure, Random Generators – Ideal for generating random data in a secure fashion.
With all these convenient ways Spackle “fills gaps” in the .NET framework, it definitely earns its moniker. Odds are if you’re a C# or VB user, there’s a tool in Spackle that can make life a little easier for you. With over 752 downloads to date and an update just over six months old, it’s evident that Spackle will continue to aid developers in the future.
In addition to Spackle, Jason also maintains a collection of add-ins for Reflector, as well as some stand-alone components: a dynamic proxy engine, a code weaving tool, and an assembly verification. He finds these tools as a great way to better himself as a developer and allow others to make their own great advancements. If you’re interested in checking out Jason’s other tools, they can be found on codeplex.