NAntGraph

NAntGraph is a documentation tool designed to make it easier to understand NAnt or Ant build files.

A common proverb reads A picture is worth a thousand words. In the computer field, we often find that one diagram is worth a thousand lines of code - or more.

In fact, a good diagram can make it much easier to understand the code - providing an easy entry point through which a reader may gain a high level understanding before approaching the code itself.

Based on GLEE, from Microsoft Research, NAntGraph depicts the structure of your build file targets and their dependencies as a directed graph.

For example, shown to the right is the structure of NAntGraph's own NAnt build file.

From this diagram, it's easy to see the available targets and their dependencies, making it easier to understand the build file as a whole.

If useful, the description elements from targets can be included to provide additional detail:

NAntGraph consistes of two separate programs - a graphical UI (NAntGraph) that allows you to create the graphs interactively, and a commandline version (NAntGraphCmd), designed for integration into your build process.