Adding line breaks to c# comments for Intellisense

Question

Does anyone know how to insert a line break into a summary comment in order for the line break to be reflected in Intellisense documentation?

To clarify, assume code documentation..

/// <summary>
/// Some text documentation
///  - a line break - 
/// Some more documentation
/// </summary>
public void SomeMethod() { }

So when using this method Intellisense offers a summary for the method formatted like this:

Some text documentation

Some more documentation

(Note - the 'para' tag doesn't create empty line breaks - I've tried it!)

A "para" is half answer (it's actually double break), beginning and end of line gets truncated. To enforce break a line at the beginning and the end of summary add following "" ( character get omitted - actually non visible and zero space). — SoLaR, Mar 17 '18 at 09:14
As of Visual Studio 2019, you can add line breaks using `
` in xml documentation. Refer the answer [here](https://stackoverflow.com/a/57734549/12001603). — Mahipal, Sep 18 '19 at 14:32

Brian Kim · Answer 1 · 2009-01-21T22:06:43.747

77

Try using this.

/// <summary>
/// <para>Paragraph 1.</para>
/// <para>Paragraph 2.</para>
/// </summary>

But I don't think you can have an actual empty line. Empty para tag gets ignored.

edited Jan 21 '09 at 22:06

answered Jan 21 '09 at 22:01

Brian Kim

24,916
6
38
26

I thought you just wanted a line break. I don't think you can have an actual empty line. – Brian Kim Jan 21 '09 at 22:07
how does MS do it with exceptions in methods for example? – flesh Jan 21 '09 at 22:20
4

Exceptions are separate tags in the XML. It's not a blank line in the summary, it's just rendering different sections of the documentation – bdukes Jan 27 '09 at 19:08
A slightly nicer version: ///
/// Paragraph 1. /// Paragraph 2. ///
– Peter Huber Dec 08 '14 at 03:35
Sorry for the ugly formatting, but stupid stackoverflow does not allow to change a comment after 5 minutes and prevents any decent formatting anyway. Proper sample see in next comment. – Peter Huber Dec 08 '14 at 03:47
1

Basically replace "`XYZ`" by "`XYZ`" – Peter Huber Dec 08 '14 at 03:47

score 47 · Answer 2 · edited May 07 '13 at 16:32

47

Try this:

/// <summary>
/// <para> [Non-Breaking Space] </para>
/// </summary>

[Non-Breaking Space] is obtained using Alt+255 (using the Numpad).

It will show up as an empty new line. I know this is old, but it worked for me today.

edited May 07 '13 at 16:32

Jesse

8,605
7
47
57

answered May 10 '12 at 20:49

theKRAY

710
6
7

14

+1: I **finally** have a place to write //Magic, do not touch. – Louis Kottmann Aug 28 '12 at 09:37
Just something I want to say: WOW! – Joel Apr 10 '13 at 11:53
2

That maybe the most awesome and yet horrible thing to happen simultaneously at so many of the same levels that I have ever seen. For adding empty lines, I'll use Al Erickson's suggestion of ` ` but for doing indenting, this is way nicer. – Daryl Jul 09 '14 at 14:17
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! – Phil Lambert Aug 22 '14 at 10:15
Oldsk00L! That brings me back. – Robino Dec 23 '14 at 15:19
Get in my son! Fantastic – Jack Pettinger Aug 20 '15 at 15:02
2

Alt + 0173 looks more like magic. It's the invisible character and works, too. – Martin Braun Sep 30 '15 at 09:09
How is there no accepted answer on this question? This should 100% be the accepted answer! Looking back, I guess the question was just asked badly. I'm sure the question was meant to ask how to insert a carriage return. – Arvo Bowen Feb 27 '16 at 15:48
2

how to use Alt+255 in VS 2015? when i try Alt+255 in VS 2015 nothing happens – srh Apr 21 '17 at 16:13

score 28 · Answer 3 · edited Jan 27 '12 at 20:34

28

/// <summary><br />
/// <para>To treat comment line like a DIV tag, surround them with PARA tags.</para><br />
/// <para>To add a break with whitespace, add the following line:</para><br />
/// <para>&#160;</para><br />
/// </summary>

edited Jan 27 '12 at 20:34

Samuel

85
1
1
10

answered Mar 25 '09 at 14:58

2

`
` alone worked for me. Using the `` tags created too much padding which pushed the rest of my comments beyond the overflow. – drzaus May 02 '12 at 18:33
4

` ` was the thing I was looking for, tnx :) – Krowi May 25 '14 at 19:51
4

`
` doesn't work in VS 2017. – David Nov 16 '17 at 18:57
1

`
` DOES work in VS 2019. – Tam Le May 18 '20 at 05:29
should be accepted answer still works in vs 2022 despite its pretty old html tag – Peter Sep 09 '22 at 14:55
As a shorthand, you can also use an empty tag at the end of each line: ``. – Nick Apr 27 '23 at 17:42

score 7 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 21 '09 at 22:20

7

Your only hope is probably something cludgy like this:

/// <summary>
/// <para>line one</para>
/// <para>_</para>
/// <para>line two</para>
/// </summary>

answered Jan 21 '09 at 22:20

Andrew Hare

344,730
71
640
635

cludgy yes, but thats as close as ive got so far – flesh Jan 21 '09 at 22:22

score -3 · Answer 5 · answered Jan 21 '09 at 22:16

-3

Well, it is Xml. Maybe 


answered Jan 21 '09 at 22:16

Joel Coehoorn

399,467
113
570
794

5

nope that doesn't do it either ... – flesh Jan 21 '09 at 22:18

Adding line breaks to c# comments for Intellisense

5 Answers5

Linked