Avalonia Xaml Source Generator

Choose the smallest public AXSG artifact set that satisfies the task, then wire the matching MSBuild and runtime pieces. Prefer app-facing packages first and drop to low-level compiler/runtime packages only when the request is explicitly about custom composition, framework work, or tooling internals.

Workflow

1. Classify the request before recommending packages.

• Standard Avalonia app: start with references/package-surface.md and references/avalonia-app-setup.md.
• Hot reload, hot design, runtime fallback, or loader issues: read references/avalonia-app-setup.md and references/configuration-switches.md.
• VS Code, LSP, or in-app editor work: read references/tooling-and-lsp.md.
• Custom compiler host, framework profile, parser reuse, or advanced package composition: read references/advanced-composition.md.

2. Prefer the highest-level install surface that matches the request.

• Use XamlToCSharpGenerator for normal Avalonia app adoption.
• Use XamlToCSharpGenerator.Build only when the user explicitly wants MSBuild-only integration or custom target layering.
• Use low-level compiler/runtime/tooling packages only when the task is about embedding or extending AXSG itself.

3. Include the required wiring, not just the package name.

• Show the package or tool install command.
• Show AvaloniaXamlCompilerBackend set to SourceGen for app setup.
• Show runtime bootstrap with UseAvaloniaSourceGeneratedXaml() when runtime support matters.
• Mention build-side automatic behavior when relevant: SourceGen disables the legacy Avalonia XAML compilation path and the Avalonia name generator.

Guardrails

• Treat the public surface in references/package-surface.md as the supported install matrix.
• Do not recommend internal support projects such as XamlToCSharpGenerator.DotNetWatch.Proxy as consumer dependencies.
• Do not mix default Avalonia XamlIl instructions with AXSG setup in the same recipe without calling out the backend switch explicitly.
• Preserve the repository AOT/trimming contract. Do not suggest reflection-based runtime/emitted-code workarounds.
• For repo-local examples, mirror the established SourceGenCrudSample project pattern instead of inventing new item names or imports.

References

• references/package-surface.md: full public package, tool, and VS Code artifact inventory.
• references/avalonia-app-setup.md: standard app setup, bootstrap, and repo-local development wiring.
• references/tooling-and-lsp.md: language service, CLI LSP host, VS Code extension, and in-app editor guidance.
• references/advanced-composition.md: compiler stack layering and low-level package combinations.
• references/configuration-switches.md: canonical AXSG MSBuild switches grouped by scenario.