Question

If I was to have:

/// <summary>
/// My summary
/// </summary>
/// <param name='args'></param>

on the clipboard pasted it on top of the method static void Main(string[] args), it will look like:

class Program
{
    /// <summary>
    /// This is my summary
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name='args'></param>
    static void Main(string[] args)
    { 
    }
}

Note: The text I had on the clipboard had no indentation (4 white spaces on the left). When I pasted it, Visual Studio was able to figure out that it needed indentation.

I would like to do the same thing with a macro. I do not want to use the clipboard as I have the text I want to insert in a variable (myText). I have something like:

Sub TemporaryMacro()

    Dim myText As String = "/// <summary>" _
    & vbCrLf & "/// My summary" _
    & vbCrLf & "/// </summary>" _
    & vbCrLf & "/// <param name='args'></param>"

    DTE.ActiveDocument.Selection.Text = myText

End Sub

When I run that macro I end up with:

class Program
{

    /// <summary>
    ///  <summary>
    ///  /// My summary
    ///  /// </summary>
    ///  /// <paramref name=" name='args'></param>"/></summary>
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="args"></param>
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {

    }
}

Note: I do get a different result.

---

I have also tried:

Public Module RecordingModule
    Sub TemporaryMacro()

        Dim myText As String = "/// <summary>" _
        & vbCrLf & "/// My summary" _
        & vbCrLf & "/// </summary>" _
        & vbCrLf & "/// <param name='args'></param>"

        DTE.ActiveDocument.Selection.Insert(myText)

    End Sub
End Module

which results in:

class Program
{

    /// <summary>
/// My summary
/// </summary>
/// <param name='args'></param>
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {

    }
}

---

I know I can place myText on the clipboard and then paste it. That does not make sense though. How can I achieve the same behavior as if I where pasting myText without having it to place it on the clipboard?

Answer 1

Finally found the solution:

Dim myText As String = "/// <summary>" _
     & vbCrLf & "/// My summary" _
     & vbCrLf & "/// </summary>" _
     & vbCrLf & "/// <param name='args'></param>"

DTE.ActiveDocument.Selection.Insert(myText)

' how many characters where inserted?
' Trying myText.Length gives incorrect results because visual studio counts \r\n as one character so we 
' use the regex \r\n|. to try to find first \r\n as one match and any other character as another match
Dim insertLength As Integer = System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex.Matches(myText, "(?>\r\n|.)").Count

' select the text that was just inserted
DTE.ActiveDocument.Selection.CharLeft(True, insertLength)

' here comes the magic!
DTE.ActiveDocument.Selection.SmartFormat()

Edit

I am making this edit to ask why this answer reserved down votes. If you refer to the question title it asks: Visual studio macro to insert text like when pasting when you paste text it maters where the cursor is located! I do not have to search for static void Main(string[] args) also I up voted the other answer cause I appreciate the help. If I would have known the answer earlier I would have turn this question into a bounty.

Lastly the other solution does not work correclty… run that macro when I have comments at the top of the page and it does not work. It is helpful that’s why I up voted!