TUTORIAL: VS - Creating Code Snippets - CodeProject

I was in the middle of creating my experiance/article about the snippets subject when I got an email from http://www.codeproject.com/ with this wonderful article.

Extending Visual Studio Part 1 - Creating Code Snippets - CodeProject

I've already created some snippets, feel free to use them:

'Decorator-Pattern' snippet (activation: dp_decorator + TAB):

Code Snippet

1. xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
2. <CodeSnippetsxmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
3. <CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
4. <Header>
5. <Title>Decorator DPTitle>
6. <Shortcut>dp_decoratorShortcut>
7. <Description>Code snippet for decorator design patternDescription>
8. <Author>S.OAuthor>
9. <SnippetTypes>
10. <SnippetType>ExpansionSnippetType>
11. SnippetTypes>
12. Header>
13. <Snippet>
14. <Declarations>
15. <Literal>
16. <ID>ComponentID>
17. <ToolTip>Component nameToolTip>
18. <Default>ComponentDefault>
19. Literal>
20. <Literal>
21. <ID>DecoratorID>
22. <ToolTip>Decorator nameToolTip>
23. <Default>DecoratorDefault>
24. Literal>
25. Declarations>
26. <Code Language="csharp">
27. // Decorator patern:
28. // http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decorator_pattern#Structure
29. // http://www.dofactory.com/Patterns/PatternDecorator.aspx
30. abstract class $Component$
31. {
32. public abstract void Operation();
33. }
35. abstract class $Decorator$ : $Component$
36. {
37. protected $Component$ _$Component$;
39. public void SetComponent($Component$ component)
40. {
41. this._$Component$ = component;
42. }
44. public override void Operation()
45. {
46. if (_$Component$ != null)
47. {
48. _$Component$.Operation();
49. // + [your operation here]
50. }
51. }
52. }
53. $end$
55. ]]>
56. Code>
57. Snippet>
58. CodeSnippet>
59. CodeSnippets>

The 'Event changed property' snippet (eprop + TAB):

Code Snippet

1. xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
2. <CodeSnippetsxmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
3. <CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
4. <Header>
5. <Title>event changed propertyTitle>
6. <Shortcut>epropShortcut>
7. <Description>Code snippet for eprop...Description>
8. <Author>SOAuthor>
9. <SnippetTypes>
10. <SnippetType>ExpansionSnippetType>
11. SnippetTypes>
12. Header>
13. <Snippet>
14. <Declarations>
15. <Literal Editable="true">
16. <ID>prop_nameID>
17. <ToolTip>property nameToolTip>
18. <Function>PropName()Function>
19. <Default>PropNameDefault>
20. Literal>
21. <Literal Editable="true">
22. <ID>prop_typeID>
23. <ToolTip>property typeToolTip>
24. <Function>PropType()Function>
25. <Default>ObjectDefault>
26. Literal>
28. Declarations>
29. <Code Language="csharp">
30. #region $prop_name$
32. ///
33. /// Occurs when $prop_name$ changes.
34. ///
35. public event EventHandler $prop_name$Changed;
37. ///
38. /// Raises the event.
39. ///
40. /// The instance containing the event data.
41. protected virtual void On$prop_name$Changed(EventArgs e)
42. {
43. if ($prop_name$Changed != null)
44. $prop_name$Changed(this, e);
45. }
47. private $prop_type$ _$prop_name$ = null;$end$
48. ///
49. /// Gets or sets the type of the region.
50. ///
51. ///
52. /// The type of the region.
53. ///
54. public $prop_type$ $prop_name$
55. {
56. get { return _$prop_name$; }
57. set
58. {
59. if (_$prop_name$ != value)
60. {
61. _$prop_name$ = value;
63. On$prop_name$Changed(new EventArgs());
64. }
65. }
66. }
67. #endregion
68. ]]>
69. Code>
70. Snippet>
71. CodeSnippet>
72. CodeSnippets>

And the 'TODO' snippet (TD + TAB), need some polish like auto date/time stamp, priority...:

Code Snippet

1. xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
2. <CodeSnippetsxmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
3. <CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
4. <Header>
5. <Title>TODOTitle>
6. <Shortcut>TDShortcut>
7. <Description>Code snippet for TODO...Description>
8. <Author>SOAuthor>
9. <SnippetTypes>
10. <SnippetType>ExpansionSnippetType>
11. SnippetTypes>
12. Header>
13. <Snippet>
14. <Declarations>
15. Declarations>
16. <Code Language="csharp">// TODO:P, TimeStamp, S.O: $end$]]>
17. Code>
18. Snippet>
19. CodeSnippet>
20. CodeSnippets>

My advice: if you already created a code pattern twice (meaning - you copied and pasted a code and renamed some variables and function/property names), add it to your snippets, you'll need it and it will save time.

REMARK: Please follow the codeproject artical if you wish to install/use them...

GUIDE: Creating your own fast Wireshark plugin / dissector using LUA.

After hitting my head agains the keyboard to create my own LUA protocol, I've desided that none shall suffer anymore.

Some background to understand stuff

• Wireshark reads PCAP file format for captured files.
• Wireshark can be extended using C code or, for fast development you can use LUA code (I'll explain later...).

• PCAP File Format

• Development/LibpcapFileFormat - The Wireshark Wiki
• Know your Wireshark
• http://www.wireshark.org/docs/

Creating LUA based plugin / dissector

1. Download and install Wireshark.
2. Create LUA dissector (let's save it as 'trivial.lua')

-- trivial protocol example
-- declare our protocol
trivial_proto = Proto("trivial","Trivial Protocol")
-- create a function to dissect it
function trivial_proto.dissector(buffer,pinfo,tree)
    pinfo.cols.protocol = "TRIVIAL"
    local subtree = tree:add(trivial_proto,buffer(),"Trivial Protocol Data")
    subtree:add(buffer(0,2),"The first two bytes: " .. buffer(0,2):uint())
    subtree = subtree:add(buffer(2,2),"The next two bytes")
    subtree:add(buffer(2,1),"The 3rd byte: " .. buffer(2,1):uint())
    subtree:add(buffer(3,1),"The 4th byte: " .. buffer(3,1):uint())
end
-- load the udp.port table
udp_table = DissectorTable.get("udp.port")
-- register our protocol to handle udp port 7777
udp_table:add(7777,trivial_proto)

1. Edit  ...\Wireshark\init.lua file as follows
1. disable_lua = false
2. At the end of the file: dofile("trivial.lua") 
1. You can read more here - http://simplestcodings.com/2011/01/09/how-to-use-lua-to-create-wireshark-dissector/
2. Open Wireshark
1. Menu >> Edit >> Preferences >> Protocols >> DLT_USER >> Edit >> New:
1. DLT: User 0 (147)
2. Payload protocol: MyProtocolName
3. Header size 0
4. Trailer size: 0
5. Press OK
3. Create PCAP dumps for analyze.
1. Using HEX-Editor (see below for nice hex-editor recomendations).
2. If you can - ask the protocol team to provide their dumps. 
4. Open the PCAP dump for editing (binary mode).
1. Change the dump's 'Global Header' section / 'data link type' (network) to 147 (LINKTYPE_USER0)
1. Read more here - http://www.tcpdump.org/linktypes.html
2. save it.
5. Load the dump to Wireshark for analyses.
6. Start changing the trivial.lua code to parse your protocol.

Hope this will bring you to a working point fast. In the process read related stuff to understand more, you can upgrade this solution to create better and better protocol sniffer using Wireshark.

• Related reference stuff
• http://simplestcodings.com/2011/01/09/how-to-use-lua-to-create-wireshark-dissector/
• http://delog.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/create-a-wireshark-dissector-in-lua/
• http://lua-users.org/wiki/TutorialDirectory
• http://wiki.wireshark.org/Lua
• http://wiki.wireshark.org/Lua/Dissectors
• http://wiki.wireshark.org/Lua/Examples

More nice stuff that can help

• You can use 'Hex Workshop' to simulate your protocol binary streams more easily (using it's feature Structure Editing).
• http://www.hexworkshop.com/screen_shots.html
• Wireshark tools
• http://wiki.wireshark.org/Tools
• bit-twist: Network Traffic Generator 
• http://www.blindhog.net/bit-twist-network-traffic-generator-and-editor-2/
• http://bittwist.sourceforge.net/