Visual Studio: Is it possible to define custom functions for use in one's own Code Snippets?

Question

I want to write a Visual Studio snippet which allows me to quickly create a class of the form:

public SomeClass
{
    public SomeType SomeProperty { get; private set; }
    public SomeClass(SomeType someProperty) { SomeProperty = someProperty; }
}

I want the parameter on the constructor to have the same name as the property, but lower-cased. I don't want to have to type the name twice. How do I do this?

I've already looked at the XML for snippets and I discovered that there are certain functions that can be used. For example, the built-in "switch" code snippet contains the following instruction:

<Function>GenerateSwitchCases($expression$)</Function>

According to this MSDN documentation page, there are three built-in functions that you can use in this <Function> tag. Unfortunately, neither of them does what I want (lower-case the first letter). Is it possible to define a function that I can then use in my snippet?

Override

Man, I was just trying to do almost the exact same thing! Argh! – Electuary

see this Answer: #5664069 – Strait

Answer 1

No this is not possible in Visual Studio today. The definition and execution of snippet functions is directly controlled by the C# language service. It is not currently an extensibility point. It is being considered for a future version of the product though.

Razorbill

Is it? Are you sure? There is a comment on a Microsoft Connect post that said this is considered "for the next version", but that comment is from 2005 and there have been two next versions since... – Override

For clarity, my comment was referring to your last sentence in which you claimed "It is being considered for a future version". I am unconvinced that this is the case. – Override

@Timwii, I can assure you it's actively being considered for a future version of the product. Like always no assurances can be made but it is something that we are investigating. – Razorbill

This post claims to have created such a custom function: stackoverflow.com/questions/12730156 – Lyrism

@Daryl: OP says it won't work for C#. If you read the last couple of comments, he explains. – Gradation