StyleCop 4.3 > StyleCop 4.3 Rules > Layout Rules > SA1515: SingleLineCommentsMustBePrecededByBlankLine

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SA1515: SingleLineCommentsMustBePrecededByBlankLine

Glossary Item Box

TypeName	SingleLineCommentsMustBePrecededByBlankLine
CheckId	SA1515
Category	Layout Rules

Cause

A single-line comment within C# code is not preceded by a blank line.

Rule Description

To improve the readability of the code, StyleCop requires blank lines in certain situations, and prohibits blank lines in other situations. This results in a consistent visual pattern across the code, which can improve recognition and readability of unfamiliar code.

A violation of this rule occurs when a single-line comment is not preceded by a blank line. For example:

public bool Enabled

{

get

{

Console.WriteLine("Getting the enabled flag.");

// Return the value of the 'enabled' field.

return this.enabled;

}

The code above would generate an instance of this violation, since the single-line comment is not preceded by a blank line.

An exception to this rule occurs when the single-line comment is the first item within its scope. In this case, the comment should not be preceded by a blank line. For example:

public bool Enabled

{

get

{

// Return the value of the 'enabled' field.

return this.enabled;

}

In the code above, the comment is the first item within its scope, and thus it should not be preceded by a blank line.

If the comment is being used to comment out a line of code, begin the comment with four forward slashes rather than two. This will cause StyleCop to ignore this violation. For example:

public bool Enabled

{

get

{

Console.WriteLine("Getting the enabled flag.");

////return false;

return this.enabled;

}

How to Fix Violations

To fix a violation of this rule, add a blank line above the comment.