BlazorCodeEditor

A fully client side c# code editor with blazor and roslyn

Overview

Blazor Code Editor is a minimal, client-side web application built with Blazor WebAssembly. It demonstrates a novel approach to dynamically compiling and executing C# code entirely in the browser. This project is a lightweight public version of Apollo, showcasing its core capabilities in a simplified form.

Features include:

• Client-side compilation and execution of C# code.
• Lightweight, browser-based IDE experience.
• Monaco-based code editor with syntax highlighting and support for C#.
• Support for multiple files within a solution.
• Educational value as an example of dynamic code execution in WebAssembly.

Prerequisites

• Visual Studio 2022 17.9 or later.
• .NET 9 SDK installed.
• Basic knowledge of C# and Blazor.

Installation & Build

Clone the repository and build the project using:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/thatplatypus/BlazorCodeEditor.git

# Navigate to the project directory
cd BlazorCodeEditor

# Build the project
dotnet build

Setup & Configuration

Blazor Code Editor relies on the following approach to handling WebAssembly with .NET:

• Webcil Integration: This project makes use of the Webcil format, a WebAssembly-compatible representation of .NET assemblies, enabling C# code to compile and execute dynamically within the browser.
• Roslyn in WebAssembly: The project invokes the Roslyn compiler at runtime, resolving metadata references and transpiling assemblies back into a format suitable for execution in the browser.

No server setup is required as the entire application runs within the browser's sandbox.

Running the Application

To run the application locally:

1. Build the project as shown in the Installation section.
2. Use the following command to launch the application:

dotnet run --project BlazorCodeEditor

3. Open the provided URL in your browser (e.g., http://localhost:5000).

Technical Details

• The application leverages Mono's Webcil format to enable native .NET assembly execution in WebAssembly.
• Metadata references are dynamically resolved at runtime, eliminating the need for pre-bundled DLLs.
• The project adopts a reflection-heavy architecture due to browser runtime constraints, supporting only browser-compatible APIs.

Educational Use Case

Blazor Code Editor is a perfect starting point for:

• Exploring WebAssembly and Blazor capabilities.
• Understanding dynamic code compilation and execution in a browser environment.
• Building educational tools or demos for teaching C#.

Contributing

Pull requests are welcome. For major changes, please open an issue to discuss what you would like to change.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.