Prefer always adding the `attachDevTools` parameter in generated `InitializeComponent` of a `Window`

[Rekkonnect]

Prefer always adding the `attachDevTools` parameter in generated `InitializeComponent` of a `Window`

[stevemonaco]

AttachDevTools is part of the DevTools package (ie. Avalonia.Diagnostics). Most people don't want to add extra debugging dependencies at runtime, so the conditional compilation is there to ensure it doesn't make it into release mode. DevTools is also incompatible with NativeAOT. So this is a reasonable default, IMO.

attachDevTools is maybe a bit poorly described for a parameter that's only intended to work in debug builds, but renaming this would be a breaking change.

The easiest workaround for both debug+release configs is probably to handle attaching yourself:

public MainWindow()
{
	InitializeComponent(attachDevTools: false);
	this.AttachDevTools();
}

[Rekkonnect]

I think you've completely missed the point. The parameter name can stay as is, all I'm asking for is to also add it in Release builds. No behavior change, just allowing me to refer to that parameter in Release mode because currently the parameter is unavailable.

[stevemonaco]

attachDevTools is only available if Avalonia.Diagnostics is available. The source generator checks for this and generates different code based on its availability:

https://github.com/AvaloniaUI/Avalonia/blob/master/src/tools/Avalonia.Generators/NameGenerator/InitializeComponentCodeGenerator.cs#L27

The default project templates exclude DevTools in Release builds, so your project probably has something like:

<PackageReference Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Debug'" Include="Avalonia.Diagnostics" />

When it should be like this if you always want it:

<PackageReference Include="Avalonia.Diagnostics" />

[Rekkonnect]

Huh, I didn't know that. Then, wouldn't it be convenient to still add the parameter, regardless of whether the package is included?

[stevemonaco]

Maybe it was done to restrict devs from using the parameter when DevTools isn't available and silently doing nothing (or throwing?). I originally thought it was always available, too, until I checked the source.