API review: XAML resource reference tracing (#8183)

* Add spec for XAML resource reference tracing API * Update specs/xaml-resource-references-tracing-spec.md Co-authored-by: MikeHillberg <18429489+MikeHillberg@users.noreply.github.com> * Update specs/xaml-resource-references-tracing-spec.md Co-authored-by: MikeHillberg <18429489+MikeHillberg@users.noreply.github.com> * Update specs/xaml-resource-references-tracing-spec.md Co-authored-by: MikeHillberg <18429489+MikeHillberg@users.noreply.github.com> * Additional CR feedback * Updates * Apply suggestions from code review Co-authored-by: Raymond Chen <oldnewthing@users.noreply.github.com> * More CR feedback. * More CR feedback. * Fix typo * Update xaml-resource-references-tracing-spec.md * Update xaml-resource-references-tracing-spec.md --------- Co-authored-by: MikeHillberg <18429489+MikeHillberg@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Raymond Chen <oldnewthing@users.noreply.github.com>
microsoft · Mar 3, 2023 · 8f00287 · 8f00287
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diff --git a/specs/api_spec_template.md b/specs/api_spec_template.md
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 Please use this template for new/modified APIs:
-https://github.com/microsoft/ProjectReunion/blob/main/specs/spec_template.md
+https://github.com/microsoft/WindowsAppSDK/blob/main/specs/spec_template.md
diff --git a/specs/xaml-resource-references-tracing-spec.md b/specs/xaml-resource-references-tracing-spec.md
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+Tracing XAML resource reference lookup failures
+===
+
+# Background
+
+A XAML resource is an item in a 
+[ResourceDictionary](https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/windows-app-sdk/api/winrt/Microsoft.UI.Xaml.ResourceDictionary)
+that can be referenced in markup with a `{StaticResource}` or `{ThemeResource}` reference.
+For example:
+
+```xml
+<StackPanel >
+    <StackPanel.Resources>
+        <SolidColorBrush x:Key="myBrush" Color="Red"/>
+    </StackPanel.Resources>
+
+    <Rectangle Fill="{StaticResource myBrush}"/>
+```
+
+`ResourceDictionary`s can be defined in multiple places, so the resource reference is resolved
+as a search.
+
+Failure to resolve a XAML resource reference is one of 
+the most common causes of app crashes. Such failures manifest in the _native code_ debug output with the 
+message "Cannot find a Resource with the Name/Key *foo*", and generally fall into one of two 
+buckets:
+
+1. The referenced resource legitimately does not exist, e.g. the referenced key is misspelled or 
+the intended matching resource has not been added to the app.
+2. The referenced resource *does* exist in the app, but it is not reachable from the reference 
+at run-time.
+
+Unfortunately, the stowed exception message is the *only* information provided about the error, 
+which makes it difficult or, more often, outright impossible to debug.
+
+This spec describes a new 
+API on the `DebugSettings` class that developers can use to access more detailed information about 
+the resource reference lookup failure.
+The new APIs here are patterned after the existing
+[DebugSettings.BindingFailed](https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/windows-app-sdk/api/winrt/Microsoft.UI.Xaml.DebugSettings.BindingFailed)
+and
+[DebugSettings.IsBindingTracingEnabled](https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/windows-app-sdk/api/winrt/Microsoft.UI.Xaml.DebugSettings.IsBindingTracingEnabled)
+APIs.
+
+
+# API Pages
+
+_(Updates to the 
+[DebugSettings](https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/windows-app-sdk/api/winrt/Microsoft.UI.Xaml.DebugSettings)
+class)_
+
+## DebugSettings.XamlResourceReferenceFailed Event
+
+Occurs when a
+[XAML resource reference](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/design/style/xaml-resource-dictionary)
+cannot be resolved.
+
+_Spec note: This API is similar to the `DebugSettings.BindingFailed` event. Like XAML resource references, 
+Bindings cannot be modeled solely through static evaluation, e.g. at compile-time, and so a run-time 
+event when a failure occurs is the best approach for providing developers with a means of determining the 
+root cause._
+
+_Spec note: is there a version of the 'ResourceDictionary and XAML resource references' article that 
+links to the Windows App SDK documentation for relevant APIs?_
+
+```c#
+public event TypedEventHandler<DebugSettings,XamlResourceReferenceFailedEventArgs> 
+XamlResourceReferenceFailed
+
+```
+
+### Remarks
+
+`IsXamlResourceReferenceTracingEnabled` must be `true` in order for this event to be raised.
+
+Error information is also logged to the native debug output when the event is raised,
+so attaching a `XamlResourceReferenceFailed` handler yourself is an advanced scenario for 
+getting the raw message programmatically.
+
+## DebugSettings.IsXamlResourceReferenceTracingEnabled Property
+
+Gets or sets a value indicating that when a XAML resource reference error occurs,
+the `XamlResourceReferenceFailed` event should be raised,
+and error information should be logged in the native debug output.
+
+```c# 
+public bool IsXamlResourceReferenceTracingEnabled { get; set; }
+```
+
+### Remarks
+
+This property is `true` by default. When XAML resource reference tracing is enabled and you 
+run your app with the native debugger attached, any  XAML resource reference errors appear 
+in the **Output** window in Microsoft Visual Studio.
+
+
+## XamlResourceReferenceFailedEventArgs Class
+
+Provides event data for the `DebugSettings.XamlResourceReferenceFailed` event.
+
+```c#
+public sealed class XamlResourceReferenceFailedEventArgs
+```
+
+### Remarks
+
+`XamlResourceReferenceFailedEventArgs` is used for debugging XAML resource references. Register the event 
+handler using `DebugSettings`. It will receive a reference to this class. You'll mainly be 
+interested in the `Message` value, which you could log or send to **Debug** output.
+
+The message in the event data contains the following information about the failed XAML resource 
+reference:
+
+* The URI of the XAML page containing each `ResourceDictionary` that was searched
+* The order in which the `ResourceDictionary`s were searched
+
+You can use this information to investigate why the XAML resource reference could not be resolved; 
+perhaps the `ResourceDictionary` it is contained in was not in the list of searched 
+`ResourceDictionary`s, or perhaps that `ResourceDictionary` was searched which could indicate that 
+an incorrect resource key was specified.
+
+Below is an example message from the WinUI Gallery sample app after an incorrect resource reference
+(`OutputTextBlockStyl` rather than `OutputTextBlockStyle`) was deliberately inserted. If you know
+that the desired resource is defined in `App.xaml`, then the failure to locate it in there is a
+strong indicator of an erroneous reference.
+
+Note: The below example output is for illustrative purposes only. The precise format of the message is 
+implementation-defined and may change in the future. Applications should not attempt to parse the message.
+
+```
+Beginning search for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+  Searching dictionary 'ms-appx:///Controls/ControlExample.xaml' for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+  Finished searching dictionary 'ms-appx:///Controls/ControlExample.xaml'.
+  Searching dictionary 'Framework-defined colors' for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+  Finished searching dictionary 'Framework-defined colors'.
+  Searching dictionary 'Framework ThemeResources.xbf' for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+    Searching theme dictionary (active theme: 'Light') for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+      Searching dictionary '<anonymous dictionary>' for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+      Finished searching dictionary '<anonymous dictionary>'.
+    Finished searching theme dictionary (active theme: 'Light').
+  Finished searching dictionary 'Framework ThemeResources.xbf'.
+  Searching dictionary 'ms-appx:///App.xaml' for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+    Searching merged dictionary with index '1' for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+      Searching dictionary 'ms-appx:///Microsoft.UI.Xaml/Themes/themeresources.xaml' for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+        Searching theme dictionary (active theme: 'Light') for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+          Searching dictionary 'ms-appx:///Microsoft.UI.Xaml/Themes/themeresources.xaml' for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+          Finished searching dictionary 'ms-appx:///Microsoft.UI.Xaml/Themes/themeresources.xaml'.
+        Finished searching theme dictionary (active theme: 'Light').
+      Finished searching dictionary 'ms-appx:///Microsoft.UI.Xaml/Themes/themeresources.xaml'.
+    Finished searching merged dictionary with index '1'.
+    Searching merged dictionary with index '0' for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+      Searching dictionary 'ms-appx:///ItemTemplates.xaml' for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+      Finished searching dictionary 'ms-appx:///ItemTemplates.xaml'.
+    Finished searching merged dictionary with index '0'.
+    Searching theme dictionary (active theme: 'Light') for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+      Searching dictionary 'ms-appx:///App.xaml' for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+      Finished searching dictionary 'ms-appx:///App.xaml'.
+    Finished searching theme dictionary (active theme: 'Light').
+  Finished searching dictionary 'ms-appx:///App.xaml'.
+Finished search for resource with key 'OutputTextBlockStyl'.
+```
+
+
+## XamlResourceReferenceFailedEventArgs.Message Property
+
+A human-readable explanation (in English) of the XAML resource reference failure.
+
+```c#
+public string Message { get; }
+```
+
+
+# API Details
+```c#
+namespace Microsoft.UI.Xaml
+{
+  runtimeclass DebugSettings
+  {
+    // existing ...
+
+    Boolean IsXamlResourceReferenceTracingEnabled;
+    event Windows.Foundation.TypedEventHandler<Microsoft.UI.Xaml.DebugSettings,Microsoft.UI.Xaml.XamlResourceReferenceFailedEventArgs> XamlResourceReferenceFailed;
+  };
+
+  runtimeclass XamlResourceReferenceFailedEventArgs
+  {
+    String Message{ get; };
+  };
+}
+
+```