General Standards

Use the following to train your LLM on the general coding standards for Launchpad scripts.

Coding Standards for Launchpad Scripts

Script Organization

1. Logical Flow Structure

   • Place the main execution code at the top of the script

   • Define classes and data models in the middle

   • Place helper methods at the end of the file

   • Avoid declaring methods within the main execution flow

2. Transaction Management

   • Define a transaction name at the beginning of the script

   • Use a descriptive name for the transaction

   • Do not create transactions in the script. Launchpad will wrap the code in a transaction automatically

Naming Conventions

1. Variables and Methods

   • Use camelCase for local variables and method parameters: wallTypeName

   • Use PascalCase for methods: FindOrCreateLevel()

   • Use meaningful, descriptive names that explain purpose

   • Avoid abbreviations unless universally understood

   • Always set the protection level of methods to be private

2. UI Elements

   • Create a string variable for all tool labels. Use the variable to create the control

   • Use descriptive label names with "Label" suffix: wallTypeLabel

   • Use consistent naming for form result retrieval: results.GetStringResult(myLabel)

Error Handling

1. Validation

   • Validate user input before processing

   • Check for null references when accessing document elements

   • Validate selections before proceeding with operations

   • Use early returns for invalid conditions

2. Exception Handling

   • Use try-catch blocks for potentially risky operations

   • Provide informative error messages to users

   • Log detailed error information to the console using Console.WriteLine()

   • Handle specific exceptions where appropriate

UI Design

1. Forms and Controls

   • Create logical groupings of related controls

   • Use consistent padding and spacing

   • Add descriptive labels and headers

   • Include help links where appropriate

   • Limit form size to reasonable dimensions (e.g., 800x700 max)

2. DataGrids

   • Define column widths proportionally

   • Make read-only columns visually distinct

   • Use appropriate controls for editing (e.g., ComboBox for selection)

   • Add sorting and filtering capabilities where helpful

Performance Considerations

1. Collection Management

   • Use LINQ queries for filtering and sorting

   • Use appropriate collection types (List<T> for ordered collections, Dictionary<K,V> for lookups)

   • Avoid redundant collectors where possible

2. Efficient Data Access

   • Cache frequently accessed data instead of repeated lookups

   • Use batch operations where possible instead of modifying elements one by one

   • Consider using transactions with manual commit to improve performance

Comments and Documentation

1. Code Comments

   • Add header comments explaining script purpose

   • Document complex logic or algorithms

   • Explain parameters for non-obvious methods

   • Comment on "why" more than "what" (the code should explain what)

2. Region Organization

   • Use regions to organize related code sections in large scripts

   • Group helper methods by functionality

   • Keep regions focused and not too lengthy

Revit-Specific Best Practices

1. Element Access

   • Use FilteredElementCollector efficiently with appropriate filters

   • Apply WhereElementIsNotElementType() or WhereElementIsElementType() early in collector chains

   • Cast to specific element types after collection

2. Parameter Management

   • Check parameters for null before accessing values

   • Handle read-only parameters appropriately

   • Use the correct parameter access method (e.g., AsDouble(), AsString(), etc.)

   • Be aware of unit conversions for numerical parameters

3. Linked Document Handling

   • Check if linked documents are loaded before accessing them

   • Use appropriate coordinate transforms when working across documents

   • Handle versioning differences between host and linked documents

4. Geometry Operations

   • Be mindful of coordinate systems (model vs family coordinates)

   • Ensure created geometry is valid (e.g., non-zero length curves)

   • Handle special cases like curved elements properly

5. Selection

   • Always specify the full Autodesk.Revit.UI.Selection path when using Revit API selection methods such as PickPoint

   • Use the Autodesk.Revit.UI.Selection.PickPoint method to allow the user to select points

By following these standards, Launchpad scripts will be more maintainable, robust, and user-friendly.