FluentTextGenerator

##Configurable fluent API for random text generation##

###Basic usage### This library can be used to create random strings, for example for automated key generation.

The simplest way to generate a random string is to use the default library configuration:

Console.WriteLine(new FluentTextGenerator().Configure().Generate()); // BuJZKhWk3BQsA{O1ho-...

The default configuration generates strings using:

• random minimal length (a value between 1 and 250)
• random maximal length (a value between 1 and 250; >= the minimal length)
• an alphabet consisting of
  • small characters a-z
  • capital characters A-Z
  • numbers 0-9
  • special symbols .,+-*/!?;:{}()[]%$&~#@|><

Every option can be explicitely set using the fluent API:

• MinLength(int min)
  • default is 0, meaning random between 1 and 250
• MaxLength(int max)
  • default is 0, meaning random between 1 and 250, but >= MinLength
• IncludeCapitalCharacters(bool yes)
  • default is true
• IncludeSmallCharacters(bool yes)
  • default is true
• IncludeNumbers(bool yes)
  • default is true
• IncludeSpecialCharacters(bool yes)
  • default is true

This call:

Console.WriteLine(new FluentTextGenerator()
			.Configure()
			.MinLength()
			.MaxLength()
			.IncludeCapitalCharacters()
			.IncludeSmallCharacters()
			.IncludeNumbers()
			.IncludeSpecialCharacters()
			.Generate());

is the same as the first example:

Console.WriteLine(new FluentTextGenerator().Configure().Generate());

Using the fluent API the configuration could be set from some custom settings:

Console.WriteLine(new FluentTextGenerator()
			.Configure()
			.MinLength(min)
			.MaxLength(max)
			.IncludeCapitalCharacters(includeCapitalCharacters)
			.IncludeSmallCharacters(includeSmallCharacters)
			.IncludeNumbers(includeNumbers)
			.IncludeSpecialCharacters(includeSpecialCharacters)
			.Generate());

The configuration options can also be used individually or in a combination:

Console.WriteLine(new FluentTextGenerator()
					.Configure()
					.MinLength(5)
					.MaxLength(10)
					.IncludeSpecialCharacters(false)
					.Generate()); 
// Output: jYsF3tv

The configuration options can also be provided as a JSON string, passed as parameter to the Configure method. The JSON keys should have the same names as the configuration options. The above example configuration (min=5, max=10, alphabet should contain small, capital and number characters) can be described as follows:

var options = @"{
			""MinLength"":5,
			""MaxLength"":10,
			""IncludeSmallCharacters"": true,
			""IncludeCapitalCharacters"": true,
			""IncludeNumbers"": true
		}";
Console.WriteLine(new FluentTextGenerator()
			.Configure(options)
			.Generate());
// Output: xgWiFe0

###More options###

The API allows you to overwrite the list of special characters using the

IncludeSpecialCharacters(yes, specialCharacters)

overload method. By default the second parameter specialCharacters is set to an empty string - the generator uses the internally defined default list:

.,+-*/!?;:{}()[]%$&~#@|><

If the second parameter is set, then the characters in it are used as special characters:

Console.WriteLine(new FluentTextGenerator()
					.Configure()
					.MinLength(5)
					.MaxLength(10)
					.IncludeCapitalCharacters(false)
					.IncludeNumbers(false)
					.IncludeSmallCharacters(false)
					.IncludeSpecialCharacters(true, "+-")
					.Generate());
// Output: +----++-++

The API allows you to exclude characters from the alphabet used for the string generation:

Console.WriteLine(new FluentTextGenerator()
					.Configure()
					.MinLength(5)
					.MaxLength(10)
					.IncludeCapitalCharacters(false)
					.IncludeNumbers(false)
					.IncludeSmallCharacters(false)
					.IncludeSpecialCharacters(true, "+-.!")
					.ExcludeCharacters("-.")
					.Generate());
// Output: !+!!+!++!

The API allows you to replace characters after the generation has completed:

Console.WriteLine(new FluentTextGenerator()
					.Configure()
					.MinLength(5)
					.MaxLength(10)
					.IncludeCapitalCharacters(false)
					.IncludeNumbers(false)
					.IncludeSmallCharacters(false)
					.IncludeSpecialCharacters(true, "+-.!")
					.Replace(".", "~")
					.Replace("+", "plus")
					.Generate());
// Output: ~!~plusplus~!plus

Please note, that with the replace operation it is possible to exceed the configured maximal text length!