ewl-abstraction-review

name	ewl-abstraction-review
description	Class inventory of EWL and TEWL abstractions for identifying missed usage in code reviews

Overview

This skill provides a class inventory of TEWL (Ewl.Tools) and EWL Core. The inventory lists each class, a description of its functionality, and the underlying .NET BCL types it abstracts over. Use this inventory to identify cases where code uses raw BCL types instead of the higher-level abstractions provided by these libraries.

How to Use This Inventory

1. When reviewing a diff, look for BCL type names in the "Underlying APIs" column. If an added line references one of those types, check whether the corresponding EWL/TEWL class provides a method that covers the use case.
2. To make a specific recommendation, use the WebFetch tool to examine the source file of the matching class on GitHub:
   • TEWL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/enduracode/tewl/integration/Tewl/{path} (e.g. .../Tewl/Tools/StringTools.cs, .../Tewl/IO/IoMethods.cs)
   • EWL Core: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/enduracode/enterprise-web-library/branch/default/Core/{path} (e.g. .../Core/EwlStatics.cs, .../Core/IO/ZipOps.cs)
3. Only flag a pattern if the abstraction clearly applies. Some low-level BCL usage is intentional or falls outside the scope of the abstraction.

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Tewl (root namespace)

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
Cultures	Pre-built CultureInfo instances (en-US, es-ES)	CultureInfo
FileExtensions	String constants for common file extensions; extension-matching helper	Path
FormattingMethods	Phone number, SSN, address, and byte-count formatting	String, TimeSpan
FuzzyStringMatching	Levenshtein distance and weighted similarity scoring	Array, String
NewlineConstants	Cross-platform newline string constants (LF, CRLF)	(constants only)
PatternString	Encapsulated search-pattern string with case-insensitive matching	Regex
RateLimiter	Thread-safe leaky-bucket rate limiter using NodaTime timestamps	Lock, NodaTime Instant
TrustedHtmlString	Marker type for HTML strings trusted for rendering without escaping	String

Tewl.IO

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
IoMethods	File/folder operations with retry logic, temp folder management, file download	Directory, File, FileStream, Path, WebClient
FileReader	Convenience wrapper for StreamReader lifecycle management	Stream, StreamReader, File
Output	Console output redirection to log files	Console, StreamWriter
ExcelFileWriter	Excel .xlsx workbook creation and manipulation	ClosedXML, MemoryStream
ExcelWorksheet	Single worksheet within an Excel workbook	ClosedXML
CsvFileWriter	Tabular data writing in CSV format with quoting	TextWriter
TabDelimitedFileWriter	Tabular data writing in TSV format with validation	TextWriter
XmlOps	XML serialization/deserialization with optional schema validation	XmlWriter, XmlReader, XmlSerializer, DataContractSerializer
TabularDataParser	Parsing CSV, fixed-width, and Excel files with header validation and error accumulation	Stream, ClosedXML

Tewl.Tools

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
AssemblyTools	Discovering and instantiating types that implement an interface from an assembly	Assembly, Activator, Type
BoolTools	Boolean to human-readable string conversions (Yes/No/Empty)	Boolean
CollectionTools	Collection extensions: materialization, single-item wrapping, deduplication, padding, concatenation	List, IEnumerable, IReadOnlyCollection
ContentTypes	MIME content type constants and file-extension-to-content-type mapping	MediaTypeNames
DateTimeTools	DateTime/DateTimeOffset formatting, range comparison, overlap detection, UTC-to-local	DateTime, DateTimeOffset, TimeZoneInfo
DecimalTools	Decimal normalization, rounding, monetary formatting, fractional-cent detection	Decimal, BigInteger, Math
DictionaryTools	Null-safe dictionary value lookups that return null/default instead of throwing	Dictionary
DoubleTools	Double rounding and monetary string formatting	Double, Math
DurationTools	NodaTime Duration to human-readable phrase representations	NodaTime Duration, Humanizer
EnumTools	Enum parsing from strings, value enumeration, English string conversion	Enum, Type
ExceptionHandlingTools	Retry-with-delay for flaky operations; call-every-method with first-exception rethrow	Thread, ExceptionDispatchInfo
ExceptionTools	Recursive traversal of the full inner-exception chain	Exception
HttpClientTools	HTTP requests with structured error handling, retry with exponential backoff, streaming request bodies	HttpClient, HttpContent, Task
IntTools	Repeat-action N times; large number formatting with k/M suffixes	Int32
IterationTools	Processing large collections in configurable-size batches	IEnumerable, LINQ
LocalDateTools	NodaTime LocalDate formatting, range containment, overlap detection, calendar calculations	NodaTime LocalDate
LocalDateTimeTools	NodaTime LocalDateTime range containment and overlap detection	NodaTime LocalDateTime
LocalTimeTools	NodaTime LocalTime range containment, step sequences, formatting	NodaTime LocalTime
NetTools (Tewl)	DNS lookup, URL combination, HTML anchor generation, broken-link checking via HTTP HEAD	Dns, HttpWebRequest, HttpWebResponse
ObjectTools	Nullable value transformation; null-safe ToString	Object, Nullable
ProcessTools	External process execution with captured stdout/stderr and configurable timeout	Process, ProcessStartInfo
RandomTools	Cryptographic hex strings, random strings/letters, random element selection, coin flips	RandomNumberGenerator, Random
ReflectionTools	Property name extraction from lambda expressions; custom attribute retrieval	Expression, MemberInfo, Attribute
RegularExpressions	Common regex patterns (HTML tags); C-style block comment stripping	Regex
StreamTools	Stream position reset helpers for seekable streams	MemoryStream, FileStream
StringTools	Comprehensive string manipulation: casing, concatenation with delimiters, truncation, English list phrasing, URL slugs, search matching, Base64	String, StringBuilder, Regex, CultureInfo
SynchronizationTools	Machine-wide exclusive access via named global mutex	Mutex
TimeSpanTools	TimeSpan formatting as hours:minutes strings and humanized phrases	TimeSpan, Humanizer
TimingTools	Execution duration measurement for sync and async functions	Stopwatch
XmlTools	XML serialization/deserialization via XmlSerializer; UTF-16 to UTF-8 conversion	XmlSerializer

Tewl.InputValidation

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
Validator	Central validation orchestrator; tracks errors and unusable values; provides typed validation methods via extensions	(orchestration only)
ValidatorExtensions	Extension methods on Validator for validating booleans, dates, times, numerics, phone numbers, strings, emails, URLs, SSNs, zip codes, and JSON	DateTime, TimeSpan, Regex, Uri, JsonNode
ValidationErrorHandler	Controls error message generation; supports standard messages with a subject name or custom handler delegates	Dictionary
ValidationResult<T>	Result of a validation operation holding the validated value and optional error	(value holder only)
PhoneNumber	Parsed phone number with area code, number, extension; round-trips to formatted strings	String
ZipCode	Parsed US or Canadian zip code with optional +4 extension	Regex

Tewl.Exceptions

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
RunProgramException	Exception from external process execution; captures stdout, stderr, and error code	Exception, StringBuilder

Tewl.Oracle

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
OracleTools	Boolean-to-decimal conversions for Oracle (which lacks a native boolean type)	Decimal

Tewl.ICalendar

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
ICalendarTools	Converts NodaTime types to iCalendar CalDateTime instances	NodaTime ZonedDateTime, NodaTime LocalDate, Ical.Net

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EnterpriseWebLibrary (root namespace)

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
EwlStatics	Path combination (use instead of Path.Combine), nullable-aware type conversion, C# identifier generation, generic equality/comparison helpers, image resizing, timed execution	Path, Convert, Regex, Imageflow
Clock	Current time and stable transaction time abstractions; use TransactionTime instead of DateTime.Now	NodaTime Instant, Environment
TelemetryStatics	Centralized error/fault reporting and developer/administrator notification via email; rate-limited error emails	StringWriter, DriveInfo, StringBuilder
NetTools (EWL)	HTML-encodes text with newline-to-br conversion; text-to-PNG image rendering	HttpUtility, Bitmap, Graphics, Font
GlobalInitializationOps	System initialization/shutdown; standard exception-handling wrapper for console apps	CultureInfo, Thread
UnexpectedValueException	Exception for unexpected values in switch statements; accepts string+object or Enum	Exception
MultiMessageException	Exception carrying multiple error messages; useful for multi-field validation	Exception
DoNotEmailOrLogException	Marker exception that suppresses email/logging in standard exception handling	ApplicationException
SpecifiedValue<T>	Wrapper distinguishing "value was specified" from "no value"; use when null is a valid value	(value holder only)
StructuralEqualityComparer<T>	EqualityComparer using structural comparison; enables arrays/tuples as dictionary keys	StructuralComparisons, EqualityComparer

EnterpriseWebLibrary.IO

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
ZipOps	Zip/unzip between folders, byte arrays, streams, and RsFile objects	SharpZipLib, MemoryStream, FileStream, Stream
RsFile	In-memory file representation with byte array content, file name, and content type	(value holder only)
PdfOps	PDF concatenation and bookmarked PDF creation via external provider	Stream, MemoryStream

EnterpriseWebLibrary.Configuration

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
ConfigurationStatics	Central hub for installation/machine configuration; provides EwlFolderPath, installation type checks, file paths, URL construction, and custom config deserialization	StackTrace, Assembly, File, Path, Environment, RuntimeInformation
InstallationConfiguration	Full installation configuration from XML; provides system/installation naming, database info, web apps, file path constants (ConfigurationFolderName, InstallationConfigurationFolderName, etc.)	Directory, File
InstallationFileStatics	Constants and path computation for standard installation folder layout (FilesFolderName, WebFrameworkStaticFilesFolderName)	(constants and path logic only)

EnterpriseWebLibrary.DataAccess

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
DatabaseConnection	Database connection with nested transaction support via savepoints; translates vendor exceptions to typed EWL exceptions	DbConnection, DbCommand, DbDataReader, DbTransaction
DataAccessState	Ambient context for current data-access state; provides primary/secondary connections and per-request retrieval cache	AsyncLocal, ImmutableStack
AutomaticDatabaseConnectionManager	Lifecycle management for auto-opened connections; transaction coordination across databases; temp folder provisioning	AsyncLocal, IoMethods
DataAccessMethods	RetryOnDeadlock for automatic deadlock retry; database exception translation	SqlException, Thread
BlobStorageStatics	Convenience methods over blob storage provider: get first file, copy collection, validate PDF	MemoryStream, Stream

EnterpriseWebLibrary.DataAccess.CommandWriting

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
InlineSelect	Builds and executes parameterized SELECT queries with conditions and ordering	DbCommand, DbDataReader
InlineInsert	Builds and executes parameterized INSERT with optional auto-increment retrieval	DbCommand
InlineUpdate	Builds and executes parameterized UPDATE with SET clauses and WHERE conditions	DbCommand
InlineDelete	Builds and executes parameterized DELETE with WHERE conditions	DbCommand
SprocExecution	Executes stored procedures with Reader, NonQuery, and Scalar modes	DbCommand, CommandType
EqualityCondition	Generates column = @param or column IS NULL conditions	IDbCommand
InequalityCondition	Generates column comparison conditions (!=, <, >, <=, >=)	IDbCommand
LikeCondition	Generates LIKE conditions with single-term or AND-ed token modes	IDbCommand

EnterpriseWebLibrary.EnterpriseWebFramework

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
FormItem	Bundles label, content, and validations into a layout-ready form unit; use .ToFormItem() extensions	(component composition)
FormItemList	Lays out FormItems in stack, wrapping, responsive grid, or fixed grid patterns; use CreateStack(), CreateFixedGrid(), etc.	(CSS grid/flexbox)
FormControlExtensionCreators	Extension methods on AbstractDataValue<T> creating bound form controls: .ToTextControl(), .ToDropDown(), .ToDateControl(), .ToCheckbox(), etc.	(EWL form controls)
EwfTable	Primary data table with pagination, Excel export, selection checkboxes, item reordering, and grouping	(HTML table)
EwfTableItem	A row in an EwfTable; use EwfTableItem.Create(cells, setup?)	(component composition)
EwfResponse	HTTP response abstraction with factory methods: CreateExcelWorkbookResponse, CreateMergedCsvResponse, Create, CreateFromAspNetResponse, etc.	HttpResponse, IActionResult
PostBack	Post-back definitions; use PostBack.CreateFull() for full submissions or PostBack.CreateIntermediate() for partial updates	(web framework)
FormState	Form state scoping; use FormState.ExecuteWithActions() to connect form controls to data modifications	(web framework)
EwfHyperlink	Hyperlink component; use instead of raw anchor elements	(HTML a element)
HyperlinkBehaviorExtensionCreators	Extension methods on ResourceInfo: .ToHyperlinkDefaultBehavior(), .ToHyperlinkNewTabBehavior(), .ToHyperlinkModalBoxBehavior()	(web framework)
EwfButton	Button component; use instead of raw button elements	(HTML button element)
ElementActivationBehavior	Makes arbitrary elements clickable; use CreateHyperlink() or CreateButton() for table row activation	(web framework)
Section	Collapsible section with heading; supports Normal and Box styles	(HTML section element)
BlobManagementStatics	File upload validation and download button generation for database blob files	MemoryStream, Image
BlobFileManager	UI component for managing a single file in a database blob collection	(component composition)
BlobFileCollectionManager	UI component for managing multiple files in a database blob collection with upload/delete	(component composition)

EnterpriseWebLibrary.EnterpriseWebFramework (Extension Creators)

These extension methods are fundamental to EWL and are the most commonly missed abstractions. Agents frequently reinvent them manually.

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
TextComponentExtensionCreators	string.ToComponents() converts strings to IReadOnlyCollection<PhrasingComponent>, auto-replacing newlines with line breaks	(component creation)
EwfTableCellExtensionCreators	.ToCell() extensions on string, FlowComponent, and IReadOnlyCollection<FlowComponent> for creating table cells	(component creation)
FormItemExtensionCreators	.ToFormItem() extensions on FormControl, FlowComponent, and string for creating form items with labels	(component creation)
ComponentListItemExtensionCreators	.ToComponentListItem() extensions on string, FlowComponent, and IReadOnlyCollection<FlowComponent> for creating list items	(component creation)
ContentBasedLengthExtensionCreators	int.ToEm(), decimal.ToEm(), int.ToPixels(), decimal.ToPixels() for type-safe CSS lengths	(CSS length values)

EnterpriseWebLibrary.Email

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
EmailSendingFormItems	Extension methods on EmailMessage creating form items for subject and body	(component composition)

EnterpriseWebLibrary.MailMerging

Class	Description	Underlying APIs
MergeOps	Mail merge to multiple formats: Word documents, PDFs, CSV, TSV, Excel, XML, and template strings	Stream, MemoryStream, TextWriter, XmlWriter, Aspose.Words

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Code Pattern Triggers

These patterns cannot be identified by BCL type matching alone. Flag them when they appear in added lines.

Code Pattern	Replacement	Class	Notes
.ToList()	.Materialize()	CollectionTools	Returns IReadOnlyCollection<T>; preferred for non-mutated collections
.Append(a).Append(b) (multiple chained .Append calls on a sequence)	.ConcatItems( a, b )	CollectionTools	Only suggest when multiple individual items are appended in a chain and it won't hurt readability. A single .Append(item) is fine as-is and should not be replaced. Mixed .Append/.Concat chains cannot use ConcatItems — leave them alone.
"\n", "\r\n", Environment.NewLine	Newline (etc.)	NewlineConstants	Available via static using in EWL systems