dotnet-template-engine
By dotnet
Discover .NET project templates via natural language search with dotnet new CLI, scaffold projects and multi-project solutions using validated parameters, latest NuGet versions, and dry-run previews. Author custom templates from .csproj projects, validate template.json for schema errors and conflicts, then package for NuGet distribution.
Component Overview
Install
npx claudepluginhub dotnet/skills --plugin dotnet-template-engineComponent Details
Skills (4)
Guides creation and validation of custom dotnet new templates. Generates templates from existing projects and validates template.json for authoring issues. USE FOR: creating a reusable dotnet new template from an existing project, validating template.json files for schema compliance and parameter issues, bootstrapping .template.config/template.json with correct identity, shortName, parameters, and post-actions, packaging templates as NuGet packages for distribution. DO NOT USE FOR: finding or using existing templates (use template-discovery and template-instantiation), MSBuild project file issues unrelated to template authoring, NuGet package publishing (only template packaging structure).
Helps find, inspect, and compare .NET project templates. Resolves natural-language project descriptions to ranked template matches with pre-filled parameters. USE FOR: finding the right dotnet new template for a task, comparing templates side by side, inspecting template parameters and constraints, understanding what a template produces before creating a project, resolving intent like "web API with auth" to concrete template + parameters. DO NOT USE FOR: actually creating projects (use template-instantiation), authoring custom templates (use template-authoring), MSBuild or build issues (use dotnet-msbuild plugin), NuGet package management unrelated to template packages.
Creates .NET projects from templates with validated parameters, smart defaults, Central Package Management adaptation, and latest NuGet version resolution. USE FOR: creating new dotnet projects, scaffolding solutions with multiple projects, installing or uninstalling template packages, creating projects that respect Directory.Packages.props (CPM), composing multi-project solutions (API + tests + library), getting latest NuGet package versions in newly created projects. DO NOT USE FOR: finding or comparing templates (use template-discovery), authoring custom templates (use template-authoring), modifying existing projects or adding NuGet packages to existing projects.
Validates custom dotnet new templates for correctness before publishing. Catches missing fields, parameter bugs, shortName conflicts, constraint issues, and common authoring mistakes that cause templates to fail silently. USE FOR: checking template.json files for errors before publishing or testing, diagnosing why a template doesn't appear after installation, reviewing template parameter definitions for type mismatches and missing defaults, finding shortName conflicts with dotnet CLI commands, validating post-action and constraint configuration. DO NOT USE FOR: finding or using existing templates (use template-discovery), creating projects from templates (use template-instantiation), creating templates from existing projects (use template-authoring).
README
.NET Agent Skills
This repository contains the .NET team's curated set of core skills and custom agents for coding agents. For information about the Agent Skills standard, see agentskills.io.
What's Included
| Plugin | Description |
|---|---|
| dotnet | Collection of core .NET skills for handling common .NET coding tasks. |
| dotnet-data | Skills for .NET data access and Entity Framework related tasks. |
| dotnet-diag | Skills for .NET performance investigations, debugging, and incident analysis. |
| dotnet-msbuild | Comprehensive MSBuild and .NET build skills: failure diagnosis, performance optimization, code quality, and modernization. |
| dotnet-nuget | NuGet and .NET package management: dependency management and modernization. |
| dotnet-upgrade | Skills for migrating and upgrading .NET projects across framework versions, language features, and compatibility targets. |
| dotnet-maui | Skills for .NET MAUI development: environment setup, diagnostics, and troubleshooting. |
| dotnet-ai | AI and ML skills for .NET: technology selection, LLM integration, agentic workflows, RAG pipelines, MCP, and classic ML with ML.NET. |
| dotnet-template-engine | .NET Template Engine skills: template discovery, project scaffolding, and template authoring. |
| dotnet-test | Skills for running, diagnosing, and migrating .NET tests: test execution, filtering, platform detection, and MSTest workflows. |
| dotnet-aspnet | ASP.NET Core web development skills including middleware, endpoints, real-time communication, and API patterns. |
Installation
🚀 Plugins - Copilot CLI / Claude Code
- Launch Copilot CLI or Claude Code
- Add the marketplace:
/plugin marketplace add dotnet/skills - Install a plugin:
/plugin install <plugin>@dotnet-agent-skills - Restart to load the new plugins
- View available skills:
/skills - View available agents:
/agents - Update plugin (on demand):
/plugin update <plugin>@dotnet-agent-skills
VS Code / VS Code Insiders (Preview)
[!IMPORTANT]
VS Code plugin support is a preview feature and subject to change. You may need to enable it first.
// settings.json
{
"chat.plugins.enabled": true,
"chat.plugins.marketplaces": ["dotnet/skills"]
}
Once configured, type /plugins in Copilot Chat or use the @agentPlugins filter in Extensions to browse and install plugins from the marketplace.
Codex CLI
Skills in this repository follow the agentskills.io open standard and are compatible with OpenAI Codex.
Install individual skills using the skill-installer CLI with the GitHub URL:
$ skill-installer install https://github.com/dotnet/skills/tree/main/plugins/<plugin>/skills/<skill-name>
⚡ Agentic Workflows
Some plugins include GitHub Agentic Workflow templates for CI/CD automation:
- Install the
gh awCLI extension - Copy the desired workflow
.mdfiles and theshared/directory to your repository's.github/workflows/ - Compile and commit:
gh aw compile - Commit both the
.mdand generated.lock.ymlfiles
Contributing
See CONTRIBUTING.md for contribution guidelines and how to add a new plugin.
License
See LICENSE for details.
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