template-discovery

Template Discovery

This skill helps an agent find, inspect, and select the right dotnet new template for a given task using dotnet new CLI commands for search, listing, and parameter inspection.

When to Use

• User asks "What templates are available for X?"
• User describes a project in natural language ("I need a web API with authentication")
• User wants to compare templates or understand parameters before creating a project
• User needs to know what a template produces (files, structure) before committing

When Not to Use

• User wants to create a project — route to template-instantiation skill
• User wants to author or validate a custom template — route to template-authoring skill
• User is troubleshooting build issues — route to dotnet-msbuild plugin

Inputs

Input	Required	Description
User intent or keywords	Yes	Natural-language description or keywords (e.g., "web API", "console app", "MAUI")
Language preference	No	C#, F#, or VB — defaults to C#
Framework preference	No	Target framework (e.g., net10.0, net9.0)

Workflow

Step 1: Resolve intent to template candidates

Map the user's natural-language description to template short names using these common keyword mappings:

User Intent	Template	Suggested Parameters
web API, REST API	webapi	--auth Individual --use-controllers if auth requested
web app, website	webapp
Blazor, interactive web	blazor
console app, CLI tool	console
class library, shared code	classlib
worker service, background job	worker
gRPC service	grpc
MAUI app, mobile app	maui
test project, unit tests	xunit, mstest, or nunit

Step 2: Search for templates

Use dotnet new search to find templates by keyword across both locally installed templates and NuGet.org:

dotnet new search blazor

Use dotnet new list to show only installed templates, with optional filters:

dotnet new list --language C# --type project
dotnet new list web

Step 3: Inspect template details

Use dotnet new <template> --help to get full parameter details for a specific template — parameter names, types, defaults, and allowed values:

dotnet new webapi --help

Step 4: Preview output

Use dotnet new <template> --dry-run to show what files and directories a template would create without writing anything to disk:

dotnet new webapi --name MyApi --auth Individual --dry-run

Step 5: Present findings

Summarize the best template match with:

• Template name and short description
• Key parameters and recommended values
• What the user should expect (files created, project structure)
• Any constraints or prerequisites

Validation

• At least one template match was found for the user's intent
• Template parameters are explained with types and defaults
• User understands what the template produces before proceeding to creation

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall	Solution
Not searching NuGet for templates	If dotnet new list shows no matches, use dotnet new search <keyword> to find installable templates on NuGet.org.
Not checking template constraints	Some templates require specific SDKs or workloads. Use dotnet new <template> --help to surface constraints before recommending.
Recommending a template without previewing output	Always use dotnet new <template> --dry-run to confirm the template produces what the user expects.

More Info

• dotnet new templates — built-in template reference
• Template Engine Wiki — template engine internals