Open Source Package Templates

The templates in this section are designed to be used independently or together. They are presented in a progressive order, where each template may build on files introduced by previous ones. The final template, osspkg, combines all of them into a complete repository structure for an open source C# package.

Short Name	Description
`strongname`	Adds a strong naming guide to the current directory.
`docs`	Adds a Docusaurus setup guide to the current directory.
`props`	Adds Directory.Build.props and version.json to the src directory.
`coverage`	Adds test coverage tooling to the current directory.
`github`	Adds GitHub community files to the current directory.
`repofiles`	Adds common OSS project files to the current directory.
`osspkg`	Repository structure for an open source C# package with docs, versioning, and CI/CD.

Strong Naming Guide (`strongname`)

Strong naming gives an assembly a unique identity by signing it with a cryptographic key pair. It is required for assemblies that need to be installed in the Global Assembly Cache (GAC), and is a common practice for public NuGet packages so consumers can verify they are referencing the correct binary. If strong naming is not a requirement for your project, remove the StrongNaming property group from src/Directory.Build.props and skip this guide entirely.

Adds a strong naming guide to the current directory. Once you have completed the strong naming setup for your project, this file can and should be removed.

Parameters

None. This template copies files without substitution.

Usage

dotnet new strongname

Output

File	Description
`STRONG_NAMING.md`	A guide to strong naming your .NET assembly.

Docusaurus Setup Guide (`docs`)

Good documentation is one of the most important things an open source project can have. It reduces the support burden, lowers the barrier to adoption, and signals that the project is well-maintained. Docusaurus publishes your documentation as a static site hosted on GitHub Pages, meaning it is versioned alongside your code, freely hosted, and always in sync with your repository. If you do not plan to publish documentation for your project, this file can be removed without affecting anything else.

Adds a Docusaurus setup guide to the current directory. Once you have completed the Docusaurus setup for your project, this file can and should be removed.

Parameters

None. This template copies files without substitution.

Usage

dotnet new docs

Output

File	Description
`DOCUSAURUS.md`	A guide to setting up and configuring a Docusaurus documentation site.

Directory Build Props (`props`)

Adds Directory.Build.props and version.json to the src directory.

Directory.Build.props is an MSBuild file that automatically applies shared configuration to every project in the src directory, so you only have to define it once. This template's version configures:

Target frameworks: multi-targets netstandard2.0, netstandard2.1, and net6.0 through net10.0 out of the box
Strong naming: signs the assembly using a .snk key file
Repository metadata: authors, copyright, repository URL, and GitHub Pages documentation URL, all populated from template parameters
Packaging: dual MIT/Apache-2.0 license expression, symbol packages, package validation, and README inclusion
Source Link: embeds source file information into the package so debuggers can step into your library's source code
Nerdbank.GitVersioning: version is derived automatically from git history
Code style: nullable reference types, implicit usings, latest language version, and code style enforced at build time

version.json configures the initial version for Nerdbank.GitVersioning.

Parameters

Parameter	Required	Default	Description
`--authorName`	No	`Scott Offen`	The name of the package author.
`--version`	No	`1.0.0-preview.{height}`	The initial version for Nerdbank.GitVersioning.

Usage

dotnet new props

dotnet new props --authorName "Jane Smith" --version "1.0.0"

Output

File	Description
`src/Directory.Build.props`	Shared MSBuild properties applied to all projects in the `src` directory.
`src/version.json`	Nerdbank.GitVersioning configuration file.

src/
├── Directory.Build.props
└── version.json

Test Coverage (`coverage`)

Adds test coverage tooling to the current directory. Running test-coverage.ps1 from the repository root automatically discovers every solution file under src/, builds and tests each one, merges the coverage output from all test projects into a single combined report, and opens it in your browser. Pass -NoOpen to skip opening the browser, which makes the script safe to run in CI.

ReportGenerator is used to produce the HTML report. The script prefers the local tool manifest at src/.config/dotnet-tools.json when present, and falls back to a globally installed reportgenerator if not. Coverage collection is handled by Coverlet, configured via src/coverlet.runsettings.

Parameters

None. This template copies files without substitution.

Usage

dotnet new coverage

Output

File	Description
`test-coverage.ps1`	PowerShell script for generating and opening a test coverage report.
`src/coverlet.runsettings`	Coverlet configuration for controlling coverage collection.
`src/.config/dotnet-tools.json`	Local .NET tools manifest, including the ReportGenerator tool.

src/
├── .config/
│   └── dotnet-tools.json
└── coverlet.runsettings
test-coverage.ps1

GitHub Community Files (`github`)

A healthy open source project needs more than just code. GitHub community files set expectations for contributors, establish a code of conduct, provide structured ways to report bugs and request features, and automate the most important parts of the release pipeline. Without them, contributors have no guidance, issues become noise, and releases are manual and error-prone. This template adds the full set of community health files that GitHub recognizes, along with issue templates and the GitHub Actions workflows for building, testing, publishing, and deploying documentation.

Parameters

Parameter	Required	Default	Description
`--name`	No	`Blueprint`	Used to populate placeholders in the generated files.
`--org`	No	`scottoffen`	The GitHub organization or username that owns the repository.
`--repo`	Yes	none	The GitHub repository name.

Usage

dotnet new github --name MyPackage --repo my-repo

dotnet new github --name MyPackage --org my-org --repo my-repo

Output

All files are added under the .github/ folder.

File	Description
`CODEOWNERS`	Defines code owners for automatic review assignment.
`code_of_conduct.md`	Community code of conduct.
`contributing.md`	Guidelines for contributing to the project.
`PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md`	Default pull request template.
`security.md`	Security policy and vulnerability reporting instructions.
`ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml`	Issue template for bug reports.
`ISSUE_TEMPLATE/config.yml`	Issue template chooser configuration.
`ISSUE_TEMPLATE/documentation.yml`	Issue template for documentation issues.
`ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature_request.yml`	Issue template for feature requests.
`workflows/cleanup.yml`	Workflow for cleaning up stale packages.
`workflows/deploy-docs.yml`	Workflow for deploying the Docusaurus documentation site to GitHub Pages.
`workflows/pr-build.yml`	Workflow for building and testing pull requests.
`workflows/publish.yml`	Workflow for publishing the package to NuGet and GitHub Packages.

.github/
├── ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
│   ├── bug_report.yml
│   ├── config.yml
│   ├── documentation.yml
│   └── feature_request.yml
├── workflows/
│   ├── cleanup.yml
│   ├── deploy-docs.yml
│   ├── pr-build.yml
│   └── publish.yml
├── CODEOWNERS
├── code_of_conduct.md
├── contributing.md
├── PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
└── security.md

OSS Project Files (`repofiles`)

A well-structured open source repository communicates professionalism and intentionality from the first glance. This template adds the foundational files that every open source project should have:

.editorconfig: Enforces consistent code style across editors and IDEs, ensuring that contributors are not introducing whitespace or formatting noise regardless of what tools they use.
.gitignore: Prevents build artifacts, user-specific IDE files, and other generated content from being accidentally committed to the repository.
LICENSE-MIT and LICENSE-APACHE: Dual licensing under MIT and Apache 2.0 is a common and well-regarded practice in the .NET open source ecosystem. MIT is permissive and widely understood. Apache 2.0 adds explicit patent protection, which matters to organizations with legal teams that review dependencies. Offering both lets consumers choose the license that best fits their needs, which lowers the barrier to adoption. If you prefer a single license, remove the file you do not want and update the PackageLicenseExpression in src/Directory.Build.props from MIT OR Apache-2.0 to either MIT or Apache-2.0.

Parameters

Parameter	Required	Default	Description
`--name`	No	`Blueprint`	Used to populate placeholders in the generated files.
`--org`	No	`scottoffen`	The GitHub organization or username that owns the repository.
`--repo`	Yes	none	The GitHub repository name.
`--authorName`	No	`Scott Offen`	The name of the package author.

Usage

dotnet new repofiles --name MyPackage --repo my-repo

dotnet new repofiles --name MyPackage --org my-org --repo my-repo --authorName "Jane Smith"

Output

Includes everything from github, plus:

File	Description
`.editorconfig`	Editor configuration for consistent code style across editors and IDEs.
`.gitignore`	Git ignore rules for .NET projects.
`LICENSE-MIT`	MIT license file.
`LICENSE-APACHE`	Apache 2.0 license file.

.github/
├── ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
│   ├── bug_report.yml
│   ├── config.yml
│   ├── documentation.yml
│   └── feature_request.yml
├── workflows/
│   ├── cleanup.yml
│   ├── deploy-docs.yml
│   ├── pr-build.yml
│   └── publish.yml
├── CODEOWNERS
├── code_of_conduct.md
├── contributing.md
├── PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
└── security.md
.editorconfig
.gitignore
LICENSE-APACHE
LICENSE-MIT

Open Source .NET Package (`osspkg`)

A complete repository structure for an open source C# package, including documentation, strong naming, versioning, test coverage, and GitHub Actions for publishing to NuGet and GitHub Packages.

The generated solution contains two projects: the main package project and a test project. The test project already references the main project and includes xUnit, Shouldly, Moq, and Coverlet as dependencies. xUnit, Shouldly, and Moq are globally imported, so test classes do not need explicit using statements for any of them. The main project already has an InternalsVisibleTo declaration wired up for the test project, so internal members are accessible in tests without any additional configuration.

Parameters

Parameter	Required	Default	Description
`--name`	No	`Blueprint`	The name of the package.
`--org`	No	`scottoffen`	The GitHub organization or username that owns the repository.
`--repo`	Yes	none	The GitHub repository name.
`--authorName`	No	`Scott Offen`	The name of the package author.
`--version`	No	`1.0.0-preview.{height}`	The initial version for Nerdbank.GitVersioning.

Usage

dotnet new osspkg --name MyPackage --repo my-repo

dotnet new osspkg --name MyPackage --org my-org --repo my-repo --authorName "Jane Smith" --version "1.0.0-preview.{height}"

Output

Includes everything from repofiles, props, and coverage, plus:

File	Description
`README.md`	Starter documentation for the new repository.
`src/Blueprint.slnx`	The solution file for the package.
`src/Blueprint/Blueprint.csproj`	The main package project file.
`src/Blueprint.Tests/Blueprint.Tests.csproj`	The test project file.

MyPackage/
├── .github/
│   ├── ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
│   │   ├── bug_report.yml
│   │   ├── config.yml
│   │   ├── documentation.yml
│   │   └── feature_request.yml
│   ├── workflows/
│   │   ├── cleanup.yml
│   │   ├── deploy-docs.yml
│   │   ├── pr-build.yml
│   │   └── publish.yml
│   ├── CODEOWNERS
│   ├── code_of_conduct.md
│   ├── contributing.md
│   ├── PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
│   └── security.md
├── src/
│   ├── .config/
│   │   └── dotnet-tools.json
│   ├── MyPackage/
│   │   └── MyPackage.csproj
│   ├── MyPackage.Tests/
│   │   └── MyPackage.Tests.csproj
│   ├── coverlet.runsettings
│   ├── Directory.Build.props
│   ├── MyPackage.slnx
│   └── version.json
├── .editorconfig
├── .gitignore
├── DOCUSAURUS.md
├── LICENSE-APACHE
├── LICENSE-MIT
├── README.md
├── STRONG_NAMING.md
└── test-coverage.ps1

Strong Naming Guide (strongname)​

Parameters​

Usage​

Output​

Docusaurus Setup Guide (docs)​

Parameters​

Usage​

Output​

Directory Build Props (props)​

Parameters​

Usage​

Output​

Test Coverage (coverage)​

Parameters​

Usage​

Output​

GitHub Community Files (github)​

Parameters​

Usage​

Output​

OSS Project Files (repofiles)​

Parameters​

Usage​

Output​

Open Source .NET Package (osspkg)​

Parameters​

Usage​

Output​

Strong Naming Guide (`strongname`)

Parameters

Usage

Output

Docusaurus Setup Guide (`docs`)

Parameters

Usage

Output

Directory Build Props (`props`)

Parameters

Usage

Output

Test Coverage (`coverage`)

Parameters

Usage

Output

GitHub Community Files (`github`)

Parameters

Usage

Output

OSS Project Files (`repofiles`)

Parameters

Usage

Output

Open Source .NET Package (`osspkg`)

Parameters

Usage

Output