How to create a Visual Studio Project Type

Prepare Your Project

Make sure your project is clean and generic:

• Remove any project-specific code or secrets.
• Replace specific names with placeholders if needed (e.g., MyCompany.MyLibrary ? TemplateNamespace.MyLibrary).
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Create a Template Configuration File

In the root of your project, create a .template.config folder and add a template.json file inside it.

Example template.json:

{
  "$schema": "http://json.schemastore.org/template",
  "author": "Your Name or Company",
  "classifications": [ "Library", "C#" ],
  "identity": "YourCompany.ClassLibrary.Template",
  "name": "My Class Library Template",
  "shortName": "myclasslib",
  "tags": {
    "language": "C#",
    "type": "project"
  },
  "sourceName": "TemplateNamespace",
  "preferNameDirectory": true
}

• sourceName: This is the placeholder that will be replaced with the project name when the template is used.
• shortName: This is the command-line shortcut to use the template.
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Pack the Template

Use the .NET CLI to pack your template into a .nupkg file:

dotnet new -i .
--to distribute
dotnet pack
--install locally
dotnet new -i ./bin/Debug/<your-template>.nupkg

Use the Template

Now you can create a new project using your template:

dotnet new myclasslib -n MyNewLibrary

Optional: Publish to NuGet

If you want others to use your template:

1. Create a NuGet account and API key.
2. Push your .nupkg file:
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dotnet nuget push <your-template>.nupkg -k <your-api-key> -s https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json