project-structure

Q: How do I install project-structure?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/wshaddix/dotnet-skills --skill project-structure in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/project-structure/ (personal) or .claude/skills/project-structure/ (project).

by wshaddixBackend & APIs

Guidelines for organizing .NET projects, including solution structure, project references, folder conventions, .slnx format, centralized build properties, and central package management. Use when setting up a new .NET solution with modern best practices, configuring centralized build properties across multiple projects, implementing central package version management, or setting up SourceLink for debugging.

Installs: 536
Last 24h: —
Trending rank: —
Security: Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/wshaddix/dotnet-skills --skill project-structure

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads project-structure automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

.NET Project Structure and Build Configuration

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

Setting up a new .NET solution with modern best practices
Configuring centralized build properties across multiple projects
Implementing central package version management
Setting up SourceLink for debugging and NuGet packages
Automating version management with release notes
Pinning SDK versions for consistent builds

Solution File Formats

.slnx (Modern — .NET 9+)

The XML-based solution format is human-readable and diff-friendly. Requires .NET 9+ SDK or Visual Studio 17.13+.

<Solution>
  <Folder Name="/build/">
    <File Path="Directory.Build.props" />
    <File Path="Directory.Packages.props" />
    <File Path="global.json" />
    <File Path="NuGet.Config" />
  </Folder>
  <Folder Name="/src/">
    <Project Path="src/MyApp.Core/MyApp.Core.csproj" />
    <Project Path="src/MyApp.Api/MyApp.Api.csproj" />
    <Project Path="src/MyApp.Infrastructure/MyApp.Infrastructure.csproj" />
  </Folder>
  <Folder Name="/tests/">
    <Project Path="tests/MyApp.UnitTests/MyApp.UnitTests.csproj" />
    <Project Path="tests/MyApp.IntegrationTests/MyApp.IntegrationTests.csproj" />
  </Folder>
</Solution>

Migrating from .sln to .slnx

dotnet sln MySolution.sln migrate

Important: Do not keep both .sln and .slnx files in the same repository.

Creating a New .slnx Solution

# .NET 10+: Creates .slnx by default
dotnet new sln --name MySolution

# .NET 9: Specify the format explicitly
dotnet new sln --name MySolution --format slnx

dotnet sln add src/MyApp/MyApp.csproj

Benefits

Dramatically fewer merge conflicts
Human-readable and editable
Consistent with modern .csproj format
Better diff/review experience in pull requests

Directory.Build.props

Shared MSBuild properties applied to all projects in the directory subtree.

<Project>
  <!-- Metadata -->
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Authors>Your Team</Authors>
    <Company>Your Company</Company>
    <Copyright>Copyright © 2020-$([System.DateTime]::Now.Year) Your Company</Copyright>
    <Product>Your Product</Product>
    <PackageProjectUrl>https://github.com/yourorg/yourrepo</PackageProjectUrl>
    <RepositoryUrl>https://github.com/yourorg/yourrepo</RepositoryUrl>
    <PackageLicenseExpression>Apache-2.0</PackageLicenseExpression>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <!-- C# Language Settings -->
  <PropertyGroup>
    <LangVersion>latest</LangVersion>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <TreatWarningsAsErrors>true</TreatWarningsAsErrors>
    <EnforceCodeStyleInBuild>true</EnforceCodeStyleInBuild>
    <AnalysisLevel>latest-all</AnalysisLevel>
    <NoWarn>$(NoWarn);CS1591</NoWarn>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <!-- Target Framework Definitions -->
  <PropertyGroup>
    <NetStandardLibVersion>netstandard2.0</NetStandardLibVersion>
    <NetLibVersion>net8.0</NetLibVersion>
    <NetTestVersion>net9.0</NetTestVersion>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <!-- SourceLink Configuration -->
  <PropertyGroup>
    <PublishRepositoryUrl>true</PublishRepositoryUrl>
    <EmbedUntrackSources>true</EmbedUntrackSources>
    <IncludeSymbols>true</IncludeSymbols>
    <SymbolPackageFormat>snupkg</SymbolPackageFormat>
    <DebugType>embedded</DebugType>
    <ContinuousIntegrationBuild Condition="'$(CI)' == 'true'">true</ContinuousIntegrationBuild>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SourceLink.GitHub" PrivateAssets="All" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <!-- NuGet Package Assets -->
  <ItemGroup>
    <None Include="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)logo.png" Pack="true" PackagePath="\" />
    <None Include="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)README.md" Pack="true" PackagePath="\" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <PropertyGroup>
    <PackageIcon>logo.png</PackageIcon>
    <PackageReadmeFile>README.md</PackageReadmeFile>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <!-- Global Using Statements -->
  <ItemGroup>
    <Using Include="System.Collections.Immutable" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

Nested Directory.Build.props

Inner files do not automatically import outer files:

<!-- src/Directory.Build.props -->
<Project>
  <Import Project="$([MSBuild]::GetPathOfFileAbove('Directory.Build.props', '$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)../'))" />
  <PropertyGroup>
    <!-- src-specific settings -->
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

Directory.Build.targets

Imported after project evaluation. Use for:

Shared analyzer package references
Custom build targets
Conditional logic based on project type

<Project>
  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Meziantou.Analyzer" PrivateAssets="all" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.BannedApiAnalyzers" PrivateAssets="all" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

Directory.Packages.props - Central Package Management

CPM centralizes all NuGet package versions at the repo root. Individual .csproj files reference packages without a Version attribute.

<Project>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <ManagePackageVersionsCentrally>true</ManagePackageVersionsCentrally>
    <CentralPackageTransitivePinningEnabled>true</CentralPackageTransitivePinningEnabled>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <PropertyGroup>
    <AkkaVersion>1.5.35</AkkaVersion>
    <AspireVersion>9.1.0</AspireVersion>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup Label="App Dependencies">
    <PackageVersion Include="Akka" Version="$(AkkaVersion)" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Akka.Cluster" Version="$(AkkaVersion)" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting" Version="9.0.0" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup Label="Test Dependencies">
    <PackageVersion Include="xunit.v3" Version="3.2.2" />
    <PackageVersion Include="xunit.runner.visualstudio" Version="3.1.5" />
    <PackageVersion Include="FluentAssertions" Version="7.0.0" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="18.0.1" />
    <PackageVersion Include="coverlet.collector" Version="8.0.0" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup Label="Build Dependencies">
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.SourceLink.GitHub" Version="8.0.0" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

Consuming Packages (No Version Needed)

<!-- In MyApp.csproj -->
<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="Akka" />
  <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting" />
</ItemGroup>

Version Overrides

<PackageReference Include="Newtonsoft.Json" VersionOverride="13.0.3" />

.editorconfig

Place at the repo root to enforce consistent code style:

root = true

[*]
indent_style = space
indent_size = 4
end_of_line = lf
charset = utf-8
trim_trailing_whitespace = true
insert_final_newline = true

[*.{csproj,props,targets,xml,json,yml,yaml}]
indent_size = 2

[*.cs]
csharp_style_namespace_declarations = file_scoped:warning
csharp_prefer_braces = true:warning
csharp_style_var_for_built_in_types = true:suggestion
csharp_style_var_when_type_is_apparent = true:suggestion
dotnet_style_require_accessibility_modifiers = always:warning
csharp_style_prefer_pattern_matching = true:suggestion
csharp_style_prefer_switch_expression = true:suggestion
csharp_using_directive_placement = outside_namespace:warning
dotnet_sort_system_directives_first = true

dotnet_naming_rule.private_fields_should_be_camel_case.symbols = private_fields
dotnet_naming_rule.private_fields_should_be_camel_case.style = camel_case_underscore
dotnet_naming_rule.private_fields_should_be_camel_case.severity = warning
dotnet_naming_symbols.private_fields.applicable_kinds = field
dotnet_naming_symbols.private_fields.applicable_accessibilities = private
dotnet_naming_style.camel_case_underscore.required_prefix = _
dotnet_naming_style.camel_case_underscore.capitalization = camel_case

global.json - SDK Version Pinning

{
  "sdk": {
    "version": "9.0.200",
    "rollForward": "latestFeature"
  }
}

Roll Forward Policies

Policy	Behavior
`disable`	Exact version required
`patch`	Same major.minor, latest patch
`feature`	Same major, latest minor.patch
`latestFeature`	Same major, latest feature band
`minor`	Same major, latest minor
`latestMinor`	Same major, latest minor
`major`	Latest SDK (not recommended)

Recommended: latestFeature - Allows patch updates within the same feature band.

nuget.config

Configure package sources and security:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <solution>
    <add key="disableSourceControlIntegration" value="true" />
  </solution>

  <packageSources>
    <clear />
    <add key="nuget.org" value="https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json" />
  </packageSources>

  <packageSourceMapping>
    <packageSource key="nuget.org">
      <package pattern="*" />
    </packageSource>
  </packageSourceMapping>
</configuration>

The <clear /> + explicit sources + <packageSourceMapping> pattern prevents supply-chain attacks.

For private feeds:

<packageSources>
  <clear />
  <add key="nuget.org" value="https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json" />
  <add key="internal" value="https://pkgs.dev.azure.com/myorg/_packaging/myfeed/nuget/v3/index.json" />
</packageSources>
<packageSourceMapping>
  <packageSource key="nuget.org">
    <package pattern="*" />
  </packageSource>
  <packageSource key="internal">
    <package pattern="MyCompany.*" />
  </packageSource>
</packageSourceMapping>

NuGet Audit

.NET 9+ enables NuGetAudit by default:

<PropertyGroup>
  <NuGetAudit>true</NuGetAudit>
  <NuGetAuditLevel>low</NuGetAuditLevel>
  <NuGetAuditMode>all</NuGetAuditMode>
</PropertyGroup>

Lock Files

Enable deterministic restores:

<PropertyGroup>
  <RestorePackagesWithLockFile>true</RestorePackagesWithLockFile>
</PropertyGroup>

In CI:

dotnet restore --locked-mode

SourceLink and Deterministic Builds

For libraries published to NuGet:

<PropertyGroup>
  <PublishRepositoryUrl>true</PublishRepositoryUrl>
  <EmbedUntrackSources>true</EmbedUntrackSources>
  <DebugType>embedded</DebugType>
  <ContinuousIntegrationBuild Condition="'$(CI)' == 'true'">true</ContinuousIntegrationBuild>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SourceLink.GitHub" PrivateAssets="all" />
</ItemGroup>

Version Management with RELEASE_NOTES.md

#### 1.2.0 January 15th 2025 ####

- Added new feature X
- Fixed bug in Y

#### 1.1.0 December 10th 2024 ####

- Initial release

CI/CD Integration

- name: Update version from release notes
  shell: pwsh
  run: ./build.ps1

- name: Build
  run: dotnet build -c Release

- name: Pack with tag version
  run: dotnet pack -c Release /p:PackageVersion=${{ github.ref_name }}

Quick Reference

File	Purpose
`MySolution.slnx`	Modern XML solution file
`Directory.Build.props`	Centralized build properties
`Directory.Packages.props`	Central package version management
`global.json`	SDK version pinning
`NuGet.Config`	Package source configuration
`RELEASE_NOTES.md`	Version history
`.editorconfig`	Code style enforcement
`.config/dotnet-tools.json`	Local .NET tools

References

FAQ

What does the project-structure skill do?

How do I install project-structure?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/wshaddix/dotnet-skills --skill project-structure in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/project-structure/ (personal) or .claude/skills/project-structure/ (project).

Which AI agents can use project-structure?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is project-structure safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains project-structure?

It is published by wshaddix in wshaddix/dotnet-skills. It has 536 recorded installs.

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project-structure

Install

Install

Describe the task

Review the result

SKILL.md

.NET Project Structure and Build Configuration

When to Use This Skill

Recommended Solution Layout

Solution File Formats

.slnx (Modern — .NET 9+)

Migrating from .sln to .slnx

Creating a New .slnx Solution

Benefits

Directory.Build.props

Nested Directory.Build.props

Directory.Build.targets

Directory.Packages.props - Central Package Management

Consuming Packages (No Version Needed)

Version Overrides

.editorconfig

global.json - SDK Version Pinning

Roll Forward Policies

nuget.config

NuGet Audit

Lock Files

SourceLink and Deterministic Builds

Version Management with RELEASE_NOTES.md

CI/CD Integration

Quick Reference

References

FAQ

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