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
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
1---2name: template-discovery-23description: 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.4---5
6# Template Discovery
7
8This 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.
9
10## When to Use
11
12- User asks "What templates are available for X?"
13- User describes a project in natural language ("I need a web API with authentication")
14- User wants to compare templates or understand parameters before creating a project
15- User needs to know what a template produces (files, structure) before committing
16
17## When Not to Use
18
19- User wants to create a project — route to `template-instantiation` skill
20- User wants to author or validate a custom template — route to `template-authoring` skill
21- User is troubleshooting build issues — route to `dotnet-msbuild` plugin
22
23## Inputs
24
25| Input | Required | Description |
26|-------|----------|-------------|
27| User intent or keywords | Yes | Natural-language description or keywords (e.g., "web API", "console app", "MAUI") |
28| Language preference | No | C#, F#, or VB — defaults to C# |
29| Framework preference | No | Target framework (e.g., net10.0, net9.0) |
30
31## Workflow
32
33### Step 1: Resolve intent to template candidates
34
35Map the user's natural-language description to template short names using these common keyword mappings:
36
37| User Intent | Template | Suggested Parameters |
38|-------------|----------|---------------------|
39| web API, REST API | `webapi` | `--auth Individual --use-controllers` if auth requested |
40| web app, website | `webapp` | |
41| Blazor, interactive web | `blazor` | |
42| console app, CLI tool | `console` | |
43| class library, shared code | `classlib` | |
44| worker service, background job | `worker` | |
45| gRPC service | `grpc` | |
46| MAUI app, mobile app | `maui` | |
47| test project, unit tests | `xunit`, `mstest`, or `nunit` | |
48
49### Step 2: Search for templates
50
51Use `dotnet new search` to find templates by keyword across both locally installed templates and NuGet.org:
52
53```bash
54dotnet new search blazor
55```
56
57Use `dotnet new list` to show only installed templates, with optional filters:
58
59```bash
60dotnet new list --language C# --type project
61dotnet new list web
62```
63
64### Step 3: Inspect template details
65
66Use `dotnet new <template> --help` to get full parameter details for a specific template — parameter names, types, defaults, and allowed values:
67
68```bash
69dotnet new webapi --help
70```
71
72### Step 4: Preview output
73
74Use `dotnet new <template> --dry-run` to show what files and directories a template would create without writing anything to disk:
75
76```bash
77dotnet new webapi --name MyApi --auth Individual --dry-run
78```
79
80### Step 5: Present findings
81
82Summarize the best template match with:
83- Template name and short description
84- Key parameters and recommended values
85- What the user should expect (files created, project structure)
86- Any constraints or prerequisites
87
88## Validation
89
90- [ ] At least one template match was found for the user's intent
91- [ ] Template parameters are explained with types and defaults
92- [ ] User understands what the template produces before proceeding to creation
93
94## Common Pitfalls
95
96| Pitfall | Solution |
97|---------|----------|
98| Not searching NuGet for templates | If `dotnet new list` shows no matches, use `dotnet new search <keyword>` to find installable templates on NuGet.org. |
99| Not checking template constraints | Some templates require specific SDKs or workloads. Use `dotnet new <template> --help` to surface constraints before recommending. |
100| Recommending a template without previewing output | Always use `dotnet new <template> --dry-run` to confirm the template produces what the user expects. |
101
102## More Info
103
104- [dotnet new templates](https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/core/tools/dotnet-new-sdk-templates) — built-in template reference
105- [Template Engine Wiki](https://github.com/dotnet/templating/wiki) — template engine internals
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