Template Discovery

Template Discovery

When to Use

Invoke this skill when:

• User wants to create a new .NET project, library, test, or solution
• User asks "what templates are available for X?"
• User needs to find the right template for a specific scenario (e.g., "MAUI app", "Blazor WASM", "worker service")
• User wants to compare template options before choosing

Step 0: Try Intent Resolution First

For natural-language requests like "I need a web API with auth and controllers", start with template_from_intent:

template_from_intent with description: "web API with auth and controllers"
→ Returns: { template: "webapi", confidence: 0.85, params: { auth: "Individual", UseControllers: "true" } }

This uses 70+ keyword mappings to resolve intent offline (no LLM round-trip). If confidence is high (>0.7), proceed directly to template-instantiation. If low or ambiguous, fall through to Step 1.

Step 1: Search for Templates

Use template_search to find templates matching the user's intent. The tool searches both local installed templates and NuGet.org, returning ranked results.

template_search with query: "blazor"
template_search with query: "worker service"
template_search with query: "class library"

Results include: template name, short name, language, type, author, NuGet package (if remote), and relevance ranking.

Search Tips

• Use descriptive terms: "web api", "console app", "test project"
• Search by technology: "maui", "blazor", "grpc", "minimal api"
• Search by project type: "classlib", "webapp", "worker"

Step 2: List Installed Templates

Use template_list to see what's already available locally:

template_list                              # All installed
template_list with language: "C#"          # C# only
template_list with type: "project"         # Projects only
template_list with classification: "Web"   # Web templates

Step 3: Inspect Template Details

Before instantiation, always inspect the template to understand its parameters:

template_inspect with identity: "Microsoft.DotNet.Web.ProjectTemplates.9.0.blazorserver"

Returns:

• Parameters: name, type, default value, choices (for choice params), description
• Constraints: OS, SDK version, workload requirements
• Post-actions: what happens after creation (restore, open file, run script)
• Framework versions: supported TFMs

Parameter Types

Step 4: Preview with Dry Run

Use template_dry_run to see exactly what files would be created:

template_dry_run with:
  shortName: "webapi"
  name: "MyApi"
  output: "./src/MyApi"
  parameters: { "framework": "net10.0", "use-controllers": "true" }

Returns file list, directory structure, and any warnings — without writing anything to disk.

Smart Behaviors

The template-engine-mcp server includes smart behaviors:

• Auto-resolve: If a template isn't installed, the server searches NuGet, installs the package, and proceeds
• Parameter validation: Invalid choice values or types are caught with "did you mean...?" suggestions
• Constraint checking: OS, SDK version, and workload constraints are verified before creation
• Smart defaults: Parameter relationships are suggested (e.g., EnableAot=true → suggest net9.0+)

Common Template Quick-Reference