Dotnet Init

codewithmukesh/dotnet-claude-kit/skills/dotnet-init

by codewithmukesh23300897f4d1No license754 starsListed Oct 8, 2026Updated Oct 8, 2026Repository updated 2 months ago

Interactive project initialization. Detects project type, asks architecture questions, and generates a customized CLAUDE.md — no manual template copying. Use when: "init project", "setup project", "initialize", "new project setup", "generate CLAUDE.md", "configure for dotnet-claude-kit", or starting Claude Code on a fresh or existing .NET codebase.

Instructions onlySoftware Development AI & Agents

AI-generated overview

Interactively initializes a .NET project and generates a customized CLAUDE.md configuration file.

What it does: Detects whether the current directory holds an existing or greenfield .NET project by scanning solution and project files, then asks targeted questions about architecture, domain complexity, team size and tech stack. It recommends an architecture such as Vertical Slice, Clean Architecture, DDD or Modular Monolith, and generates a customized CLAUDE.md in the project root. For greenfield work it also scaffolds the solution structure, and it backs up any existing CLAUDE.md before merging or overwriting.
When to use it: Use when starting a new .NET project with Claude Code, adding dotnet-claude-kit to an existing .NET codebase, or when asked to init, set up or configure a project and generate a CLAUDE.md.
Requirements: Requires the .NET SDK and dotnet CLI for detection and scaffolding, and depends on companion skills (project-setup, architecture-advisor, convention-learner) plus the dotnet-architect agent. It may create a .mcp.json for a Roslyn MCP server. Ships no scripts; instructions only.

/dotnet-init

What

Interactively initializes a .NET project for use with dotnet-claude-kit. Detects the project type, asks targeted questions about architecture and tech stack, then generates a fully customized CLAUDE.md in the project root.

No manual template copying required.

When

Starting a new .NET project with Claude Code
Adding dotnet-claude-kit to an existing project
"init project", "setup project", "generate CLAUDE.md", "configure for dotnet-claude-kit"

How

Step 1: Detect or Ask Project Type

Analyze the current directory to determine if this is an existing or greenfield project:

→ Look for .slnx / .sln files→ If found, scan .csproj files for SDK type:  - Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web → web-api or blazor-app  - Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Worker → worker-service  - Microsoft.NET.Sdk → class-library  - Multiple projects with inter-module references → modular-monolith  - If ambiguous, ask the user
→ If NO solution/project found (greenfield):  - Ask: "What are you building?"    - REST API / microservice → web-api    - Blazor application → blazor-app    - Background worker / queue processor → worker-service    - NuGet package / shared library → class-library    - Multi-module system → modular-monolith  - Ask: "Project name?"  - Scaffold the solution structure:    - dotnet new sln -n ProjectName --format slnx   (modern XML solution format)    - dotnet new webapi / worker / classlib as appropriate    - Set up Directory.Build.props with .NET 10 defaults    - Create src/ and tests/ folder structure

→ Look for .slnx / .sln files→ If found, scan .csproj files for SDK type:  - Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web → web-api or blazor-app  - Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Worker → worker-service  - Microsoft.NET.Sdk → class-library  - Multiple projects with inter-module references → modular-monolith  - If ambiguous, ask the user
→ If NO solution/project found (greenfield):  - Ask: "What are you building?"    - REST API / microservice → web-api    - Blazor application → blazor-app    - Background worker / queue processor → worker-service    - NuGet package / shared library → class-library    - Multi-module system → modular-monolith  - Ask: "Project name?"  - Scaffold the solution structure:    - dotnet new sln -n ProjectName --format slnx   (modern XML solution format)    - dotnet new webapi / worker / classlib as appropriate    - Set up Directory.Build.props with .NET 10 defaults    - Create src/ and tests/ folder structure

Step 2: Architecture Questionnaire

Load the architecture-advisor skill and ask targeted questions:

Domain complexity — CRUD-heavy, moderate business rules, or rich domain?
Team size — Solo, small team, or large team?
Module boundaries — Single deployable or multiple bounded contexts?
Existing patterns — (existing projects only) Detect conventions via convention-learner skill

→ Recommend: VSA, Clean Architecture, DDD, or Modular Monolith with rationale.

Step 3: Tech Stack Selection

Ask about specific technology choices:

Database: PostgreSQL, SQL Server, SQLite, or none yet
Auth: JWT, OIDC, Cookie, or none yet
Caching: HybridCache, Redis, or none yet
Messaging: Wolverine, MassTransit, or none yet
Testing: Confirm xUnit + Testcontainers defaults

Step 4: Generate CLAUDE.md

Load the appropriate template from templates/ as a base, then customize:

Replace [ProjectName] with the actual project/solution name
Set the chosen architecture
Configure the tech stack section
For existing projects: add project-specific conventions detected in Step 2
For greenfield: add recommended conventions based on architecture choice

Before writing, check for an existing CLAUDE.md. Never overwrite it silently.

→ If ./CLAUDE.md does NOT exist:  - Write the generated content to ./CLAUDE.md
→ If ./CLAUDE.md ALREADY exists:  - Read it and identify hand-written / custom sections    (anything not produced by a kit template)  - Ask: "You already have a CLAUDE.md. How should I proceed?"    - Merge (recommended) → keep the user's custom sections, add or refresh the      kit's architecture, tech-stack, and convention sections in place    - Overwrite → replace it entirely with the freshly generated file    - Keep → leave the file untouched and print the generated content so the      user can copy what they want by hand  - For Merge and Overwrite: back the original up to ./CLAUDE.md.bak first.    Never discard user content without a .bak backup.

→ If ./CLAUDE.md does NOT exist:  - Write the generated content to ./CLAUDE.md
→ If ./CLAUDE.md ALREADY exists:  - Read it and identify hand-written / custom sections    (anything not produced by a kit template)  - Ask: "You already have a CLAUDE.md. How should I proceed?"    - Merge (recommended) → keep the user's custom sections, add or refresh the      kit's architecture, tech-stack, and convention sections in place    - Overwrite → replace it entirely with the freshly generated file    - Keep → leave the file untouched and print the generated content so the      user can copy what they want by hand  - For Merge and Overwrite: back the original up to ./CLAUDE.md.bak first.    Never discard user content without a .bak backup.

Step 5: Verify Setup

→ Confirm .mcp.json exists or create it (for Roslyn MCP server)→ For existing projects:  - Verify the solution file is discoverable  - Run a quick health check to establish baseline  - Report: "Project initialized. Run /health-check to see your baseline."→ For greenfield projects:  - Verify dotnet build succeeds on the scaffolded solution  - Report: "Project created. Run /scaffold to add your first feature."

→ Confirm .mcp.json exists or create it (for Roslyn MCP server)→ For existing projects:  - Verify the solution file is discoverable  - Run a quick health check to establish baseline  - Report: "Project initialized. Run /health-check to see your baseline."→ For greenfield projects:  - Verify dotnet build succeeds on the scaffolded solution  - Report: "Project created. Run /scaffold to add your first feature."

Skills invoked: project-setup, architecture-advisor, convention-learner Agent: dotnet-architect

Example — Existing Project

User: /dotnet-init
Claude: Detected:  - Solution: MyApp.slnx (3 projects)  - SDK: Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web → Web API  - Database: PostgreSQL (from connection string)  - Auth: JWT (from appsettings)
  1. Domain complexity? [CRUD-heavy / Moderate / Rich domain]  > Moderate
  2. Team size? [Solo / Small / Large]  > Small
  Recommendation: Vertical Slice Architecture  Generated: ./CLAUDE.md (MyApp + VSA + PostgreSQL + JWT)  Run /health-check to see your baseline.

User: /dotnet-init
Claude: Detected:  - Solution: MyApp.slnx (3 projects)  - SDK: Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web → Web API  - Database: PostgreSQL (from connection string)  - Auth: JWT (from appsettings)
  1. Domain complexity? [CRUD-heavy / Moderate / Rich domain]  > Moderate
  2. Team size? [Solo / Small / Large]  > Small
  Recommendation: Vertical Slice Architecture  Generated: ./CLAUDE.md (MyApp + VSA + PostgreSQL + JWT)  Run /health-check to see your baseline.

Example — Greenfield Project

User: /dotnet-init
Claude: No .sln or .csproj found. Let's set up a new project.
  1. What are you building? [REST API / Blazor / Worker / Library / Modular Monolith]  > REST API
  2. Project name?  > OrderService
  3. Domain complexity? [CRUD-heavy / Moderate / Rich domain]  > CRUD-heavy
  Recommendation: Vertical Slice Architecture
  Creating solution...  → dotnet new sln -n OrderService --format slnx  → dotnet new webapi -n OrderService.Api -o src/OrderService.Api  → dotnet new xunit3 -n OrderService.Tests -o tests/OrderService.Tests  → Directory.Build.props with .NET 10 defaults  → Generated: ./CLAUDE.md (OrderService + VSA + scaffold-ready)
  Run /scaffold to add your first feature.

User: /dotnet-init
Claude: No .sln or .csproj found. Let's set up a new project.
  1. What are you building? [REST API / Blazor / Worker / Library / Modular Monolith]  > REST API
  2. Project name?  > OrderService
  3. Domain complexity? [CRUD-heavy / Moderate / Rich domain]  > CRUD-heavy
  Recommendation: Vertical Slice Architecture
  Creating solution...  → dotnet new sln -n OrderService --format slnx  → dotnet new webapi -n OrderService.Api -o src/OrderService.Api  → dotnet new xunit3 -n OrderService.Tests -o tests/OrderService.Tests  → Directory.Build.props with .NET 10 defaults  → Generated: ./CLAUDE.md (OrderService + VSA + scaffold-ready)
  Run /scaffold to add your first feature.

Example — Existing Project With a CLAUDE.md

User: /dotnet-init
Claude: Detected:  - Solution: MyApp.slnx (3 projects) → Web API  - Found an existing CLAUDE.md (custom "Deployment" and "Team conventions" sections)
  You already have a CLAUDE.md. How should I proceed?  [Merge (recommended) / Overwrite / Keep]  > Merge
  → Backed up original to ./CLAUDE.md.bak  → Kept your Deployment + Team conventions sections  → Refreshed architecture (VSA), tech-stack (PostgreSQL + JWT), and convention sections  Generated: ./CLAUDE.md  Run /health-check to see your baseline.

User: /dotnet-init
Claude: Detected:  - Solution: MyApp.slnx (3 projects) → Web API  - Found an existing CLAUDE.md (custom "Deployment" and "Team conventions" sections)
  You already have a CLAUDE.md. How should I proceed?  [Merge (recommended) / Overwrite / Keep]  > Merge
  → Backed up original to ./CLAUDE.md.bak  → Kept your Deployment + Team conventions sections  → Refreshed architecture (VSA), tech-stack (PostgreSQL + JWT), and convention sections  Generated: ./CLAUDE.md  Run /health-check to see your baseline.

/plan — Plan before building features
/health-check — Assess project health after init
/scaffold — Scaffold features using the chosen architecture

Source and attribution

Source:codewithmukesh/dotnet-claude-kitinskills/dotnet-initat commit2330089

License: No license

Content belongs to its original authors. SourceWeft indexes it from a public repository.

Report or request removal

More from codewithmukesh/dotnet-claude-kit

Wrap Up

codewithmukesh

Captures end-of-session work, pending tasks and learnings into a handoff file, and reloads it at session start.

Productivity & Workflow754updated 2 months ago

Workflow Mastery

codewithmukesh

Claude Code workflow mastery for .NET developers. Covers parallel execution with git worktrees, plan mode strategy, verification loops, auto-formatting hooks, permission setup for dotnet CLI, prompting techniques, subagent patterns, and context discipline — token budget management, MCP-first navigation, lazy loading, and subagent isolation — all adapted for the .NET ecosystem. Load this skill when setting up Claude Code for a .NET project, optimizing workflows, running parallel sessions, when context is running low or sessions feel sluggish, when exploring a large codebase efficiently, or when the user mentions "productivity", "workflow", "parallel", "worktree", "plan mode", "permissions", "hooks", "10x", "setup Claude Code", "speed up development", "context", "tokens", "budget", "running out of context", "too many files", or "large codebase". Inspired by tips from Boris Cherny (creator of Claude Code) and the Anthropic team.

Awaiting classification754updated 2 months ago

Vertical Slice

codewithmukesh

Guides .NET developers in structuring applications with Vertical Slice Architecture, covering feature folders, endpoint grouping and handler patterns.

Software Development754updated 2 months ago

Testing

codewithmukesh

Testing strategy for .NET 10 applications. Covers xUnit v3, WebApplicationFactory for integration tests, Testcontainers for real database testing, Verify for snapshot testing, and the AAA pattern. Load this skill when writing tests, setting up test infrastructure, reviewing test coverage, or when the user mentions "test", "xUnit", "WebApplicationFactory", "Testcontainers", "integration test", "unit test", "bUnit", "snapshot test", "Verify", "test coverage", "AAA pattern", "WireMock", or "FakeTimeProvider".

Awaiting classification754updated 2 months ago

Tdd

codewithmukesh

Guided test-driven development workflow for .NET 10 using xUnit v3, WebApplicationFactory, Testcontainers, and Verify snapshots. Follows the strict red-green-refactor cycle. Use when: "TDD", "test-driven", "let's TDD this", "red green refactor", "write the test first", or when building a feature with clear acceptance criteria.

Awaiting classification754updated 2 months ago

Spec

codewithmukesh

Turns a vague feature idea into an agreed, persisted specification file through structured questioning rounds.

Productivity & Workflow754updated 2 months ago

Dotnet Init

/dotnet-init

What

When

How

Step 1: Detect or Ask Project Type

Step 2: Architecture Questionnaire

Step 3: Tech Stack Selection

Step 4: Generate CLAUDE.md

Step 5: Verify Setup

Example — Existing Project

Example — Greenfield Project

Example — Existing Project With a CLAUDE.md

Related

Source and attribution

More from codewithmukesh/dotnet-claude-kit

Wrap Up

Workflow Mastery

Vertical Slice

Testing

Tdd

Spec

More in Software Development

Playground

M5 Onboard

Cardputer Buddy

Web Design Guidelines

Vercel React Native Skills

Vercel React Best Practices