How .NET Scaffolder eliminates repetitive CLI commands for .NET developers
After years of typing the same dotnet new commands over and over, I finally decided to do something about it. Today, I'm excited to share .NET Scaffolder by NotableBit—a VS Code extension that makes creating .NET projects feel effortless.
The Problem
As a .NET developer, how many times have you done this?
dotnet new webapi -n MyProject -f net8.0
cd MyProject
dotnet new sln
dotnet sln add MyProject.csproj
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
# ... and so on
It's tedious, error-prone, and breaks your flow. You have to:
- Remember exact template names (
webapi, blazorwasm, xunit, etc.)
- Type out full paths or navigate directories
- Manually configure Git
- Remember which .NET version you want
There had to be a better way.
The Solution
.NET Scaffolder brings visual, intuitive project creation to VS Code. Instead of memorizing CLI commands, you get:
%[https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=notablebit.dotnet-project-creator]
- Tree View of Templates - Browse 12+ templates organized by category
- Interactive Configuration - Fill out a form, not a command line
- Browse Button - Click to select folders (no more typing paths!)
- Hybrid Git Integration - Choose your workflow
- One-Click Creation - Watch your project scaffold in real-time
✨ Key Features
12+ Project Templates
All the templates you use regularly:
- Console Apps: Console, Worker Service
- Web Apps: Web API, MVC, Razor Pages, Blazor Server, Blazor WebAssembly
- Libraries: Class Library, Razor Class Library
- Tests: xUnit, NUnit, MSTest
Flexible Git Integration
Choose what works for you:
| Option | What It Does |
|---|
| Local Only | git init + commit, no remote |
| GitHub CLI | Creates repo and pushes automatically |
| Custom Remote | Push to GitLab, Bitbucket, self-hosted |
| No Git | Skip it entirely |
Framework Selection
Support for .NET 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0—all in a dropdown.
Solution Support
Automatically creates solution files and adds your project to them.
Privacy First
Telemetry is anonymous and respects VS Code's telemetry settings. No tracking, no surprises.
Pro Tip: All telemetry follows VS Code's built-in settings. If you've disabled telemetry in VS Code, the extension won't collect anything.
️ How It Works
Here's the full workflow:
1️⃣ Open the Extension
Click the .NET Scaffolder view in your VS Code sidebar.
2️⃣ Select a Template
Browse categories and click any template to configure it.
Fill out the interactive form:
- Project Name - Type it in
- Project Path - Click "Browse..." to select a folder
- Framework - Choose from .NET 6-9
- Git Option - Pick your workflow
- Create Solution - Toggle on/off
4️⃣ Watch It Build
Real-time progress tracking shows each step.
5️⃣ Start Coding
Your project opens ready to go—everything configured!
Full Transparency: AI-Assisted Development
Before diving into the technical details, I want to be upfront: I built this extension with AI assistance (Claude). This was a collaborative effort where:
My Role:
- Defined the vision and requirements
- ️ Made architecture decisions
- ✅ Specified features and workflows
- Tested and validated everything
- ️ Reviewed and approved all code
- Managed publishing and iteration
AI's Role:
- ⌨️ Code generation and boilerplate
- TypeScript implementation
- VS Code API integration
- Documentation writing
Why share this? Transparency matters in the developer community. AI-assisted development is a tool, not a shortcut. The extension is no less valuable because AI helped write it—just like using Stack Overflow, libraries, or frameworks doesn't diminish a developer's work.
This is increasingly how modern development works—AI as a powerful co-pilot, but human judgment driving the ship. Every line of code was reviewed, tested, and understood before making it into the extension.
What I Learned
Building this extension taught me a lot:
TypeScript & VS Code API
Working with webviews, tree views, and VS Code's extension API was challenging but rewarding. The documentation is excellent once you understand the patterns.
// Example: Creating a webview panel
const panel = vscode.window.createWebviewPanel(
'dotnetProjectConfig',
'Configure Project',
vscode.ViewColumn.One,
{ enableScripts: true }
);
Making sure Git integration works on Windows, macOS, and Linux required careful testing. The gh CLI made GitHub integration much simpler than I expected.
User Experience Design
Balancing power and simplicity was key. I wanted advanced features (like 4 Git options) without overwhelming users. Radio buttons and conditional fields solved this nicely.
Privacy Matters
Developers care about privacy. Making telemetry opt-in via VS Code's settings was non-negotiable.
Technical Stack
For those interested in the implementation:
- Language: TypeScript
- Framework: VS Code Extension API
- UI: Webview API with HTML/CSS/JS
- Build Tool: TypeScript Compiler
- Version Control: Git + GitHub
- Publishing: vsce (VS Code Extension Manager)
Key APIs used:
| API | Purpose |
|---|
vscode.window.createTreeView() | Template browser |
vscode.window.createWebviewPanel() | Configuration forms |
vscode.window.showOpenDialog() | Browse button |
child_process.exec() | Running dotnet and git commands |
What's Next?
The roadmap is already filling up! Here's what's coming:
v1.4.0 (Planned)
- ✨ Add to Existing Solution - Create a new project and add it to an existing
.sln file
- Detect workspace solutions automatically
- Maintain consistent project structure (
src/ folder patterns)
Future Ideas
- Custom template support
- Project preview before creation
- NuGet package addition during setup
- Docker configuration generation
- Template favorites
Check out the GitHub Issues to see what's being discussed!
Try It Out!
Ready to scaffold your next .NET project in seconds?
Install via VS Code:
ext install notablebit.dotnet-project-creator
Or search: .NET Scaffolder in the Extensions marketplace
Resources
Let's Connect!
This is my first published VS Code extension, and I'd love to hear your thoughts:
- What features would make your workflow smoother?
- What templates are you missing?
- Any bugs or issues to report?
- ⭐ Found it useful? Star the repo!
Drop a comment below or open an issue on GitHub!
Building tools that developers actually want to use is incredibly rewarding. If this extension saves you even 30 seconds per project, it's worth it.
Happy scaffolding!
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