Create VSSolution File - Clean Architecture

Create a solution file for Visual Studio with a clean architecture.

Overview

This PowerShell script automates the creation of a Visual Studio solution structure with multiple projects, including a UI project (WPF, WinUI, or MAUI) and associated class libraries. It sets up a standard folder layout and configures project references. The script is designed to streamline the initial setup of a .NET solution, saving time and ensuring consistency across projects.

Features

• Creates a solution folder with a src subfolder.
• Generates three class library projects: Domain, Core, and Infrastructure.
• Generates a UI project based on user selection (WPF).

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• .NET SDK installed and dotnet available on PATH.

Installation

Make Create-VSSolution.ps1 available globally

There are a few simple options to make the script available from any location. This repository includes an installer script install.ps1 that automates common steps.

Quick installer examples

• Install (default): add %USERPROFILE%\Scripts to your user PATH. If you run install.ps1 with no action flags it will default to -AddToPath (and currently also sets the -CreateProfileFunction flag by default).

.\install.ps1 or from repo root: .\install.ps1 (adjust path as needed)

• Install + request a wrapper function to be added to your PowerShell profile (note: the installer exposes -CreateProfileFunction, but the current implementation does not create the wrapper automatically):

.\install.ps1 -AddToPath -CreateProfileFunction

• Install as a simple PowerShell module:

.\install.ps1 -AsModule

• Remove everything added by the installer (script, shim entry removal logic, module, PATH entry, and profile wrapper removal logic):

.\install.ps1 -Delete

Notes about what the installer does (current behavior)

• Default behavior: when called without action switches the installer will perform -AddToPath. The script also sets -CreateProfileFunction by default in the parameter handling, but the wrapper creation is not implemented in the current script.
• It copies Create-VSSolution.ps1 into the install folder (default: %USERPROFILE%\Scripts) when the source script is available in the repository.
• The installer exposes flags and removal logic for a Create-VSSolution.cmd shim and a PowerShell profile wrapper. However, the current implementation does not create the shim or the profile wrapper; the -Delete and -DeleteProfileFunction flags attempt to remove wrapper/shim artifacts if they already exist.
• It can install the script as a minimal PowerShell module under %USERPROFILE%\Documents\PowerShell\Modules\Create-VSSolution\ when -AsModule is used.
• It supports -Force to overwrite existing files without prompting (when the copy logic runs it respects -Force).
• The installer has a -VerboseMode parameter controlling informational output (numeric verbosity levels).

Using the wrapper or shim

• PowerShell wrapper: if you add a wrapper to your profile manually, reload your profile (. $PROFILE) or restart PowerShell, then run:

Create-VSSolution

• CMD/shim: if you create a shim manually and add the install folder to your PATH you can run from any shell:

Create-VSSolution

Troubleshooting and environment

• If you downloaded the script from the internet, unblock it first: Unblock-File .\Create-VSSolution.ps1
• Ensure execution policy allows running scripts: Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
• If PATH changes don't appear in an open shell, either restart the shell or add the folder to the session manually: $env:Path += ';' + "$env:USERPROFILE\Scripts"

Adjusting the Target Framework Moniker (TFM)

The projects created by the script use a default TFM. To change the TFM (for example from net6.0 to net7.0), you have several options:

1. Edit the script before running

• Open src\Create-VSSolution.ps1 and look for the variable that sets the TFM (commonly something like $TFM = 'net6.0'). Change it to the desired TFM (for example 'net7.0').

2. Use the -f / --framework option when using dotnet new directly

• When creating projects manually, pass the framework to the template: dotnet new classlib -f net7.0 -o MyLib.

3. Change TFMs for generated projects after creation (bulk replace)

• Run a PowerShell replace over the generated project files. Example to replace net6.0 with net7.0:

Get-ChildItem -Path . -Recurse -Filter *.csproj | ForEach-Object { (Get-Content $_.FullName) -replace 'net6.0', 'net7.0' | Set-Content $_.FullName }

• Alternatively, use sed/perl or an editor to update the <TargetFramework> element in each .csproj.

Notes

• Ensure all referenced libraries and NuGet packages support the target TFM you choose.
• After changing TFMs, run dotnet restore and dotnet build to validate everything compiles.

How to use Create-VSSolution.ps1

The generator script is located at src\Create-VSSolution.ps1. You can run it directly from the repository or after installing it with install.ps1.

Prerequisites

• .NET SDK installed and dotnet available on PATH.
• On Windows, additional templates may be required for WPF/WinUI projects (Windows App SDK / WinUI templates).
• Ensure execution policy allows running local scripts: Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned.

Run the script directly (no install)

• From the repository root:

& "Create-VSSolution.ps1" -SolutionName MyApp -ProjectType wpf

• From the src folder:

& ".\src\Create-VSSolution.ps1" -SolutionName MyApp -ProjectType wpf

Installed usage (recommended)

• If you used install.ps1 -AddToPath (the default installer behavior), you can run the installed script after adding \Scripts folder to PATH:

Create-VSSolution -SolutionName MyApp -ProjectType wpf

• If you prefer a cross-shell command and create a shim manually in the install folder, the shim would let you call the same Create-VSSolution command from cmd.exe or other shells once the install folder is on PATH.

Parameters for install.ps1

• -InstallPath (default: %USERPROFILE%\\Scripts): Destination folder for the script and any shims.
• -AddToPath: Add InstallPath to the user's PATH environment variable.
• -CreateProfileFunction: Flag exposed by the installer to request a wrapper function in the PowerShell profile (currently not implemented).
• -DeleteProfileFunction: Flag to remove a profile wrapper if present.
• -Delete: Remove installed script, module folder, PATH entry and profile wrapper lines (best-effort removal behavior).
• -AsModule: Install Create-VSSolution.ps1 as a simple PowerShell module under Documents\PowerShell\Modules\Create-VSSolution.
• -Force: Overwrite existing files without prompting when copying.
• -VerboseMode: Numeric verbosity level for installer output (0..n).

Examples

• Add the scripts folder to user PATH (default behavior when called with no action switches): .\install.ps1

• Install as a module (overwrite existing module files if needed): .\install.ps1 -AsModule -Force

Notes

• The script uses net8.0 by default for generated projects. Edit src\Create-VSSolution.ps1 to change the TFM.
• After installing with -CreateProfileFunction (once wrapper creation is implemented), reload your profile (. $PROFILE) or restart PowerShell to use the wrapper immediately.

Troubleshooting

• If a dotnet new template fails, install the required SDKs/templates and restart your shell.
• If commands still fail due to script blocking, run Unblock-File on the script and set an appropriate execution policy.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. Please follow the guidelines in CONTRIBUTING.md and open issues or pull requests.

See CONTRIBUTING.md

Reporting Bugs

1. Go to the Issues page: GitHub Issues
2. Click "New Issue" and provide steps to reproduce, expected behavior, actual behavior, environment, and attachments (logs/screenshots).

License

Distributed under the AGPL-3.0 License. See LICENSE.txt or license link.

Contact

Jens Tirsvad Nielsen - LinkedIn

Acknowledgments

Thanks to contributors and the open-source community.