.NET Core MVC Scaffolding

Bring Visual Studio's powerful .NET Core MVC scaffolding and publishing capabilities to VS Code. This extension provides an intuitive right-click interface for generating MVC controllers, views, and publishing your applications - just like in Visual Studio.

✨ Features

🏗️ MVC Scaffolding

• One-click scaffolding: Right-click any .cs model file to generate complete MVC controllers
• Smart dependency management: Automatically detects and installs missing NuGet packages
• Flexible data context support: Choose from existing contexts or specify custom ones
• View generation: Optional automatic view generation with default layouts and script libraries

📦 Publish to Folder

• Visual Studio-like publishing: Right-click .csproj files for familiar publishing workflow
• Interactive configuration: Choose Debug/Release builds and target frameworks
• Folder selection: Built-in folder picker for publish destinations
• Cross-platform support: Works seamlessly on Windows, macOS, and Linux

🛡️ Robust Path Handling

• Special character support: Handles paths with !, @, #, and other special characters
• Cross-platform compatibility: Proper shell escaping for all operating systems
• Clear feedback: Integrated terminal output with progress information

🚀 Installation

From VS Code Marketplace

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Search for ".NET Core MVC Scaffolding"
4. Click Install

From Command Line

code --install-extension LeviBickel.net-core-mvc-scaffolding

📖 Usage

Scaffolding MVC Controllers

1. Right-click on any .cs model file in your project
2. Select "Scaffold MVC Controller" from the context menu
3. Follow the prompts to:
   • Install any missing dependencies (if needed)
   • Choose your data context
   • Specify controller name
   • Choose whether to generate views

The extension will generate a complete MVC controller with CRUD operations and optionally create corresponding views.

Publishing Projects

1. Right-click on any .csproj file in your project
2. Select "Publish to Folder" from the context menu
3. Choose your publish destination folder
4. Select build configuration (Debug/Release)
5. Optionally specify target framework (e.g., net8.0)

The extension will execute dotnet publish with your selected options.

📋 Requirements

• VS Code 1.95.0 or higher
• .NET SDK installed and available in PATH
• .NET Core MVC project with proper project structure

Optional Dependencies

• Entity Framework Core (for scaffolding with data contexts)
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.Web.CodeGeneration.Design (automatically installed when needed)

🔧 Supported Scenarios

• ✅ .NET Core 6.0+ MVC projects
• ✅ Entity Framework Core models
• ✅ Custom and existing DbContexts
• ✅ Cross-platform development (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• ✅ Workspaces with special characters in paths

🔒 Security

This extension is actively maintained with regular security updates. All dependencies are kept up-to-date to ensure the safety of your development environment.

🎬 Screenshots

MVC Scaffolding in Action

Right-click any C# model file to instantly scaffold a complete MVC controller with CRUD operations.

Publish to Folder

Right-click any .csproj file to publish your application with Visual Studio-like workflow.

❓ FAQ

How do I scaffold a controller?

Simply right-click on any .cs model file in your project explorer and select "Scaffold MVC Controller" from the context menu.

What dependencies are automatically installed?

The extension will detect if you're missing Microsoft.VisualStudio.Web.CodeGeneration.Design and prompt you to install it automatically.

Can I use my own DbContext?

Yes! The extension will detect existing DbContexts in your project and let you choose from them, or you can specify a custom one.

Does this work on macOS and Linux?

Absolutely! The extension is fully cross-platform and works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

What .NET versions are supported?

The extension supports .NET Core 6.0 and higher, including .NET 8.0.

🔧 Troubleshooting

Extension doesn't appear in context menu

• Ensure you're right-clicking on a .cs file for scaffolding or .csproj file for publishing
• Restart VS Code after installation

Scaffolding fails with dependency errors

• Make sure you have .NET SDK installed and available in your PATH
• Run dotnet --version in terminal to verify
• The extension will prompt to install missing NuGet packages automatically

Special characters in path cause issues

• Version 0.0.9+ includes enhanced special character handling
• Update to the latest version if you're experiencing path-related issues

DbContext not detected

• Ensure your DbContext class inherits from DbContext
• Check that your project is properly built
• The DbContext must be in the same project as your model

📝 Release Notes

0.0.12 (Latest)

• 🐛 FIXED: Critical Windows path handling bug where drive letters (C:) had colon and slash reversed
• 🐛 FIXED: "Publish to Folder" functionality now works correctly on Windows systems
• 🔧 IMPROVED: Enhanced path escaping to properly handle Windows drive letters

0.0.11

• 📚 IMPROVED: Enhanced README with comprehensive FAQ section
• 📚 IMPROVED: Added troubleshooting guide for common issues
• 📚 IMPROVED: Added security section highlighting active maintenance

0.0.10

• 🔒 SECURITY: Updated all dependencies to fix security vulnerabilities
  • Fixed tar-fs (CVE-2025-59343 - High severity)
  • Fixed js-yaml (CVE-2025-64718 - Moderate severity)
  • Fixed glob (CVE-2025-64756 - High severity)
  • Fixed jws (CVE-2025-65945 - High severity)
  • Fixed qs (High severity)
• 📦 IMPROVED: Reduced extension package size from 81.58 KB to 8.08 KB
• ✅ VERIFIED: All tests passing with zero security vulnerabilities

0.0.9

• 🆕 NEW: Added "Publish to Folder" feature for .csproj files
• 🔧 IMPROVED: Enhanced special character handling in file paths
• 🔧 IMPROVED: Better shell command escaping for cross-platform compatibility
• 🔧 IMPROVED: Updated user interface descriptions and functionality

0.0.7

• Enhanced scaffolding functionality and improved error handling

0.0.6

• Added support for custom Database Context names
• Improved DbContext handling and selection

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues and pull requests on our GitHub repository.

📄 License

This extension is licensed under the terms specified in the license file.

🐛 Issues & Support

Found a bug or have a feature request? Please report it on our GitHub Issues page.

Enjoy scaffolding! 🎉