C# Package Autocomplete

Supercharge your C# top-level programs with intelligent NuGet package autocomplete! This extension provides seamless autocomplete for #:package, #:sdk, #:property directives. Complete IntelliSense support for .NET 10 file-based app directives in Visual Studio Code. Build and run C# applications directly from single .cs files with full autocomplete for packages, SDKs, and MSBuild properties.

Terms of use

By using this project or its source code, for any purpose and in any shape or form, you grant your implicit agreement to all of the following statements:

• You unequivocally condemn Russia and its military aggression against Ukraine
• You recognize that Russia is an occupant that unlawfully invaded a sovereign state
• You agree that Russia is a terrorist state
• You fully support Ukraine's territorial integrity, including its claims over temporarily occupied territories
• You reject false narratives perpetuated by Russian state propaganda

To learn more about the war and how you can help, click here. Glory to Ukraine! 🇺🇦

✨ Features

📦 Package Management (#:package)

• Type #:package and get instant autocomplete suggestions from the official NuGet repository
• Intelligent search with fuzzy matching for package names
• Real-time package information with descriptions and download statistics
• Version management with @ syntax for easy version selection
• Shows latest stable versions first (excludes pre-release by default)

🛠️ SDK Selection (#:sdk)

• Full autocomplete for .NET SDKs including:
  • Microsoft.NET.Sdk - Console applications and class libraries
  • Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web - ASP.NET Core applications and Web APIs
  • Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Worker - Background services and hosted services
  • Microsoft.NET.Sdk.WindowsDesktop - WPF and Windows Forms applications
  • Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Razor - Razor class libraries and components
  • Microsoft.NET.Sdk.BlazorWebAssembly - Blazor WebAssembly applications
• Rich documentation with SDK descriptions and default target frameworks

⚙️ MSBuild Properties (#:property)

• Intelligent autocomplete for common MSBuild properties:
  • LangVersion - C# language version (latest, preview, 12, 11, etc.)
  • TargetFramework - Target framework (net10.0, net9.0, net8.0, etc.)
  • Nullable - Nullable reference types (enable, disable, warnings, annotations)
  • ImplicitUsings - Implicit using statements (enable, disable)
  • PublishAot - Ahead-of-time compilation (true, false)
  • TreatWarningsAsErrors - Compiler warning handling
  • WarningLevel - Compiler warning levels (0-5)
  • And many more...
• Context-aware value suggestions with default values and descriptions

📖 Rich Documentation & Hover Support

• Comprehensive hover information for all directive types
• Package descriptions, download counts, and direct links to NuGet
• SDK explanations with use cases and target frameworks
• Property documentation with possible values and defaults
• Visual indicators for package popularity and property defaults

⚡ Performance Optimized

• Intelligent caching reduces API calls and improves response time
• Non-blocking searches don't interrupt your coding flow
• Minimal resource usage with smart request batching

🚀 Getting Started

Installation

1. Install .NET 10 Preview 4 or later from dotnet.microsoft.com
2. Open Visual Studio Code
3. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
4. Search for "C# File-Based App Directive Support"
5. Click "Install"

Usage

1. Create a C# file with .cs extension
2. Type any directive and get autocomplete:

   #:package Humanizer@2.14.1
   #:sdk Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web
   #:property LangVersion preview
   

3. Start typing and see intelligent suggestions
4. Run your script with dotnet run yourfile.cs

📝 Examples

Console Application with NuGet Package

#:package Humanizer@2.14.1

using Humanizer;

var dotNet10Released = DateTimeOffset.Parse("2025-11-01");
var since = DateTimeOffset.Now - dotNet10Released;

Console.WriteLine($"It has been {since.Humanize()} since .NET 10 was released.");

ASP.NET Core Web API

#:sdk Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web
#:package Microsoft.AspNetCore.OpenApi@10.*-*
#:property LangVersion preview

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder();
builder.Services.AddOpenApi();

var app = builder.Build();
app.MapOpenApi();

app.MapGet("/", () => "Hello, World from .NET 10!");
app.MapGet("/time", () => new { Time = DateTime.Now, Message = "Current server time" });

app.Run();

Background Worker Service

#:sdk Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Worker
#:package Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting@8.0.1

var builder = Host.CreateApplicationBuilder(args);
builder.Services.AddHostedService<WorkerService>();

var host = builder.Build();
await host.RunAsync();

public class WorkerService : BackgroundService
{
    protected override async Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
    {
        while (!stoppingToken.IsCancellationRequested)
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"Worker running at: {DateTimeOffset.Now}");
            await Task.Delay(1000, stoppingToken);
        }
    }
}

Advanced Configuration

#:sdk Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web
#:package FluentValidation@*
#:package FluentValidation.DependencyInjectionExtensions@*
#:package Serilog.AspNetCore@8.0.0
#:property LangVersion preview
#:property Nullable enable
#:property TreatWarningsAsErrors true
#:property EnablePreviewFeatures true

using FluentValidation;
using Serilog;

// Modern C# with preview features enabled
Log.Logger = new LoggerConfiguration()
    .WriteTo.Console()
    .CreateLogger();

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.Host.UseSerilog();
builder.Services.AddValidatorsFromAssemblyContaining<Program>();

var app = builder.Build();

app.MapPost("/user", async (CreateUserRequest request, IValidator<CreateUserRequest> validator) =>
{
    var result = await validator.ValidateAsync(request);
    return result.IsValid ? Results.Ok("User created") : Results.BadRequest(result.Errors);
});

app.Run();

public record CreateUserRequest(string Name, string Email);

public class CreateUserRequestValidator : AbstractValidator<CreateUserRequest>
{
    public CreateUserRequestValidator()
    {
        RuleFor(x => x.Name).NotEmpty().MaximumLength(100);
        RuleFor(x => x.Email).NotEmpty().EmailAddress();
    }
}

🎯 Directive Reference

#:package - NuGet Package References

#:package PackageName@Version
#:package Newtonsoft.Json@13.0.3
#:package Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting@8.*

#:sdk - SDK Selection

#:sdk Microsoft.NET.Sdk              // Console/Library (default)
#:sdk Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web          // ASP.NET Core
#:sdk Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Worker       // Background Services
#:sdk Microsoft.NET.Sdk.WindowsDesktop  // WPF/WinForms

#:property - MSBuild Properties

#:property LangVersion preview        // C# language version
#:property TargetFramework net10.0    // Target framework
#:property Nullable enable            // Nullable reference types
#:property ImplicitUsings enable      // Implicit usings
#:property PublishAot true           // AOT compilation

⚙️ Configuration

No configuration needed! The extension works out of the box with sensible defaults.

Optional Settings

Future versions may include these customizable settings:

• Cache duration for package searches
• Number of suggestions to display
• Include/exclude pre-release packages
• Custom package source URLs
• Additional MSBuild properties

🔧 Requirements

• Visual Studio Code 1.103.0 or higher
• .NET 10 Preview 4 or later with file-based app support
• C# Dev Kit extension (recommended) for best experience
• Internet connection for package search (cached results work offline)

VS Code Setup for File-Based Apps

1. Install the C# Dev Kit extension
2. Switch to Pre-Release version of the C# extension (version 2.79.8+)
3. Ensure you have .NET 10 Preview 4 installed

🐛 Known Issues

• Network dependency: Requires internet connection for initial package searches
• API rate limits: Heavy usage might temporarily reduce suggestion speed
• Case sensitivity: Package names are case-sensitive in NuGet
• SDK validation: Some custom SDKs may not be recognized for autocomplete

📋 Roadmap

Short Term

• [ ] Custom package sources - Support for private NuGet feeds and Azure Artifacts
• [ ] Enhanced property validation - Real-time validation of property values
• [ ] Project conversion hints - Suggestions for converting to full projects

Long Term

• [ ] Dependency visualization - Show package dependency trees
• [ ] Version comparison - Compare versions with changelogs
• [ ] Package templates - Quick scaffolding for common scenarios
• [ ] Offline mode - Enhanced offline package suggestions
• [ ] Multi-file support - Support for file-based apps with multiple files
• [ ] Debug support - Enhanced debugging experience for file-based apps

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help:

1. Report bugs by creating issues on GitHub
2. Request features through GitHub discussions
3. Submit pull requests for bug fixes or new features
4. Share feedback and rate the extension
5. Add SDK or property definitions for better autocomplete coverage

Development Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/TarasKovalenko/csharp-filebased-directive-support

# Install dependencies
npm ci

# Compile TypeScript
npm run compile

# Run tests
npm test

# Package extension
npm run package

Testing File-Based Apps

Create test files and run them:

# Create a test file
echo '#:package Humanizer@2.14.1
using Humanizer;
Console.WriteLine("Hello".Humanize());' > test.cs

# Run with .NET 10
dotnet run test.cs

# Convert to project when ready
dotnet project convert test.cs

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

💝 Support

If you find this extension helpful:

• ⭐ Star the repository on GitHub
• 📝 Leave a review on the VS Code Marketplace
• 🐦 Share it with your fellow developers
• 💬 Join discussions about .NET 10 file-based apps

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Microsoft .NET Team for the innovative file-based apps feature in .NET 10
• NuGet team for the comprehensive package API
• VS Code team for the excellent extension platform
• C# Dev Kit team for the enhanced C# experience
• Community for feedback, bug reports, and feature requests

Transform your C# development with single-file simplicity! 🚀

Made with ❤️ for the .NET community

🔗 Related Links

• .NET 10 File-Based Apps Documentation
• .NET 10 Preview Downloads
• C# Dev Kit Extension
• MSBuild Property Reference