Project Setup for .NET Desktop Applications

This guide walks you through creating a new .NET Desktop project, configuring essential settings, and preparing the solution for development.

1. Create a New Project

Open Visual Studio and select File > New > Project. Choose the appropriate template:

dotnet new winforms -n MyWinFormsApp
dotnet new wpf -n MyWpfApp

2. Solution Structure

A recommended folder layout ensures maintainability:

MySolution/
├── src/
│   ├── MyWinFormsApp/
│   │   ├── Properties/
│   │   ├── Forms/
│   │   └── MyWinFormsApp.csproj
│   └── MyWpfApp/
│       ├── Views/
│       ├── ViewModels/
│       └── MyWpfApp.csproj
├── tests/
│   └── MyWinFormsApp.Tests/
│       └── MyWinFormsApp.Tests.csproj
└── docs/
    └── README.md

3. Target Framework

Update the <TargetFramework> element in the project file to match the desired .NET version.

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0-windows</TargetFramework>
    <UseWindowsForms>true</UseWindowsForms> 
    <UseWPF>true</UseWPF>               
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

4. NuGet Packages

Install common packages via the Package Manager Console or dotnet add package:

dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.Logging
dotnet add package CommunityToolkit.Mvvm
dotnet add package Serilog
dotnet add package Microsoft.Data.SqlClient

5. Code Style & Formatting

Enable .editorconfig for consistent formatting.

# .editorconfig
root = true

[*.cs]
dotnet_style_qualification_for_field = false:suggestion
csharp_new_line_before_open_brace = all
csharp_space_after_keywords_in_control_flow_statements = true

6. Build & Run

Use the following commands from the solution root:

dotnet build
dotnet run --project src/MyWinFormsApp/MyWinFormsApp.csproj

7. Version Control

Add a .gitignore tailored for .NET projects:

# .gitignore
bin/
obj/
*.user
*.vs/
*.suo
*.pdb
*.cache

For more details, see the Deployment guide.