DimonSmart.CopilotInstructions.Template 1.0.7

CopilotInstructions Template

Generate compact shared AI guidance for both GitHub Copilot and Codex. The template keeps one main entry file, moves details into short context files, and stays lightweight enough for a normal dotnet new workflow.

What's included

• A dotnet new template that scaffolds:
  • docs/AI_RULES.md (primary entry point)
  • docs/ai-context/core.md (design principles and general rules)
  • docs/ai-context/dotnet.md (C#/.NET rules)
  • docs/ai-skills/*/references/*.md (shared detailed skill references)
  • docs/ai-context/packs/*.md (selected optional packs)
  • docs/ai-context/references/*.md (short checklists)
  • .codex/skills/*/SKILL.md (Codex project-local skills)
  • .github/copilot-instructions.md (Copilot entry point)
  • .github/skills/*/SKILL.md (Copilot project-local skills)
  • AGENTS.md (Codex entry point)
• Optional path-specific GitHub Copilot instructions in .github/instructions/.
• Optional switches:
  • --no-codex (skip AGENTS.md)
  • --no-copilot (skip .github/copilot-instructions.md)
  • --profile (default, library, aspnet, blazor)
  • --packs "tests;mcp" (additional packs)
  • --with-path-instructions true

Quick start

1. Install the template once on your machine:

   dotnet new install DimonSmart.CopilotInstructions.Template
   

2. Generate instruction files in any repository:

   dotnet new copilot-instructions
   

Structure

docs/
  AI_RULES.md
  ai-context/
    core.md
    dotnet.md
    packs/
    references/
  ai-skills/
    nullable-attributes/
      references/

.codex/
  skills/

.github/
  copilot-instructions.md
  instructions/
  skills/

AGENTS.md

docs/AI_RULES.md stays the main entry point. core.md holds design principles and general rules, dotnet.md holds C#/.NET-specific rules, packs/ adds small project-specific context, references/ keeps checklists out of the main file, and docs/ai-skills/ keeps heavier skill references shared by native project-local skills in .codex/skills/ and .github/skills/.

Profiles

• default: core guidance only.
• library: for reusable packages and public API design.
• aspnet: for HTTP-first ASP.NET services and web apps.
• blazor: for Razor component projects and MudBlazor-style UI work; includes the ASP.NET pack.

Optional generation examples

Generate only Copilot files:

dotnet new copilot-instructions --no-codex true

Generate only Codex files:

dotnet new copilot-instructions --no-copilot true

Generate Blazor guidance with test and MCP packs:

dotnet new copilot-instructions --profile blazor --packs "tests;mcp"

Generate GitHub Copilot path-specific instructions:

dotnet new copilot-instructions --with-path-instructions true

Updating the template

When a new release ships with refined guidelines, reinstall the template and recreate files where you need the latest version:

dotnet new install DimonSmart.CopilotInstructions.Template --force

Run dotnet new copilot-instructions again in each repository that should adopt the update.

Optional extras

• docs/codex-prompts/ contains reusable prompt templates that can be copied into ~/.codex/prompts.
• If you use GitHub Copilot coding agent hooks, consider adding .github/hooks/hooks.json in your target repository to enforce checks such as dotnet test.

Smoke test

Run the repository smoke test before publishing template changes:

dotnet run .\scripts\SmokeTest-Template.cs

The smoke test is a file-based C# app. It packs the template, installs the resulting package, generates several scenarios, and validates that expected files and links are present.

Resources

• GitHub: https://github.com/DimonSmart/CopilotInstructions
• NuGet: https://www.nuget.org/packages/DimonSmart.CopilotInstructions.Template

Feedback

Ideas for improving the instructions or template? Open an issue or submit a pull request. Contributions are welcome.