Enhancement Request: Technology-Specific Project Templates

[ahin4114]

Enhancement Request: Technology-Specific Project Templates

Problem Statement

The current avanade-template serves as a generic starting point but lacks technology-specific configurations, leading to significant manual setup work when creating projects for specific tech stacks. As someone who recently used this template for a C# .NET project, I encountered several gaps that required substantial customisation.

Current Template Limitations

The existing template provides:

• Generic GitHub workflows (shell/JavaScript focused)
• Basic repository structure
• General documentation templates
• Default .gitignore that may not cover technology-specific build artefacts

What's Missing for C# Projects

When creating a .NET/C# project, I had to manually add:

1. Project Structure

• src/ directory with proper C# project layout
• .csproj files with appropriate SDK references
• Solution files (.sln)
• Test project structure following .NET conventions

2. Build & CI/CD

• .NET-specific GitHub Actions workflows (dotnet-ci.yml)
• NuGet package restoration and caching
• Multi-target framework support (net8.0, net9.0, net10.0)
• Proper test discovery and execution

3. Development Tools

• C#-specific .gitignore rules (bin/, obj/, *.user files)
• EditorConfig for C# formatting standards
• Roslyn analysers and code style enforcement
• Visual Studio/VS Code launch configurations

4. Documentation

• API documentation generation setup
• NuGet package metadata templates
• .NET-specific usage examples

Proposed Solution

Create technology-specific template variants that provide opinionated, ready-to-use setups:

Template Variants Suggested

1. avanade-template-dotnet - C#/.NET projects with CLI/library focus
2. avanade-template-python - Python projects with packaging/testing setup
3. avanade-template-typescript - Node.js/TypeScript applications
4. avanade-template-infrastructure - Terraform/ARM templates for Azure
5. avanade-template-documentation - Documentation-only projects

Each template would include

• Technology-specific CI/CD workflows with proper build/test/deploy steps
• Pre-configured project structure following best practices
• Development environment setup (devcontainer, VS Code settings)
• Code quality tools (linters, formatters, security scanners)
• Dependency management configuration
• Documentation templates with technology-relevant examples

Benefits

1. Faster Project Initiation - Developers can start coding immediately rather than spending time on boilerplate setup
2. Consistent Standards - Each tech stack follows Avanade's established patterns and best practices
3. Reduced Onboarding Friction - New team members get a familiar, well-structured starting point
4. Better Security Posture - Templates include security scanning and dependency management from day one

Implementation Approach

• Maintain the current generic template as the base
• Create separate repositories for each technology stack (e.g., avanade-template-dotnet)
• Provide clear documentation on when to use each template
• Include migration guides for existing projects

Example: C# Template Structure

avanade-template-dotnet/
├── .github/ 
│   ├── instructions/ 
│   │   ├── csharp.instructions.md
│   ├── workflows/ 
│   │   ├── dotnet-ci.yml
│   │   └── nuget-publish.yml 
├── src/ 
│   ├── MyProject/ 
│   │   ├── MyProject.csproj 
│   │   └── Program.cs 
│   └── MyProject.Tests/ 
│       └── MyProject.Tests.csproj 
├── MyProject.sln 
├── Directory.Build.props 
├── .editorconfig 
└── README.md (with .NET-specific examples)

Conclusion

This approach would significantly reduce the gap between template and production-ready code, making the Avanade template ecosystem more valuable for diverse technology projects.