Wolfgang.Template.Console.ETL-SubCommand 0.3.0

ConsoleAppTemplate

A robust template for building .NET console applications with modern development best practices, including dependency injection, configuration management, logging, and extensible command-line parsing.

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Features
• Getting Started
  • Prerequisites
  • Installation
  • Configuration
• Usage
• Project Structure
• Customization
  • Commands and Subcommands
  • Configuration Files
  • Logging
• Contributing
• License

Overview

ConsoleAppTemplate provides a solid foundation for .NET console applications. It leverages best practices such as structured logging (via Serilog), dependency injection, configuration via JSON files, and powerful command-line parsing (with McMaster.Extensions.CommandLineUtils).

This template is designed for scalability, maintainability, and ease-of-use, whether for small scripts or complex automation tools.

Features

• Command Line Parsing: Easily define commands, subcommands, and options.
• Structured Logging: Integrated Serilog with console and file sinks, plus support for enrichment.
• Dependency Injection: Built-in .NET DI with easy configuration.
• Flexible Configuration: Supports single or environment-specific JSON configuration files.
• Error Handling: Robust error catching and exit codes for integration in automation pipelines.
• Extensible: Easily add new commands, services, or configuration sections.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• .NET 6.0 SDK or later
• (Optional) Visual Studio or VS Code

Installation

Install the template from NuGet:

dotnet new install <PackageID>

Replace <PackageID> with the actual NuGet package identifier for ConsoleAppTemplate.

Create a new project using this template:

dotnet new console-app-template -n MyConsoleApp
cd MyConsoleApp

Review Next Steps:
After creating your project, be sure to review the Instructions.md file included in the root of your new project directory. This file provides detailed, project-specific setup steps and guidance for customizing your application.

If you create your project using Visual Studio, the Instructions.md file will open automatically to help guide you through initial configuration and customization.

Restore packages and build:

dotnet restore
dotnet build

Configuration

The template uses JSON files for application and environment configuration.

• appsettings.json: Main config file (default for all environments)
• appsettings.Development.json, appsettings.Production.json, etc.: Environment-specific files (optional)

The configuration system will load the appropriate file based on the DOTNET_ENVIRONMENT variable.

To set the environment (example for Windows):

set DOTNET_ENVIRONMENT=Development

Or for Linux/macOS:

export DOTNET_ENVIRONMENT=Development

Usage

Run the application from the root directory:

dotnet run

You can also publish the app and run the executable:

dotnet publish -c Release
./bin/Release/net6.0/MyConsoleApp.exe [options]

Command Line Options

The template supports a main command and subcommands. To view help:

dotnet run -- --help

Add new subcommands by creating classes and registering them in Program.cs.

Project Structure

MyConsoleApp/
├── Program.cs
├── AppSettings.json
├── AppSettings.Development.json
├── AppSettings.Production.json
├── Instructions.md
└── ...

• Program.cs: Entry point with main logic and configuration.
• AppSettings.json*: Application configuration files.
• Instructions.md: In-depth development and customization notes.

Customization

Commands and Subcommands

• Define your main command in Program.cs using attributes.
• Add subcommands by creating new classes and registering them with [Subcommand(typeof(MyCommand))].

Example:

[Subcommand(typeof(MyNewCommand))]

Configuration Files

• Single File: Use appsettings.json for all environments.
• Per Environment: Use appsettings.{Environment}.json files.

See Instructions.md for detailed setup.

Logging

• Logging is configured via the Serilog section in your AppSettings*.json.
• Add or remove log sinks and adjust minimum levels as needed.
• Default logs to both console and file (see AppSettings.json).

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please fork the repo and submit a pull request for improvements or bug fixes.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a new branch (git checkout -b feature/my-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -am 'Add new feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/my-feature)
5. Open a pull request

License

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

References & Further Reading

• Serilog Documentation
• McMaster.Extensions.CommandLineUtils
• Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting
• .NET Generic Host

Support

For questions, please open an issue on GitHub.

For more in-depth developer notes and template usage, see [src/ConsoleAppTemplate/Content/Instructions.md](src/ConsoleAppTemplate/Content/Instructions.md).