dotnet-github-docs

GitHub-native documentation patterns for .NET projects: README structure with NuGet/CI/coverage badges and installation instructions, CONTRIBUTING.md with fork-PR workflow and development setup, issue templates (bug report with .NET version and repro steps, feature request with problem/solution/alternatives), PR templates with testing checklist and breaking changes section, GitHub Pages setup for documentation sites, repository metadata (CODEOWNERS, FUNDING.yml, social preview, topics/tags), and Mermaid diagram embedding in README files.

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dotnet-github-docs

GitHub-native documentation patterns for .NET projects: README structure with NuGet/CI/coverage badges and installation instructions, CONTRIBUTING.md with fork-PR workflow and development setup, issue templates (bug report with .NET version and repro steps, feature request with problem/solution/alternatives), PR templates with testing checklist and breaking changes section, GitHub Pages setup for documentation sites, repository metadata (CODEOWNERS, FUNDING.yml, social preview, topics/tags), and Mermaid diagram embedding in README files.

Version assumptions: .NET 8.0+ baseline for code examples. GitHub Actions for CI badges. NuGet.org for package badges.

Scope

  • README structure with NuGet/CI/coverage badges

  • CONTRIBUTING.md with fork-PR workflow

  • Issue templates (bug report, feature request)

  • PR templates with testing checklist

  • Repository metadata (CODEOWNERS, FUNDING.yml, topics/tags)

  • Mermaid diagram embedding in README files

Out of scope

  • CI/CD deployment workflows for GitHub Pages -- see [skill:dotnet-gha-deploy]

  • Changelog generation and release versioning -- see [skill:dotnet-release-management]

  • Documentation platform selection -- see [skill:dotnet-documentation-strategy]

  • Mermaid diagram syntax details -- see [skill:dotnet-mermaid-diagrams]

  • Project file structure and solution organization -- see [skill:dotnet-project-structure]

Cross-references: [skill:dotnet-gha-deploy] for GitHub Pages deployment pipelines, [skill:dotnet-release-management] for changelog format and versioning, [skill:dotnet-mermaid-diagrams] for .NET-specific Mermaid diagrams in READMEs, [skill:dotnet-project-structure] for project metadata context, [skill:dotnet-documentation-strategy] for doc platform selection.

README Structure for .NET Projects

A well-structured README provides immediate context for contributors and consumers of a .NET project.

Badges

Place badges at the top of the README, grouped by category:

My.Library

NuGet NuGet Downloads Build Status codecov License: MIT

Badge categories for .NET projects:

Badge Source Notes

NuGet version shields.io + nuget.org Use package ID, not assembly name

NuGet downloads shields.io + nuget.org Shows adoption; use dt for total downloads

Build status GitHub Actions Link to the CI workflow

Code coverage Codecov / Coveralls Requires CI integration

License shields.io Match the license in the repo

.NET version shields.io Optional; shows minimum supported TFM

Recommended README Sections

My.Library

[badges here]

Short one-paragraph description of what the library does and why it exists.

Installation

dotnet add package My.Library

Or via PackageReference in your .csproj:

<PackageReference Include="My.Library" Version="1.0.0" />

Quick Start

using My.Library;

var service = new WidgetService();
var widget = await service.CreateWidgetAsync("example");
Console.WriteLine(widget.Id);

Features

  • Feature 1: brief description
  • Feature 2: brief description
  • Feature 3: brief description

Documentation

Full documentation is available at https://mycompany.github.io/my-library.

Architecture

[Mermaid architecture diagram -- see [skill:dotnet-mermaid-diagrams] for patterns]

Contributing

Please read CONTRIBUTING.md for details on our code of conduct and the process for submitting pull requests.

License

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

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for a history of changes. For changelog format conventions, see [skill:dotnet-release-management].

Architecture Diagram in README

Embed a Mermaid architecture diagram directly in the README for visual context. GitHub renders Mermaid fenced code blocks natively:

Architecture

graph TB
    subgraph Client
        App["Consumer App"]
    end
    subgraph Library["My.Library"]
        API["Public API Surface"]
        Core["Core Engine"]
        Cache["In-Memory Cache"]
    end
    App --> API
    API --> Core
    Core --> Cache

See [skill:dotnet-mermaid-diagrams] for .NET-specific diagram patterns including C4-style architecture, sequence diagrams for API flows, and class diagrams for domain models.

CONTRIBUTING.md Patterns

Fork-PR Workflow

Contributing to My.Library

Thank you for your interest in contributing! This document provides guidelines and instructions for contributing.

Getting Started

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Clone your fork: git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/my-library.git
  3. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/my-feature
  4. Make your changes
  5. Submit a pull request

Development Setup

Prerequisites

Building

dotnet restore
dotnet build

Running Tests

dotnet test

To run tests with coverage:

dotnet test --collect:"XPlat Code Coverage"

Coding Standards

- Follow the .NET coding conventions

- Use dotnet format
 to enforce code style before committing

- All public APIs must have XML documentation comments

- New features must include unit tests

Pull Request Process

- Update documentation for any changed public APIs

- Add or update tests to cover your changes

- Ensure all tests pass: dotnet test

- Ensure code compiles without warnings: dotnet build -warnaserror

- Update the CHANGELOG.md with your changes under the [Unreleased]
 section

- The PR will be reviewed by a maintainer

Reporting Issues

- Use the Bug Report template for bugs

- Use the Feature Request template for enhancements

---

## Issue Templates

### Bug Report Template

```yaml
# .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
name: Bug Report
description: Report a bug in the library
title: "[Bug]: "
labels: ["bug", "triage"]
body:
  - type: markdown
    attributes:
      value: |
        Thank you for reporting a bug. Please fill out the information below
        to help us diagnose and fix the issue.

  - type: textarea
    id: description
    attributes:
      label: Description
      description: A clear and concise description of the bug.
    validations:
      required: true

  - type: textarea
    id: repro-steps
    attributes:
      label: Steps to Reproduce
      description: Steps to reproduce the behavior.
      value: |
        1. Install package version X
        2. Call method Y with parameters Z
        3. Observe error
    validations:
      required: true

  - type: textarea
    id: expected
    attributes:
      label: Expected Behavior
      description: What you expected to happen.
    validations:
      required: true

  - type: textarea
    id: actual
    attributes:
      label: Actual Behavior
      description: What actually happened. Include any error messages or stack traces.
    validations:
      required: true

  - type: input
    id: dotnet-version
    attributes:
      label: .NET Version
      description: "Output of `dotnet --version`"
      placeholder: "8.0.100"
    validations:
      required: true

  - type: dropdown
    id: os
    attributes:
      label: Operating System
      options:
        - Windows
        - macOS
        - Linux
    validations:
      required: true

  - type: textarea
    id: additional
    attributes:
      label: Additional Context
      description: Any other context about the problem (project type, related packages, etc.)

Feature Request Template

# .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature_request.yml
name: Feature Request
description: Suggest a new feature or enhancement
title: "[Feature]: "
labels: ["enhancement"]
body:
  - type: textarea
    id: problem
    attributes:
      label: Problem Statement
      description: Describe the problem this feature would solve.
      placeholder: "I'm always frustrated when..."
    validations:
      required: true

  - type: textarea
    id: solution
    attributes:
      label: Proposed Solution
      description: Describe the solution you'd like to see.
    validations:
      required: true

  - type: textarea
    id: alternatives
    attributes:
      label: Alternatives Considered
      description: Describe any alternative solutions or features you've considered.

  - type: textarea
    id: api-surface
    attributes:
      label: API Surface (if applicable)
      description: |
        If you have a proposed API design, include it here.
      render: csharp

Question / Discussion Template

# .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/question.yml
name: Question
description: Ask a question about using the library
title: "[Question]: "
labels: ["question"]
body:
  - type: textarea
    id: question
    attributes:
      label: Question
      description: What would you like to know?
    validations:
      required: true

  - type: textarea
    id: context
    attributes:
      label: Context
      description: |
        Provide context about what you're trying to accomplish.
        Include code snippets if relevant.
      render: csharp

Issue Template Config

# .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/config.yml
blank_issues_enabled: false
contact_links:
  - name: Discussions
    url: https://github.com/mycompany/my-library/discussions
    about: Use discussions for general questions and community support
  - name: Stack Overflow
    url: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/my-library
    about: Search for existing answers on Stack Overflow

PR Templates

Pull Request Template

<!-- .github/pull_request_template.md -->

## Description

<!-- Briefly describe the changes in this PR -->

## Type of Change

- [ ] Bug fix (non-breaking change that fixes an issue)
- [ ] New feature (non-breaking change that adds functionality)
- [ ] Breaking change (fix or feature that would cause existing functionality to change)
- [ ] Documentation update
- [ ] Refactoring (no functional changes)
- [ ] Performance improvement

## Testing Checklist

- [ ] Unit tests added/updated
- [ ] Integration tests added/updated (if applicable)
- [ ] All existing tests pass (`dotnet test`)
- [ ] Code compiles without warnings (`dotnet build -warnaserror`)

## Breaking Changes

<!-- If this PR introduces breaking changes, describe them here and explain the migration path -->

N/A

## Related Issues

<!-- Link related issues using GitHub keywords: Fixes #123, Closes #456 -->

## Additional Notes

<!-- Any additional information that reviewers should know -->

GitHub Pages Setup

GitHub Pages can host documentation sites generated by Starlight, Docusaurus, or DocFX. This section covers the repository configuration; CI deployment pipeline configuration belongs to [skill:dotnet-gha-deploy].

Repository Settings

- Navigate to Settings > Pages

- Under Source, select GitHub Actions (not the legacy branch-based deployment)

- The deployment workflow in .github/workflows/
 handles the build and publish steps

Doc Site Directory Structure

Place documentation source files in a docs/
 directory at the repository root:

my-library/
  src/
    MyLibrary/
      MyLibrary.csproj
  docs/
    astro.config.mjs          # For Starlight
    # OR docusaurus.config.js  # For Docusaurus
    # OR docfx.json            # For DocFX
  .github/
    workflows/
      deploy-docs.yml          # Deployment workflow -- see [skill:dotnet-gha-deploy]
  README.md
  CONTRIBUTING.md

Custom Domain

Configure a custom domain for GitHub Pages:

- Add a CNAME
 file in the doc site's static directory (e.g., docs/public/CNAME
 for Starlight, docs/static/CNAME
 for Docusaurus)

- Set the domain in Settings > Pages > Custom domain

- Enable Enforce HTTPS

Content in the CNAME
 file:

docs.mylibrary.dev

For documentation platform selection and configuration, see [skill:dotnet-documentation-strategy]. For deployment workflow YAML, see [skill:dotnet-gha-deploy].

Repository Metadata

CODEOWNERS

Define code ownership for automated review assignment:

# .github/CODEOWNERS

# Default owner for everything
* @mycompany/core-team

# Documentation
/docs/ @mycompany/docs-team
*.md @mycompany/docs-team

# Source code by area
/src/MyLibrary.Core/ @mycompany/core-team
/src/MyLibrary.Data/ @mycompany/data-team

# Build and CI
/.github/ @mycompany/devops-team
/build/ @mycompany/devops-team
*.props @mycompany/core-team
*.targets @mycompany/core-team

# NuGet configuration
nuget.config @mycompany/core-team
Directory.Packages.props @mycompany/core-team

FUNDING.yml

Configure GitHub Sponsors and other funding links:

# .github/FUNDING.yml
github: [maintainer-username]
open_collective: my-library
custom: ["https://www.buymeacoffee.com/maintainer"]

Social Preview

- Navigate to Settings > General > Social preview

- Upload a 1280x640 image (2:1 aspect ratio)

- Include: project name, logo, brief tagline, and .NET version badge

- Use a consistent brand color scheme

Topics and Tags

Add repository topics for discoverability:

- dotnet
, csharp
, nuget
 -- ecosystem tags

- library
, sdk
, framework
 -- project type

- aspnetcore
, efcore
, blazor
 -- technology-specific tags

- Descriptive tags: serialization
, logging
, dependency-injection
, etc.

Set topics in Settings > General > Topics or via the repository description area on the main page.

Repository Description

Keep the repository description concise (under 350 characters). Include:

- What the project does

- Key differentiator or primary use case

- Target .NET version if relevant

Example: "High-performance JSON serialization library for .NET 8+ with source generator support and AOT compatibility."

Agent Gotchas

- 
Always use YAML-based issue templates (.yml
), not Markdown templates (.md
) -- YAML templates provide structured form fields with validation, dropdowns, and required fields. Markdown templates are the legacy format and offer no input validation.

- 
The .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
 directory must contain a config.yml
 -- without it, the "blank issue" option appears by default. Set blank_issues_enabled: false
 to force users through templates.

- 
Badge URLs must use the correct NuGet package ID -- the package ID is case-sensitive on shields.io. Use the exact ID from NuGet.org (e.g., Newtonsoft.Json
, not newtonsoft.json
).

- 
CODEOWNERS patterns follow .gitignore
 syntax -- use /src/
 for root-relative paths. Without the leading /
, the pattern matches anywhere in the tree.

- 
GitHub Pages source must be set to "GitHub Actions" -- the legacy "Deploy from a branch" mode does not support custom build steps. The GitHub Actions source delegates build and deployment to a workflow. For the workflow YAML, see [skill:dotnet-gha-deploy].

- 
Do not generate CI/CD deployment YAML in this skill -- deployment workflows for GitHub Pages belong to [skill:dotnet-gha-deploy]. This skill covers repository structure and template content only.

- 
Do not generate changelog content -- changelog format, versioning strategy, and release notes belong to [skill:dotnet-release-management]. Reference CHANGELOG.md in the README but do not define its format here.

- 
PR template file must be named exactly pull_request_template.md
 -- GitHub only recognizes this exact filename (case-insensitive). It can live in the root, docs/
, or .github/
 directory. The .github/
 location is recommended for consistency with issue templates.

- 
Include .NET Version
 in bug report templates -- .NET version is critical for reproducing bugs. Use dotnet --version
 output as the expected format. Include OS as a dropdown since behavior often varies across platforms.

- 
Mermaid diagrams in README render natively on GitHub -- no special configuration is needed. Use standard fenced code blocks with the mermaid
 language identifier. See [skill:dotnet-mermaid-diagrams] for .NET-specific diagram patterns to embed in architecture sections.

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