MCP Server dotnet new Template

This repository contains a C# project used as a template for building Model‑Context‑Protocol (MCP) servers. The template can be installed via dotnet new and provides a starting point for projects that expose tools, prompts and resources to language models over the MCP HTTP/stdio transports.

🚀 Features

• Project scaffolding targeting .NET 10 (Web SDK)
• Includes MCP SDK packages and example tools/prompts/resources
• Configured as a packable .NET template (PackageType=Template)
• .template.config/template.json defines identity, short name, etc.

📁 Repository layout

McpServerTemplate/
├── .template.config/
│   └── template.json           # template configuration
├── docs/                       # explanatory documentation
├── src/                        # the template project itself
│   ├── McpServerTemplate.csproj
│   ├── Program.cs
│   ├── Tools/                  # sample tools for LLMs
│   ├── Resources/              # sample resources
│   └── Prompts/                # sample prompts
└── README.md                   # this file

🛠 Building and testing the template

From the workspace root you can build the project with the SDK:

cd src
dotnet build

The project is intentionally packable so that it can produce a NuGet package which dotnet new can consume. To create the package run:

dotnet pack -c Debug

The resulting .nupkg file will appear in src/bin/Debug:

src/bin/Debug/Manus.Templates.McpServer.1.0.0.nupkg

If you want to install the template locally for testing:

dotnet new -i src/bin/Debug/Manus.Templates.McpServer.1.0.0.nupkg

Then create a new project based on the template:

dotnet new mcp-server -n MyMcpApp
cd MyMcpApp
dotnet run

🧾 Packaging & publishing

When you're ready to share the template with others, push the .nupkg to NuGet or your internal feed. Consumers will then install with dotnet new -i <packageName>. Remember to update the <Version> in McpServerTemplate.csproj for each release.

📦 Template configuration

The .template.config/template.json file contains metadata used by the dotnet new engine:

{
  "$schema": "http://json.schemastore.org/template",
  "author": "Manus AI",
  "classifications": ["MCP", "AI", "Server", "C#"],
  "name": "MCP Server Template",
  "identity": "Manus.Templates.McpServer",
  "shortName": "mcp-server",
  "tags": {"language": "C#", "type": "project"},
  "sourceName": "McpServerTemplate",
  "preferNameDirectory": true
}

Adjust the fields as appropriate when updating the template.

📝 Using the generated project

The scaffolded project includes a minimal Program.cs that sets up an MCP server with console logging, stdio and HTTP transports, and automatically discovers tools, prompts, and resources in the assembly. You can extend it by adding more classes under the Tools/, Prompts/ or Resources/ folders.

Example tool

See src/Tools/DiagnosticTools.cs for an example of exposing a tool via the [McpServerTool] attribute.

💡 Tips

• Update PackageId, Version, Authors, and other NuGet properties in the .csproj before packing for release.
• Keep IsPackable set to true and include the .template.config in the package as shown in the csproj.
• If the template evolves over time, bump the version and repack.
• You can run dotnet new --list to see installed templates.

This README should contain all instructions required to build, test, pack, and use the template. Adjust and extend as the project grows.