.NET Fundamentals

Core C# and .NET language fundamentals for building modern applications. This meta-skill provides navigation to ~25 foundational skills covering coding standards, language patterns, async programming, dependency injection, and runtime concepts.

When to Use This Skill

Load this skill when:

• Starting a new .NET project and need foundational guidance
• Reviewing code for standards compliance
• Learning C# modern patterns and best practices
• Setting up dependency injection and configuration
• Understanding async/await patterns and cancellation

Quick Navigation

Coding Standards & Style

Need	Load Skill	Level
Naming conventions, file layout	dotnet-csharp-coding-standards	Beginner
Nullable reference types	dotnet-csharp-nullable-reference-types	Intermediate
EditorConfig rules	dotnet-editorconfig	Intermediate

Language Patterns

Need	Load Skill	Level
Records, pattern matching	dotnet-csharp-modern-patterns	Intermediate
Async/await, Task patterns	dotnet-csharp-async-patterns	Intermediate
Concurrency, locking	dotnet-csharp-concurrency-patterns	Advanced
Source generators	dotnet-csharp-source-generators	Advanced

Design & Architecture

Need	Load Skill	Level
SOLID principles	dotnet-solid-principles	Intermediate
Dependency injection	dotnet-csharp-dependency-injection	Intermediate
Configuration/Options	dotnet-csharp-configuration	Intermediate
Validation patterns	dotnet-validation-patterns	Intermediate

Data & Runtime

Need	Load Skill	Level
File I/O operations	dotnet-file-io	Intermediate
Serialization	dotnet-serialization	Intermediate
Channels/messaging	dotnet-channels	Advanced
Memory/GC	dotnet-gc-memory	Advanced
Pipelines	dotnet-io-pipelines	Advanced

Specialized

Need	Load Skill	Level
Interop with native code	dotnet-native-interop	Advanced
AOT architecture	dotnet-aot-architecture	Advanced
Modernization	dotnet-modernize	Intermediate
Project structure	dotnet-project-structure	Beginner

Learning Paths

Beginner Path (Week 1-2)

1. dotnet-csharp-coding-standards - Establish naming and style foundations
2. dotnet-csharp-modern-patterns - Learn modern C# features
3. dotnet-csharp-dependency-injection - Understand DI basics
4. dotnet-solid-principles - Apply SOLID principles

Intermediate Path (Week 3-4)

1. dotnet-csharp-async-patterns - Master async/await
2. dotnet-csharp-concurrency-patterns - Handle threading
3. dotnet-validation-patterns - Implement validation
4. dotnet-csharp-configuration - Configure applications

Advanced Path (Week 5+)

1. dotnet-csharp-source-generators - Build source generators
2. dotnet-gc-memory - Optimize memory usage
3. dotnet-channels - Implement producer/consumer patterns
4. dotnet-aot-architecture - Design for Native AOT

Complete Skill List

Coding Standards (3 skills)

• dotnet-csharp-coding-standards - Naming, file layout, style
• dotnet-csharp-nullable-reference-types - NRT annotations
• dotnet-editorconfig - Style enforcement

Language Patterns (5 skills)

• dotnet-csharp-modern-patterns - Records, pattern matching
• dotnet-csharp-async-patterns - Async/await, cancellation
• dotnet-csharp-concurrency-patterns - Locking, concurrent collections
• dotnet-csharp-source-generators - Roslyn generators
• dotnet-file-based-apps - .NET 10 file-based apps

Design & Principles (4 skills)

• dotnet-solid-principles - SOLID/DRY principles
• dotnet-csharp-dependency-injection - DI patterns
• dotnet-csharp-configuration - Options pattern
• dotnet-validation-patterns - Validation strategies

Data & I/O (5 skills)

• dotnet-file-io - File operations
• dotnet-serialization - JSON, Protobuf
• dotnet-channels - Producer/consumer
• dotnet-gc-memory - Memory management
• dotnet-io-pipelines - High-perf I/O

Diagnostics (2 skills)

• dotnet-csharp-code-smells - Anti-patterns
• dotnet-modernize - Modernization guidance

Tooling (6 skills)

• dotnet-solution-navigation - Solution structure
• dotnet-version-detection - TFM detection
• dotnet-version-upgrade - Upgrade paths
• dotnet-csproj-reading - Project file reading
• dotnet-native-interop - Native interop
• dotnet-aot-architecture - AOT patterns

Cross-References

• Web Development → dotnet-web meta-skill
• Testing → dotnet-testing meta-skill
• Performance → dotnet-performance meta-skill
• Security → dotnet-security meta-skill

Version Assumptions

• .NET 8.0+ baseline for most skills
• .NET 10/C# 14 features noted where applicable
• Language features match TFM capabilities

See Also

• INDEX.md - Complete skill index
• TAXONOMY.md - Taxonomy schema