Why do I need to add a project reference for my Umbraco extension?

Without a reference in the main project's .csproj file, the Umbraco instance will not be able to locate or load the extension's assets and logic during runtime.

How does the skill find the main Umbraco project?

The skill searches for .csproj files that include a PackageReference for 'Umbraco.Cms' and utilize the Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web SDK to identify the primary host project.

Does this work on different operating systems?

Yes, it uses forward-slash relative paths which are cross-platform compatible for both Windows and Unix-based development environments.

What happens if I have multiple Umbraco projects in my solution?

If multiple candidates are found, the skill is designed to ask for user clarification to ensure the reference is added to the correct main instance.

Umbraco Extension Linker

Name: Umbraco Extension Linker
Author: umbraco

byumbraco

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Content Management

Connects new Umbraco backoffice extension projects to the main CMS instance by automatically updating .csproj project references.

About

This skill automates a critical step in Umbraco CMS development by ensuring that newly created backoffice extensions are correctly registered within the main project's .csproj file. It dynamically discovers the primary Umbraco project using package signature checks, calculates cross-platform relative paths, and handles the XML modification required to ensure extensions load correctly during runtime. This eliminates manual path calculation errors and speeds up the workflow for developers building custom Umbraco backoffice functionality.

Key Features

Automated discovery of the main Umbraco project using Grep and Glob
Dynamic relative path calculation for cross-platform compatibility
Intelligent XML manipulation of .csproj ItemGroups
Support for varied project structures including sibling and subfolder layouts
Verification checklist for successful build and extension loading
1 GitHub stars

Use Cases

Integrating external blueprint extensions into an existing Umbraco solution
Registering a newly scaffolded project created with 'dotnet new umbraco-extension'
Restoring missing project references after moving extension source folders

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add umbraco/umbraco-cms-backoffice-skills umbraco-add-extension-reference

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT

Download Skill

GitHub