Slncs Documentation

Fluent C# DSL + experimental pipeline for authoring .NET solution graphs. Status: Experimental / Early

Welcome to the Slncs docs. This site has two major parts:

  • Conceptual Guides (these markdown pages) – rationale, methodology, usage patterns.
  • API Reference (generated from XML docs) – types like SolutionBuilder, SlncsExec, SlnxParse.

Overview

Slncs lets you define a solution using C# instead of a traditional .sln file. The script produces a deterministic .slnx manifest consumed by MSBuild tasks to build all referenced projects. Two workflows:

Mode Files Invocation
Wrapper My.slncs (XML) + My.slncs.cs (C#) dotnet build My.slncs
Pure Script My.slncs (C# only) slncs-build My.slncs

Output artifacts (in obj/):

  • <Name>.slnx – compact XML solution manifest.
  • <Name>.slnx.proj – optional aggregator (NoTargets) referencing all projects.

Why (In One Minute)

Traditional .sln files are noisy, imperative, and hard to compose. .NET's new XML-based .slnx format is a great step forward, but since developers are typically already working in .NET languages, why not define the solution graph in C# directly? Slncs provides a fluent DSL unlocks programmability (loops, conditions, helpers) while keeping output minimal & deterministic for clean diffs.

Core Differentiators

  • Single language surface (C#) for graph & code.
  • Deterministic ordering & de-duplication.
  • Minimal intermediate format – easy to inspect & version.
  • Optional aggregator for IDEs / omnibus builds.

Try It (Pure Script Quickstart)

Create Quick.slncs:

using Slncs;
Solution.Create()
  .Project("src/App/App.csproj")
  .Write(OutputPath);

Build:

slncs-build Quick.slncs

Inspect: cat obj/Quick.slnx.

Experimental Disclaimer

Interfaces & schema may change prior to 1.0. Treat as an opt‑in ergonomic experiment; pin versions and review scripts like any build code.

Continue with Installation or view the DSL Reference.

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