.NET project structure

dotnetlayout.md

$/
  artifacts/
  build/
  docs/
  lib/
  packages/
  samples/
  src/
  tests/
  .editorconfig
  .gitignore
  .gitattributes
  build.cmd
  build.sh
  LICENSE
  NuGet.Config
  README.md
  {solution}.sln

• src - Main projects (the product code)
• tests - Test projects
• docs - Documentation stuff, markdown files, help files etc.
• samples (optional) - Sample projects
• lib - Things that can NEVER exist in a nuget package
• artifacts - Build outputs go here. Doing a build.cmd/build.sh generates artifacts here (nupkgs, dlls, pdbs, etc.)
• packages - NuGet packages
• build - Build customizations (custom msbuild files/psake/fake/albacore/etc) scripts
• build.cmd - Bootstrap the build for windows
• build.sh - Bootstrap the build for *nix
• global.json - ASP.NET vNext only

.gitignore

[Oo]bj/
[Bb]in/
.nuget/
_ReSharper.*
packages/
artifacts/
*.user
*.suo
*.userprefs
*DS_Store
*.sln.ide

There's probably more things that go in the ignore file.

• Update: Added docs folder
• Added README.md and LICENSE - Critical if you're OSS, if not ignore it
• Renamed test to tests
• Added lib for things that CANNOT exist in nuget packages
• Removed NuGet.config for people using packet :)
• Added global.json for ASP.NET vnext
• Added .editorconfig file in the root (x-plat IDE settings)
• Added NuGet.config back because people were confused about it missing

@sharpninja @tiny-dancer I've created https://github.com/dotnet-template/project-layout, feel free to fork it and maybe contribute to it.

Could someone please explain to me the difference between putting nupkgs in the artefacts directory vs the packages directory?

My understanding is the Artefacts is the output of your project, much could include NuGet packages, packages directory contains your projects dependencies.

Ahhh OK. For when a packages.config is being used. Not applicable to me and I think I was tunnel visioning past it.

Thanks, @Layoric

@D3MaxT
Never distribute [the same] private cert to multiple distinct clients, even if you do it securely - you might as well drop encryption altogether.
For self signed certificates just generate them on the client machine.