Following is the content of the auto-generated <ProjectName>.GlobalUsings.g.cs file when a Console Application or a Class Library project is created -

// <auto-generated/>
global using global::System;
global using global::System.Collections.Generic;
global using global::System.IO;
global using global::System.Linq;
global using global::System.Net.Http;
global using global::System.Threading;
global using global::System.Threading.Tasks;

How can I modify the template for this file to add a few more namespaces?

Note: I know additional namespaces can be added through the project file, but I want to modify the default template for the auto-generated file.

Following is the content of the auto-generated <ProjectName>.GlobalUsings.g.cs file when a Console Application or a Class Library project is created -

// <auto-generated/>
global using global::System;
global using global::System.Collections.Generic;
global using global::System.IO;
global using global::System.Linq;
global using global::System.Net.Http;
global using global::System.Threading;
global using global::System.Threading.Tasks;

How can I modify the template for this file to add a few more namespaces?

Note: I know additional namespaces can be added through the project file, but I want to modify the default template for the auto-generated file.

• c#
• visual-studio
• console-application
• visual-studio-2022
• project-template

• You prolly could find right .props file(in sdk folder) and modify it but this doesn't make sense... You can always use Directory.Build.props to add some props to every project in solution – Selvin Commented Mar 13 at 21:01
• @Selvin, I just don't to make it a repeated task whenever I'm creating a new project. – atiyar Commented Mar 13 at 21:12

1 Answer 1

Per Selvin's comment what you probably DON'T want to modify is:

dotnet\sdk\VERSION\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.Sdk.CSharp.props

which serves as the base source for the auto-generated usings file:

<!-- Implicit imports -->
<ItemGroup Condition="'$(ImplicitUsings)' == 'true' Or '$(ImplicitUsings)' == 'enable'">
  <Using Include="System" />
  <Using Include="System.Collections.Generic" />
  <Using Include="System.IO" />
  <Using Include="System.Linq" />
  <Using Include="System.Net.Http" Condition="'$(TargetFrameworkIdentifier)' != '.NETFramework'"/>
  <Using Include="System.Threading" />
  <Using Include="System.Threading.Tasks" />
</ItemGroup>

However, your code will have issues when you

1. Upgrade the SDK on your machine
2. Try to build it on another machine where you haven't manually modified the SDK files

The recommended alternative is a "specifically named" GlobalUsings.cs file that you just copy-paste to new projects where you put those extra usings:

global using System.Diagnostics;