In dotnet project, how do we organize the source and test files

In .NET projects, particularly those managed with tools like dotnet, the organization of source code and test code is typically managed through conventions and project structure rather than strict folder naming conventions like those in Maven (src and test folders). Here’s how source files and test files are typically determined and organized in a .NET project:

Source Code Files

1. Project Structure:

   • Source code files (*.cs files) in a .NET project are typically organized within the project directory itself (MyProject/).

2. Project File (*.csproj):

   • The project file (MyProject.csproj) explicitly lists all source files that are part of the project. This includes both main application files and any additional libraries or components.

3. Folders within Project:

   • While there are no strict folder conventions enforced by dotnet, it's common practice to organize source files logically within folders like Controllers/, Models/, Services/, etc., depending on the project's architecture.

Test Code Files

1. Separate Test Projects:

   • In .NET projects, it's common practice to create separate projects dedicated solely to testing (MyProject.Tests/). These test projects can be structured similarly to the main project but are explicitly for unit tests or integration tests.

2. Naming Conventions:

   • Test files typically follow naming conventions like MyClassTests.cs or MyClass.Test.cs to indicate that they contain tests for specific classes or components.

3. Test Framework Integration:

   • .NET provides various test frameworks like MSTest, NUnit, and xUnit. These frameworks integrate with dotnet test command and typically recognize test files based on their attributes ([TestClass], [TestFixture], etc.) or naming conventions.

Example Structure

Here’s an example of how a typical .NET project structure might look:

MyProject/
├── MyProject.csproj        // Main project file
├── Controllers/            // Controllers for the application
│   └── HomeController.cs
├── Models/                 // Data models
│   └── User.cs
├── Services/               // Business logic services
│   └── UserService.cs
├── Views/                  // Views (for MVC projects)
├── MyProject.Tests/        // Test project
│   ├── MyProject.Tests.csproj
│   ├── UnitTests/          // Unit tests
│   │   └── UserServiceTests.cs
│   ├── IntegrationTests/   // Integration tests
│   │   └── HomeControllerTests.cs
│   └── TestUtilities/      // Test utilities or helpers
│       └── TestHelper.cs
└── appsettings.json        // Configuration file