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Getting Started

Prerequisites​

  • .NET 10 SDK
  • Node.js 20+ for the documentation site
  • At least one AI provider credential or a local Ollama instance when you want to run the sample app with live AI features

Clone the repository​

git clone https://github.com/CrestApps/CrestApps.Core.git
cd CrestApps.Core

Build and test​

dotnet build .\CrestApps.Core.slnx -c Release /p:NuGetAudit=false
dotnet test .\tests\CrestApps.Core.Tests\CrestApps.Core.Tests.csproj -c Release /p:NuGetAudit=false

Run the sample hosts​

MVC sample application​

dotnet run --project .\src\Startup\CrestApps.Core.Mvc.Web\CrestApps.Core.Mvc.Web.csproj

Use the MVC sample when you want to see the full framework in one place: AI providers, deployments, profiles, templates, document processing, MCP, A2A, storage, and SignalR-driven chat flows.

Aspire host​

dotnet run --project .\src\Startup\CrestApps.Core.Aspire.AppHost\CrestApps.Core.Aspire.AppHost.csproj

Use the Aspire host when you want to boot the MVC sample and related sample clients together.

Learn the registration model​

The recommended registration surface is the AddCrestAppsCore(...) builder, which groups framework features into higher-level suites:

builder.Services.AddCrestAppsCore(crestApps => crestApps
    .AddAISuite(ai => ai
        .AddMarkdown()
        .AddChatInteractions()
        .AddDocumentProcessing()
        .AddOpenAI()));

Under the hood, each builder step still maps to the corresponding AddCrestApps... IServiceCollection extension, so hosts can still opt into the lower-level registration methods when they want that control.

Build the docs site​

cd src/CrestApps.Core.Docs
npm install
npm run build

Package feed​

Preview packages are published to:

https://nuget.cloudsmith.io/crestapps/crestapps-core/v3/index.json