.NET Aspire

Trigger On

• Aspire.AppHost.Sdk, Aspire.Hosting.*, DistributedApplication.CreateBuilder, WithReference, WaitFor, AddProject, AddRedis, AddPostgres, aspire run, aspire init, aspire add, or aspire update
• Aspire.Hosting.Testing, DistributedApplicationTestingBuilder, or a test harness that mixes an Aspire AppHost with WebApplicationFactory
• orchestrating multiple services and resources with an AppHost for local development or cloud deployment
• setting up ServiceDefaults, service discovery, OpenTelemetry, health checks, or the Aspire Dashboard
• choosing between official first-party Aspire integrations and CommunityToolkit/Aspire
• upgrading older 8.x or 9.x Aspire solutions to the current CLI and AppHost SDK model
• wiring polyglot services into an Aspire topology, especially when Go, Java, Python, or extra dev-time tools enter the picture

Workflow

1. Classify the task first: new AppHost creation, existing-solution enlistment, integration wiring, testing and observability, deployment, or version upgrade.
2. Prefer the current Aspire toolchain. For greenfield or modernized work, use the Aspire CLI and current AppHost SDK instead of writing new guidance around the deprecated legacy workload.
3. Treat 13.1.x patches as servicing updates, not a new app model. Keep the Aspire CLI, Aspire.AppHost.Sdk, and closely coupled hosting or testing packages on the same patch line, then rerun the AppHost and deployment checks after aspire update.
4. Keep the AppHost code-first and topology-focused. Model services, resources, dependencies, endpoints, lifetimes, and parameters there; keep business logic out.
5. Keep ServiceDefaults narrow. It exists for telemetry, health checks, resilience, and service discovery, not shared domain models or general utility code.