When developing applications in Visual Studio, you do not need to build everything from scratch. The .NET ecosystem offers thousands of well-tested, community-maintained libraries that follow industry best practices. This guide covers the primary ways to find and use libraries, the most popular packages for common tasks, and Visual Studio extensions that boost productivity.

NuGet: The .NET Package Manager

NuGet is the standard package manager for .NET and the primary way to add third-party libraries to your projects. It is built directly into Visual Studio.

Installing Packages via the GUI

  1. In Visual Studio, right-click your project in Solution Explorer.
  2. Select Manage NuGet Packages.
  3. Use the Browse tab to search for packages.
  4. Select the desired package and click Install.
  5. Review and accept any license agreements.

Installing Packages via the Package Manager Console

Open the Package Manager Console from Tools > NuGet Package Manager > Package Manager Console and use commands:

# Install a package
Install-Package Newtonsoft.Json

# Install a specific version
Install-Package Dapper -Version 2.1.35

# Update a package
Update-Package AutoMapper

# List installed packages
Get-Package

Installing Packages via the .NET CLI

From a terminal or command prompt:

dotnet add package Newtonsoft.Json
dotnet add package Serilog --version 3.1.1
dotnet list package

Here are widely used NuGet packages organized by category that can significantly speed up development.

JSON Handling

PackageDescription
Newtonsoft.JsonThe most popular JSON framework for .NET. Handles serialization, deserialization, LINQ-to-JSON, and JSON schema validation.
System.Text.JsonMicrosoft’s built-in high-performance JSON library included in .NET Core 3.0+ and .NET 5+. Preferred for new projects targeting modern .NET.
// Newtonsoft.Json example
var json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(myObject);
var obj = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<MyClass>(json);

// System.Text.Json example
var json = JsonSerializer.Serialize(myObject);
var obj = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<MyClass>(json);

Data Access

PackageDescription
DapperA lightweight micro-ORM that extends IDbConnection with simple query methods. Offers near raw-ADO.NET performance with much less boilerplate.
Entity Framework CoreMicrosoft’s full-featured ORM with migrations, change tracking, LINQ queries, and database-first or code-first approaches.
// Dapper example
using var connection = new SqlConnection(connectionString);
var users = connection.Query<User>("SELECT * FROM Users WHERE Active = @Active",
    new { Active = true });

Object Mapping

PackageDescription
AutoMapperConvention-based object-to-object mapper that eliminates repetitive code for mapping between DTOs and domain models.
MapsterA fast, lightweight alternative to AutoMapper with a simpler configuration API.
// AutoMapper configuration
var config = new MapperConfiguration(cfg =>
    cfg.CreateMap<UserEntity, UserDto>());
var mapper = config.CreateMapper();
var dto = mapper.Map<UserDto>(userEntity);

Logging

PackageDescription
SerilogStructured logging library that supports numerous sinks (Console, File, Seq, Elasticsearch, Application Insights, and more).
NLogFlexible logging platform with rich configuration options and many targets.
Microsoft.Extensions.LoggingBuilt-in logging abstraction in .NET Core/.NET 5+ that works with multiple providers.
// Serilog example
Log.Logger = new LoggerConfiguration()
    .WriteTo.Console()
    .WriteTo.File("logs/app.log", rollingInterval: RollingInterval.Day)
    .CreateLogger();

Log.Information("Processing order {OrderId} for {Customer}", orderId, customerName);

HTTP Clients and REST APIs

PackageDescription
RestSharpSimple REST client for making HTTP API calls with built-in serialization.
RefitAutomatic type-safe REST client that generates implementation from an interface definition.
PollyResilience and transient fault handling library for retries, circuit breakers, and timeouts.

Testing

PackageDescription
xUnitModern testing framework used by the .NET team itself.
NUnitWell-established testing framework with rich assertions.
MoqMocking framework for creating test doubles.
FluentAssertionsProvides natural-language assertion syntax for more readable tests.

Validation

PackageDescription
FluentValidationLibrary for building strongly-typed validation rules with a fluent API.

Visual Studio Extensions

Beyond NuGet packages, Visual Studio extensions add features to the IDE itself.

Finding and Installing Extensions

  1. Go to Extensions > Manage Extensions in Visual Studio.
  2. Browse the Online marketplace.
  3. Search for extensions by name or category.
  4. Click Download and restart Visual Studio when prompted.
  • ReSharper (JetBrains): Advanced code analysis, refactoring, navigation, and code generation. The most comprehensive productivity extension for Visual Studio.
  • CodeMaid: Open-source extension for cleaning up and simplifying code.
  • GitHub Copilot: AI-powered code completion and suggestion engine.
  • Visual Studio IntelliCode: AI-assisted IntelliSense recommendations based on coding patterns.
  • Productivity Power Tools: A collection of small productivity enhancements from Microsoft.

Code Snippets

Visual Studio includes built-in code snippets that generate boilerplate code with a few keystrokes.

Using Built-In Snippets

Type a snippet shortcut and press Tab twice:

  • prop - Creates an auto-implemented property
  • ctor - Creates a constructor
  • for - Creates a for loop
  • foreach - Creates a foreach loop
  • try - Creates a try-catch block
  • cw - Creates a Console.WriteLine statement

Creating Custom Snippets

You can create your own snippets as XML files and import them through Tools > Code Snippets Manager. Custom snippets are useful for patterns you repeat frequently in your codebase.

Choosing Libraries Wisely

When evaluating a NuGet package, consider:

  • Download count: High download counts indicate community trust and widespread usage.
  • Last updated date: Actively maintained packages are preferable.
  • License: Ensure the license is compatible with your project (MIT, Apache 2.0, etc.).
  • Dependencies: Fewer dependencies reduce potential conflicts.
  • Documentation: Well-documented libraries save development time.
  • GitHub stars and issues: Open source health indicators.

Summary

The .NET ecosystem provides a rich set of libraries and tools accessible through NuGet that can dramatically accelerate development. For JSON handling, use Newtonsoft.Json or System.Text.Json. For data access, choose between Dapper for lightweight scenarios and Entity Framework Core for full ORM capabilities. AutoMapper handles object mapping, Serilog provides structured logging, and xUnit or NUnit cover testing needs. Pair these libraries with Visual Studio extensions like ReSharper and built-in code snippets to maximize your productivity.