Assembly Name Generation

Assembly Name Generation

By default (EnableAssemblyNameGeneration=true), the SDK treats RootNamespace as the canonical public name: AssemblyName and PackageId both default to the fully evaluated RootNamespace — or, when suffix-stripping removed a segment of the logical project name, to the full logical project name so assemblies stay distinct. The defaults are applied during Sdk.props evaluation — before the Microsoft SDK computes TargetName and before the project body — so compilation, output paths, project references, restore, and packing all agree on the same identities. Set EnableAssemblyNameGeneration=false before the SDK import to opt out and fall back to standard .NET behaviour ($(MSBuildProjectName)).

Resolved identities

Project name	NamespacePrefix	RootNamespace	Resolved AssemblyName / PackageId
Api	Acme	Acme.Api	Acme.Api
Acme.Api	Acme	Acme.Api	Acme.Api (no double-prefix)
Core.Infrastructure	Acme	Acme.Infrastructure	Acme.Core.Infrastructure (.Core stripped from the namespace only)
Shared	Acme	Acme	Acme.Shared (full logical name, so it stays distinct)
ServiceDefaults	Acme	Acme	Acme.ServiceDefaults (full logical name, so it stays distinct)
Acme	Acme	Acme	Acme

Explicitly setting <RootNamespace> before the SDK import always wins: AssemblyName/PackageId follow that override instead of re-appending a stripped suffix.

Test projects keep their detected suffix: Api.UnitTests → AssemblyName/PackageId = Acme.Api.UnitTests, while RootNamespace remains Acme.Api.

Explicit <AssemblyName> or <PackageId> in a .csproj (or Directory.Build.props) always takes precedence. Because the defaults run before the project body, project-authored values set in the body are evaluated later and win.

Note: set EnableAssemblyNameGeneration=false before the SDK import (for example in Directory.Build.props) — it is consumed during Sdk.props evaluation.

Namespace stripping

Certain suffixes are automatically stripped from RootNamespace to avoid awkward namespace names like Acme.MyProject.Core.Something.

Stripped suffixes: Core, EF, Shared, ClientShared, ServiceDefaults, and all shared and shared-testing project names.

See Project Naming Conventions and InternalsVisibleTo for related naming behaviour.