Issue: New .NET Foundation Project Application

[khujrat17]

Project Name

RealTimeToolkit.NET

License

MIT License

Contributor

Khujrat S Shaikh – Lead Maintainer

Existing OSS Project?

No

Source Code URL

https://github.com/khujrat17/RealTimeToolkit

Project Homepage URL

https://github.com/khujrat17/RealTimeToolkit/tree/master/RealTimeToolkit

Project Transfer Signatories

I, Khujrat S. Shaikh, am the sole author and maintainer of the RealTimeToolkit.NET project and have full authority to transfer or contribute this project to the .NET Foundation under the selected open-source license (MIT).

Full Legal Name: Khujrat S. Shaikh
Email: khujratshaikh1284@gmail.com
Role: Project Owner / Maintainer

Description

🧠 Description & Purpose

RealTimeToolkit.NET is a cross-version SignalR communication toolkit that simplifies real-time messaging for developers targeting .NET 8, .NET 7, and .NET Framework (4.7.2 / 4.5.2).

It provides a unified API for both ASP.NET Core and classic ASP.NET MVC, supporting:

• Broadcast, user, and group messaging
• Connection tracking per user
• Simple dependency injection setup
• Full compatibility between legacy and modern SignalR versions

This toolkit helps teams modernize legacy systems and integrate real-time capabilities across mixed .NET environments.

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⚙️ Technical Stack

• Languages: C#, .NET
• Frameworks: .NET 8 / .NET 7 / .NET Framework 4.7.2 & 4.5.2
• Core Dependencies: SignalR, Microsoft.Owin (for legacy), Dependency Injection
• Build System: .NET SDK & MSBuild
• Hosting: ASP.NET Core or OWIN self-host

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What are you hoping from the foundation

💡 Why Join the .NET Foundation?

Joining the .NET Foundation will:

• Increase visibility and credibility of RealTimeToolkit.NET
• Enable community-driven governance and transparency
• Encourage open-source contributions and version unification
• Provide long-term support and compliance assurance

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Name

Khujrat S Shaikh

Email

khujratshaikh1284@gmail.com

GitHub Profile URL

https://github.com/khujrat17

Committers

👥 Committers

Full Name	GitHub ID	Employer / Affiliation	Role
Khujrat S. Shaikh	@khujrat17	Independent Developer	Project Owner / Maintainer

Discord Ids

No response

Governance Model

⚖️ Governance Model

RealTimeToolkit.NET follows an open and merit-based governance model aligned with the .NET Foundation’s community standards.

1. Proposing Changes

   • All code or documentation changes are proposed via GitHub Pull Requests (PRs).
   • Contributors must follow the contribution guidelines defined in CONTRIBUTING.md.
   • Each PR must include a clear description of the problem being solved and reference related issues if applicable.

2. Code Review & Approval

   • All proposed changes undergo review by the project maintainer (currently Khujrat S. Shaikh).
   • Reviews focus on correctness, performance, backward compatibility, and coding standards.
   • Once approved, the PR is merged into the main branch.

3. Decision-Making Process

   • The project maintainer makes final decisions regarding feature inclusion, architecture, and releases.
   • For future multi-maintainer governance, decisions will be made via majority consensus among active maintainers.

4. Appointing New Committers

   • Contributors who consistently provide high-quality pull requests and demonstrate an understanding of the project’s architecture may be invited to become committers.
   • New committers are nominated by an existing maintainer and approved by consensus.
   • Committer privileges can be revoked in case of prolonged inactivity or violation of the Code of Conduct.

5. Community Interaction

   • Issues and discussions are open to the public for transparency.
   • Feature requests and bug reports are encouraged through GitHub Issues.

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CLA

• If already an OSS project, was a Contribution License Agreement in place for contributions accepted?

How does the project check who has signed one?

No response

CLA Notification Alias

No response

Select the Project Transfer Agreement model

Contribution

Repository Layout

/RealTimeToolkit.NET
│
├── /src/ # Source code for main library
│ ├── RealTimeToolkit/ # Core SignalR toolkit
│ └── RealTimeToolkit.Tests/ # Unit and integration tests
│
├── /samples/ # Example projects demonstrating usage
│ ├── AspNetCoreDemo/
│ └── FrameworkDemo/
│
├── /docs/ # API and setup documentation
│
├── /build/ # Build scripts and CI/CD configurations
│
├── LICENSE # MIT License
├── README.md # Project overview and setup guide
└── CONTRIBUTING.md # Contribution and PR guidelines

Eligibility Criteria

• The project is built on the .NET platform and/or creates value within the .NET ecosystem.
• The project produces source code for distribution to the public at no charge.
• The project's code is easily discoverable and publicly accessible (preferably on GitHub).
• The project contains a build script that can produce deployable artifacts that are identical to the official deployable artifacts, with the exception of code signing (Exception may be granted for strong name keys, though strongly encouraged to be committed. Exception relies on OSS signing being in the build script for public builds).
• When applicable, project must use reproducible build settings in its toolchain.
• The project uses Source Link.
• The project uses either embedded PDBs or publish symbol packages to NuGet (if applicable).
• The project code signs their artifacts as appropriate.
• The project organization has 2FA enabled. Requiring 2FA must be done as part of onboarding if not already enabled.
• Libraries that are mandatory dependencies of the project are offered under a standard, permissive open source license which has been approved by the .NET Foundation (exceptions include a dependency that is required by the target platform where no alternative open source dependency is available such as the .NET Framework or a hardware specific library).
• Committers are bound by a Contributor License Agreement (CLA) and/or are willing to embrace the .NET Foundation's CLA when the project becomes a Member.
• The copyright ownership of everything that the project produces is clearly defined and documented.
• The project has a public issue tracker where the status of any defect can be easily obtained.
• The project has a published Security Policy.
• The project has a home page which provides high level information about its status and purpose.
• The project has a public communication channel where community members can engage with maintainers.
• The project has a publicly available location where members can review and contribute to documentation.

Describe why you are applying for Project Membership.

I am applying to add RealTimeToolkit.NET to the .NET Foundation because I want the project to become part of the official open-source ecosystem that strengthens real-time development in .NET.

The goals of joining are:

To ensure long-term sustainability and community-driven governance.

To increase visibility and encourage collaboration from other .NET developers.

To benefit from the .NET Foundation’s build and signing infrastructure for secure NuGet releases.

To align the project with best practices in open-source governance, transparency, and contribution standards.

In short: joining the .NET Foundation will help RealTimeToolkit.NET grow from an independent developer tool into a trusted, community-maintained part of the .NET ecosystem.

Infrastructure Requirements Summary

Build Servers | Currently uses GitHub Actions for automated CI/CD builds and NuGet packaging. Will integrate with .NET Foundation’s build services upon onboarding.
Hosting | No web hosting needed; source and releases are hosted on GitHub and NuGet.org.
SSL Certificates | Not required. The project does not serve web traffic directly.
Code Signing | Will integrate with .NET Foundation’s Authenticode and OSS signing services for NuGet package verification.
Other Requirements | None. The project’s existing infrastructure is fully compatible with Foundation workflows.

Additional Notes

📝 8. Additional Notes

RealTimeToolkit.NET fills a unique role within the .NET ecosystem by providing a cross-version SignalR abstraction layer that unifies real-time communication across .NET 8, .NET 7, and legacy .NET Framework (4.7.2 / 4.5.2).

While other libraries (such as the official Microsoft.AspNetCore.SignalR and SignalR.Client) focus primarily on a single runtime generation, RealTimeToolkit.NET is designed to bridge compatibility between modern and legacy applications—allowing hybrid systems and enterprises to gradually migrate without losing real-time capabilities.

🔍 Differentiation

Unified API – same MessageBus interface for both ASP.NET Core and classic MVC.

Backward Compatibility – supports organizations still maintaining .NET Framework systems.

Lightweight & Extensible – small footprint with optional dependency injection integration.

Community-Friendly – easy for contributors to extend transport layers or add middleware.

⚙️ Potential Early-Stage Support Areas

NuGet Code Signing – assistance integrating with the .NET Foundation’s OSS signing pipeline.

Documentation & Samples – guidance on best practices for multi-targeted SDK documentation.

Community Growth – mentoring and visibility to attract contributors and testers across .NET versions.

The project aligns strongly with the .NET Foundation’s mission to advance open-source development, interoperability, and modernization within the .NET platform.