dotnet/skills▌
82 approved skills in this repository
analyzing-dotnet-performance
Productivity
Scan C#/.NET code for performance anti-patterns and produce prioritized findings with concrete fixes. Patterns sourced from the official .NET performance blog series, distilled to customer-actionable guidance.
optimizing-ef-core-queries
dotnet-data
Optimize Entity Framework Core queries by fixing N+1 problems, choosing correct tracking modes, using compiled queries, and avoiding common performance traps. Use when EF Core queries are slow, generating excessive SQL, or causing high database load.
dotnet-webapi
dotnet-aspnet
Guides creation and modification of ASP.NET Core Web API endpoints with correct HTTP semantics, OpenAPI metadata, and error handling. USE FOR: adding new API endpoints (controllers or minimal APIs), wiring up OpenAPI/Swagger, creating .http test files, setting up global error handling middleware. DO NOT USE FOR: general C# coding style, EF Core data access or query optimization (use optimizing-ef-core-queries), frontend/Blazor work, gRPC services, or SignalR hubs.
run-tests
dotnet-test
Runs .NET tests with dotnet test. Use when user says "run tests", "run my tests", "run these tests", "execute tests", "dotnet test", "test filter", "filter by category", "filter by class", "combine filters", "run only specific tests", "integration tests", "unit tests", "tests not running", "hang timeout", "blame-hang", "blame-crash", "crash dump", "TRX report", "TRX", "test report", "generate TRX", "TUnit", "treenode-filter", "target framework", "multi-TFM", or needs to detect the test platform (VSTest or Microsoft.Testing.Platform), identify the test framework, apply test filters, or troubleshoot test execution failures. Covers MSTest, xUnit, NUnit, and TUnit across both VSTest and MTP platforms. Also use for --filter-class, --filter-trait, --report-trx, --logger trx, --blame-hang-timeout, and other platform-specific filter and reporting syntax. DO NOT USE FOR: writing or generating test code, CI/CD pipeline configuration, or debugging failing test logic.
code-testing-agent
dotnet-test
Generates and writes new unit tests for any programming language using a Research-Plan-Implement pipeline. Use when asked to generate tests, write unit tests, add tests, improve test coverage, create test project, achieve high coverage, comprehensive tests, or asked to scaffold a new test project for an app, service, or library. Supports C#, TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Go, Rust, Java, and more. Orchestrates the code-testing-generator sub-agent through research, planning, and implementation phases so tests compile, pass, and follow project conventions. DO NOT USE FOR: running existing tests or test filters (use run-tests); diagnosing coverage plateaus or project-wide coverage/CRAP analysis without writing tests (use coverage-analysis); targeted method/class CRAP scores (use crap-score); MSTest assertion guidance, MSTest test pattern modernization, or fixing existing MSTest test code (use writing-mstest-tests).
migrate-dotnet9-to-dotnet10
dotnet-upgrade
Migrate a .NET 9 project or solution to .NET 10 and resolve all breaking changes. USE FOR: upgrading TargetFramework from net9.0 to net10.0, fixing build errors after updating the .NET 10 SDK, resolving source and behavioral changes in .NET 10 / C# 14 / ASP.NET Core 10 / EF Core 10, updating Dockerfiles for Debian-to-Ubuntu base images, resolving obsoletion warnings (SYSLIB0058-SYSLIB0062), adapting to SDK/NuGet changes (NU1510, PrunePackageReference), migrating System.Linq.Async to built-in AsyncEnumerable, fixing OpenApi v2 API changes, cryptography renames, and C# 14 compiler changes (field keyword, extension keyword, span overloads). DO NOT USE FOR: .NET Framework migrations, upgrading from .NET 8 or earlier (use migrate-dotnet8-to-dotnet9 first), greenfield .NET 10 projects, or cosmetic modernization. LOADS REFERENCES: csharp-compiler, core-libraries, sdk-msbuild (always); aspnet-core, efcore, cryptography, extensions-hosting, serialization-networking, winforms-wpf, containers-interop (selective).
migrate-mstest-v1v2-to-v3
dotnet-test
Migrate MSTest v1 or v2 test project to MSTest v3. Use when user says "upgrade MSTest", "upgrade to MSTest v3", "migrate to MSTest v3", "update test framework", "modernize tests", "MSTest v3 migration", "MSTest compatibility", "MSTest v2 to v3", or build errors after updating MSTest packages from 1.x/2.x to 3.x. USE FOR: upgrading from MSTest v1 assembly references (Microsoft.VisualStudio.QualityTools.UnitTestFramework) or MSTest v2 NuGet (MSTest.TestFramework 1.x-2.x) to MSTest v3, fixing assertion overload errors (AreEqual/AreNotEqual), updating DataRow constructors, replacing .testsettings with .runsettings, timeout behavior changes, target framework compatibility (.NET 5 dropped -- use .NET 6+; .NET Fx older than 4.6.2 dropped), adopting MSTest.Sdk. First step toward MSTest v4 -- after this, use migrate-mstest-v3-to-v4. DO NOT USE FOR: migrating to MSTest v4 (use migrate-mstest-v3-to-v4), migrating between frameworks (MSTest to xUnit/NUnit), or general .NET upgrades unrelated to MSTest.
assertion-quality
dotnet-test
Analyzes the variety and depth of assertions across .NET test suites. Use when the user asks to evaluate assertion quality, find shallow testing, identify assertion-free tests (no assertions or only trivial ones like Assert.IsNotNull), flag self-referential or tautological assertions (output equals input on identity/round-trip operations), measure assertion coverage diversity, or audit whether tests verify different facets of correctness. Produces metrics and actionable recommendations. Works with MSTest, xUnit, NUnit, TUnit. DO NOT USE FOR: writing new tests (use writing-mstest-tests), other anti-patterns like flakiness or duplication (use test-anti-patterns), or fixing assertions.
migrate-vstest-to-mtp
dotnet-test
Migrates .NET test projects from VSTest to Microsoft.Testing.Platform (MTP). Use when user asks to "migrate to MTP", "switch from VSTest", "enable Microsoft.Testing.Platform", "use MTP runner", or mentions EnableMSTestRunner, EnableNUnitRunner, or UseMicrosoftTestingPlatformRunner. USE FOR: MTP behavioral differences vs VSTest (exit code 8, zero tests discovered), --ignore-exit-code, TESTINGPLATFORM_EXITCODE_IGNORE. Supports MSTest, NUnit, xUnit.net v2 (via YTest.MTP.XUnit2), and xUnit.net v3 (native MTP). Covers runner enablement, CLI argument translation, xUnit.net v3 filter migration (--filter-class, --filter-trait, --filter-query), Directory.Build.props and global.json configuration, CI/CD pipeline updates, and MTP extension packages. DO NOT USE FOR: migrating between test frameworks (MSTest/xUnit/NUnit), xUnit.net v2 to v3 API migration, MSTest version upgrades (use migrate-mstest-* skills), TFM upgrades, or UWP/WinUI test projects.
template-validation
dotnet-template-engine
Validates custom dotnet new templates for correctness before publishing. Catches missing fields, parameter bugs, shortName conflicts, constraint issues, and common authoring mistakes that cause templates to fail silently. USE FOR: checking template.json files for errors before publishing or testing, diagnosing why a template doesn't appear after installation, reviewing template parameter definitions for type mismatches and missing defaults, finding shortName conflicts with dotnet CLI commands, validating post-action and constraint configuration. DO NOT USE FOR: finding or using existing templates (use template-discovery), creating projects from templates (use template-instantiation), creating templates from existing projects (use template-authoring).
crap-score
dotnet-test
Calculates targeted CRAP (Change Risk Anti-Patterns) scores for a named .NET method, class, or single source file. Use when the user explicitly asks to compute CRAP scores or assess risky untested code for a specific target, combining Cobertura coverage data with cyclomatic complexity analysis. DO NOT USE FOR: project-wide coverage analysis, coverage plateau or "stuck coverage" diagnosis, what's blocking coverage, or where to add tests across a project (use coverage-analysis); writing tests; running tests without CRAP context.
migrate-static-to-wrapper
dotnet-test
Mechanically replace static dependency call sites with wrapper or built-in abstraction calls across a bounded scope (file, project, or namespace). Performs codemod-style bulk replacement of DateTime.UtcNow to TimeProvider.GetUtcNow(), File.ReadAllText to IFileSystem, and similar transformations. Adds constructor injection parameters and updates DI registration. USE FOR: replace DateTime.UtcNow with TimeProvider, replace DateTime.Now with TimeProvider, migrate static calls to wrapper, bulk replace File.* with IFileSystem, codemod static to injectable, add constructor injection for time provider, mechanical migration of statics, refactor DateTime to TimeProvider, swap static for injected dependency, convert static calls to use abstraction, replace statics in a class, migrate one file to TimeProvider, scoped migration, update call sites. DO NOT USE FOR: detecting statics (use detect-static-dependencies), generating wrappers (use generate-testability-wrappers), migrating between test frameworks.
migrate-mstest-v3-to-v4
dotnet-test
Fix build errors and breaking changes after upgrading MSTest from v3 to v4, or plan a complete MSTest v3-to-v4 migration. Use when user says "upgrade to MSTest v4", "MSTest 4 migration", "MSTest v4 breaking changes", "tests don't compile after upgrading MSTest", or has errors CS0507, CS0103, CS1061, CS1615 after updating MSTest packages from 3.x to 4.x. USE FOR: Execute to ExecuteAsync, CallerInfo constructor on TestMethodAttribute, sealed custom attributes, ClassCleanupBehavior removal, TestContext.Properties Contains to ContainsKey, Assert.ThrowsException to ThrowsExactly, Assert.IsInstanceOfType out parameter removal, ExpectedExceptionAttribute removal, TestTimeout enum removal, [TestMethod("name")] to DisplayName syntax, TreatDiscoveryWarningsAsErrors, TestContext.TestName in ClassInitialize, MSTest.Sdk MTP changes, dropped TFMs (net6.0/net7.0 to net8.0+). DO NOT USE FOR: migrating from MSTest v1/v2 to v3 (use migrate-mstest-v1v2-to-v3 first), migrating between test frameworks, or general .NET upgrades.
generate-testability-wrappers
dotnet-test
Generate wrapper interfaces and DI registration for hard-to-test static dependencies in C#. Produces IFileSystem, IEnvironmentProvider, IConsole, IProcessRunner wrappers, or guides adoption of TimeProvider and IHttpClientFactory. USE FOR: generate wrapper for static, create IFileSystem wrapper, wrap DateTime.Now, make static testable, make class testable, create abstraction for File.*, generate DI registration, TimeProvider adoption, IHttpClientFactory setup, testability wrapper, mock-friendly interface, mock time in tests, create the right abstraction to mock, how to mock DateTime, test code using File.ReadAllText, what abstraction for Environment, how to make statics injectable, adopt System.IO.Abstractions, make file calls testable. DO NOT USE FOR: detecting statics (use detect-static-dependencies), migrating call sites (use migrate-static-to-wrapper), general interface design not about testability.
coverage-analysis
dotnet-test
Project-wide code coverage and CRAP (Change Risk Anti-Patterns) score analysis for .NET projects. Calculates CRAP scores per method and surfaces risk hotspots — complex code with low coverage that is dangerous to modify. Use to diagnose why coverage is stuck or plateaued, identify what methods block improvement, or get project-wide coverage analysis with risk ranking. USE FOR: coverage stuck, coverage plateau, can't increase coverage, what's blocking coverage, coverage gap, CRAP scores, risk hotspots, where to add tests, coverage analysis, coverage report. DO NOT USE FOR: targeted single-method CRAP analysis (use crap-score), writing tests, running tests without coverage, or troubleshooting test execution (use run-tests).
dotnet-aot-compat
dotnet-upgrade
Make .NET projects compatible with Native AOT and trimming by systematically resolving IL trim/AOT analyzer warnings. USE FOR: making projects AOT-compatible, fixing trimming warnings, resolving IL warnings (IL2026, IL2070, IL2067, IL2072, IL3050), adding DynamicallyAccessedMembers annotations, enabling IsAotCompatible. DO NOT USE FOR: publishing native AOT binaries, optimizing binary size, replacing reflection-heavy libraries with alternatives. INVOKES: no tools — pure knowledge skill.
template-discovery
dotnet-template-engine
Helps find, inspect, and compare .NET project templates. Resolves natural-language project descriptions to ranked template matches with pre-filled parameters. USE FOR: finding the right dotnet new template for a task, comparing templates side by side, inspecting template parameters and constraints, understanding what a template produces before creating a project, resolving intent like "web API with auth" to concrete template + parameters. DO NOT USE FOR: actually creating projects (use template-instantiation), authoring custom templates (use template-authoring), MSBuild or build issues (use dotnet-msbuild plugin), NuGet package management unrelated to template packages.
code-testing-extensions
dotnet-test
Provides file paths to language-specific extension files for the code-testing pipeline. Call this skill to discover available extension guidance files (e.g., dotnet.md for .NET, cpp.md for C++). Do not use directly — invoked by code-testing agents and skills that need language-specific references.
template-instantiation
dotnet-template-engine
Creates .NET projects from templates with validated parameters, smart defaults, Central Package Management adaptation, and latest NuGet version resolution. USE FOR: creating new dotnet projects, scaffolding solutions with multiple projects, installing or uninstalling template packages, creating projects that respect Directory.Packages.props (CPM), composing multi-project solutions (API + tests + library), getting latest NuGet package versions in newly created projects. DO NOT USE FOR: finding or comparing templates (use template-discovery), authoring custom templates (use template-authoring), modifying existing projects or adding NuGet packages to existing projects.
migrate-nullable-references
dotnet-upgrade
Enable nullable reference types in a C# project and systematically resolve all warnings. USE FOR: adopting NRTs in existing codebases, file-by-file or project-wide migration, fixing CS8602/CS8618/CS86xx warnings, annotating APIs for nullability, cleaning up null-forgiving operators, upgrading dependencies with new nullable annotations. DO NOT USE FOR: projects already fully migrated with zero warnings (unless auditing suppressions), fixing a handful of nullable warnings in code that already has NRTs enabled, suppressing warnings without fixing them, C# 7.3 or earlier projects. INVOKES: Get-NullableReadiness.ps1 scanner script.
writing-mstest-tests
dotnet-test
Write new MSTest unit tests and implement concrete fixes in existing MSTest code using MSTest 3.x/4.x modern APIs and best practices. USE FOR: write unit tests for a class, write MSTest tests, create test class, fix test assertions, MSTest assertion APIs (StartsWith, EndsWith, MatchesRegex, IsGreaterThan, IsInRange, HasCount, IsNull), something seems off with my tests, review tests and fix issues, fix swapped Assert.AreEqual arguments, replace ExpectedException with Assert.Throws, modernize test patterns, convert DynamicData to ValueTuples, data-driven tests, test lifecycle setup, sealed test classes, async test patterns, cancellation token testing, test parallelization, Parallelize, DoNotParallelize, MSTest.Sdk project setup. DO NOT USE FOR: broad test quality audits or test smell detection (use test-anti-patterns), running tests (use run-tests), MSTest version migration (use migrate-mstest-v1v2-to-v3 or migrate-mstest-v3-to-v4).
test-tagging
dotnet-test
Analyzes test suites and tags each test with a standardized set of traits (e.g., positive, negative, critical-path, boundary, smoke, regression). Use when the user wants to categorize, audit, or label tests with traits. Do not use for writing new tests, running tests, or migrating test frameworks.
platform-detection
dotnet-test
Reference data for detecting the test platform (VSTest vs Microsoft.Testing.Platform) and test framework (MSTest, xUnit, NUnit, TUnit) from project files. DO NOT USE directly — loaded by run-tests, mtp-hot-reload, and migrate-vstest-to-mtp when they need detection logic.
system-text-json-net11
dotnet11
Provides guidance on new System.Text.Json APIs introduced in .NET 11. It covers typed JsonTypeInfo access via GetTypeInfo<T> and TryGetTypeInfo<T> on JsonSerializerOptions, and the new JsonNamingPolicy.PascalCase static property. Use when serializing or deserializing JSON in .NET 11 applications and needing typed metadata access or PascalCase property naming.
mtp-hot-reload
dotnet-test
Suggests using Microsoft Testing Platform (MTP) hot reload to iterate fixes on failing tests without rebuilding. Use when user says "hot reload tests", "iterate on test fix", "run tests without rebuilding", "speed up test loop", "fix test faster", or needs to set up MTP hot reload to rapidly iterate on test failures. Covers setup (NuGet package, environment variable, launchSettings.json) and the iterative workflow for fixing tests. DO NOT USE FOR: writing test code, diagnosing test failures, running tests normally with dotnet test (use run-tests), applying test filters, producing TRX reports, CI/CD pipeline configuration, or Visual Studio Test Explorer hot reload (which is a different feature).
test-smell-detection
dotnet-test
Deep formal test smell audit based on academic research taxonomy (testsmells.org). Detects 19 categorized smell types — conditional logic, mystery guests, sensitive equality, eager tests, and more — with calibrated severity and research-backed remediation. Use for comprehensive test suite health assessments. For a quick pragmatic review, use test-anti-patterns instead. DO NOT USE FOR: writing new tests (use writing-mstest-tests), evaluating assertion quality specifically (use assertion-quality), or finding test duplication and boilerplate (use exp-test-maintainability).
test-anti-patterns
dotnet-test
Detection-focused review of .NET test code for anti-patterns that undermine reliability and diagnostic value. USE FOR: audit test quality, review test code, find test anti-patterns, tests pass but don't verify anything, flaky tests, ordering dependency, duplicate tests, magic values, missing/no assertions, swallowed exceptions, always-true assertions, over-mocking, test coupling, coverage touching, coverage inflation. DO NOT USE FOR: writing new tests (use writing-mstest-tests), direct MSTest API rewrites or implementation-only fixes such as swapped Assert.AreEqual argument order, running tests (use run-tests), migrating between frameworks (use migration skills), deep formal audit based on academic test smell taxonomy (use test-smell-detection).
migrate-dotnet10-to-dotnet11
dotnet-upgrade
Migrate a .NET 10 project or solution to .NET 11 and resolve all breaking changes. This is a MIGRATION skill — use it when upgrading from .NET 10 to .NET 11, NOT for writing new programs. USE FOR: upgrading TargetFramework from net10.0 to net11.0, fixing build errors after updating the .NET 11 SDK, resolving source-breaking and behavioral changes in .NET 11 runtime, C# 15 compiler, and EF Core 11, adapting to updated minimum hardware requirements (x86-64-v2, Arm64 LSE), and updating CI/CD pipelines and Dockerfiles for .NET 11. DO NOT USE FOR: .NET Framework migrations, upgrading from .NET 9 or earlier, greenfield .NET 11 projects, or cosmetic modernization unrelated to the upgrade. NOTE: .NET 11 is in preview. Covers breaking changes through Preview 3.
test-gap-analysis
dotnet-test
Performs pseudo-mutation analysis on .NET production code to find gaps in existing test suites. Use when the user asks to find weak tests, discover untested edge cases, check if tests would catch a bug, or evaluate test effectiveness through mutation-style reasoning. Analyzes production code for mutation points (boundary conditions, boolean flips, null returns, exception removal, arithmetic changes) and checks whether existing tests would detect each mutation. Works with MSTest, xUnit, NUnit, and TUnit. DO NOT USE FOR: writing new tests (use writing-mstest-tests), detecting test anti-patterns (use test-anti-patterns), measuring assertion diversity (use assertion-quality), or running actual mutation testing tools.
thread-abort-migration
dotnet-upgrade
Guides migration of .NET Framework Thread.Abort usage to cooperative cancellation in modern .NET. USE FOR: modernizing code that calls Thread.Abort, catching ThreadAbortException, replacing Thread.ResetAbort, replacing Thread.Interrupt for thread termination, resolving PlatformNotSupportedException or SYSLIB0006 after retargeting to .NET 6+, migrating ASP.NET Response.End or Response.Redirect(url, true) which internally call Thread.Abort. DO NOT USE FOR: code that only uses Thread.Join, Thread.Sleep, or Thread.Start without any abort, interrupt, or ThreadAbortException usage — these APIs work identically in modern .NET and need no migration. Also not for projects staying on .NET Framework, or Thread.Abort usage inside third-party libraries you do not control.
detect-static-dependencies
dotnet-test
Scan C# source files for hard-to-test static dependencies — DateTime.Now/UtcNow, File.*, Directory.*, Environment.*, HttpClient, Console.*, Process.*, and other untestable statics. Produces a ranked report of static call sites by frequency. USE FOR: find untestable statics, scan for static dependencies, testability audit, identify hard-to-mock code, find DateTime.Now usage, detect static coupling, testability report, static analysis for testability. DO NOT USE FOR: generating wrappers (use generate-testability-wrappers), migrating code (use migrate-static-to-wrapper), general code review, or finding statics that are already behind abstractions.
migrate-xunit-to-xunit-v3
dotnet-test
Migrates .NET test projects from xUnit.net v2 to xUnit.net v3. USE FOR: upgrading xunit to xunit.v3. DO NOT USE FOR: migrating between test frameworks (MSTest/NUnit to xUnit.net), migrating from VSTest to Microsoft.Testing.Platform (use migrate-vstest-to-mtp). For xUnit v3 MTP filter syntax (--filter-class, --filter-trait, --filter-query), also load migrate-vstest-to-mtp.
filter-syntax
dotnet-test
Reference data for test filter syntax across all platform and framework combinations: VSTest --filter expressions, MTP filters for MSTest/NUnit/xUnit v3/TUnit, and VSTest-to-MTP filter translation. DO NOT USE directly — loaded by run-tests, mtp-hot-reload, and migrate-vstest-to-mtp when they need filter syntax.
dotnet-test-frameworks
dotnet-test
Reference data for .NET test framework detection patterns, assertion APIs, skip annotations, setup/teardown methods, and common test smell indicators across MSTest, xUnit, NUnit, and TUnit. Loaded by test analysis skills (test-anti-patterns) as framework-specific lookup tables.
migrate-dotnet8-to-dotnet9
dotnet-upgrade
Migrate a .NET 8 project to .NET 9 and resolve all breaking changes. USE FOR: upgrading TargetFramework from net8.0 to net9.0, fixing build errors after updating the .NET 9 SDK, resolving behavioral changes in .NET 9 / C# 13 / ASP.NET Core 9 / EF Core 9, replacing BinaryFormatter (now always throws), resolving SYSLIB0054-SYSLIB0057, adapting to params span overload resolution, fixing C# 13 compiler changes, updating HttpClientFactory for SocketsHttpHandler, and resolving EF Core 9 migration/Cosmos DB changes. DO NOT USE FOR: .NET Framework migrations, upgrading from .NET 7 or earlier, greenfield .NET 9 projects, or cosmetic modernization unrelated to the upgrade.
mcp-csharp-debug
dotnet-ai
Run and debug C# MCP servers locally. Covers IDE configuration, MCP Inspector testing, GitHub Copilot Agent Mode integration, logging setup, and troubleshooting. USE FOR: running MCP servers locally with dotnet run, configuring VS Code or Visual Studio for MCP debugging, testing tools with MCP Inspector, testing with GitHub Copilot Agent Mode, diagnosing tool registration issues, setting up mcp.json configuration, debugging MCP protocol messages, configuring logging for stdio and HTTP servers. DO NOT USE FOR: creating new MCP servers (use mcp-csharp-create), writing automated tests (use mcp-csharp-test), publishing or deploying to production (use mcp-csharp-publish).
clr-activation-debugging
dotnet-diag
Diagnoses .NET Framework CLR activation issues using CLR activation logs (CLRLoad logs) produced by mscoree.dll. Use when: the shim picks the wrong runtime, fails to load any runtime, shows unexpected .NET 3.5 Feature-on-Demand (FOD) dialogs, unexpectedly does NOT show FOD dialogs, loads both v2 and v4 into the same process causing failures, or any time someone is wondering "what is happening with .NET Framework activation?"
exp-simd-vectorization
dotnet-experimental
Optimizes hot-path scalar loops in .NET 8+ with cross-platform Vector128/Vector256/Vector512 SIMD intrinsics, or replaces manual math loops with single TensorPrimitives API calls. Covers byte-range validation, character counting, bulk bitwise ops, cross-type conversion, fused multi-array computations, and float/double math operations.
maui-app-lifecycle
dotnet-maui
.NET MAUI app lifecycle guidance — the four app states, cross-platform Window lifecycle events (Created, Activated, Deactivated, Stopped, Resumed, Destroying), platform-specific lifecycle mapping, backgrounding and resume behavior, and state-preservation patterns. USE FOR: "app lifecycle", "window lifecycle events", "save state on background", "resume app", "OnStopped", "OnResumed", "backgrounding", "deactivated event", "ConfigureLifecycleEvents", "platform lifecycle hooks". DO NOT USE FOR: navigation events (use maui-shell-navigation), dependency injection setup (use maui-dependency-injection), platform API invocation (use conditional compilation and partial classes).
apple-crash-symbolication
dotnet-diag
Symbolicate .NET runtime frames in Apple platform .ips crash logs (iOS, tvOS, Mac Catalyst, macOS). Extracts UUIDs and addresses from the native backtrace, locates dSYM debug symbols, and runs atos to produce function names with source file and line numbers. Automatically downloads .dwarf symbols from the Microsoft symbol server using Mach-O UUIDs. USE FOR triaging a .NET MAUI or Mono app crash from an .ips file on any Apple platform, resolving native backtrace frames in libcoreclr or libmonosgen-2.0 to .NET runtime source code, retrieving .ips crash logs from a connected iOS device or iPhone, or investigating EXC_CRASH, EXC_BAD_ACCESS, SIGABRT, or SIGSEGV originating from the .NET runtime. DO NOT USE FOR pure Swift/Objective-C crashes with no .NET components, or Android tombstone files. INVOKES Symbolicate-Crash.ps1 script, atos, dwarfdump, idevicecrashreport.
msbuild-server
dotnet-msbuild
Guide for using MSBuild Server to improve CLI build performance. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. Activate when developers report slow incremental builds from the command line, or when CLI builds are noticeably slower than IDE builds. Covers MSBUILDUSESERVER=1 environment variable for persistent server-based caching. Do not activate for IDE-based builds (Visual Studio already uses a long-lived process).
microbenchmarking
dotnet-diag
Activate this skill when BenchmarkDotNet (BDN) is involved in the task — creating, running, configuring, or reviewing BDN benchmarks. Also activate when microbenchmarking .NET code would be useful and BenchmarkDotNet is the likely tool. Consider activating when answering a .NET performance question requires measurement and BenchmarkDotNet may be needed. Covers microbenchmark design, BDN configuration and project setup, how to run BDN microbenchmarks efficiently and effectively, and using BDN for side-by-side performance comparisons. Do NOT use for profiling/tracing .NET code (dotnet-trace, PerfView), production telemetry, or load/stress testing (Crank, k6).
template-authoring
dotnet-template-engine
Guides creation and validation of custom dotnet new templates. Generates templates from existing projects and validates template.json for authoring issues. USE FOR: creating a reusable dotnet new template from an existing project, validating template.json files for schema compliance and parameter issues, bootstrapping .template.config/template.json with correct identity, shortName, parameters, and post-actions, packaging templates as NuGet packages for distribution. DO NOT USE FOR: finding or using existing templates (use template-discovery and template-instantiation), MSBuild project file issues unrelated to template authoring, NuGet package publishing (only template packaging structure).
convert-to-cpm
dotnet-nuget
Convert .NET projects and solutions (.sln, .slnx) to NuGet Central Package Management (CPM) using Directory.Packages.props. USE FOR: converting to CPM, centralizing or aligning NuGet package versions across multiple projects, inlining MSBuild version properties from Directory.Build.props into Directory.Packages.props, resolving version conflicts or mismatches across a solution or repository, updating or bumping or syncing package versions across projects. Also activate when packages are out of sync, drifting, or inconsistent -- even without the user mentioning CPM. Provides baseline build capture, version conflict resolution, build validation with binlog comparison, and a structured post-conversion report. DO NOT USE FOR: packages.config projects (must migrate to PackageReference first) or repositories that already have CPM fully enabled.
property-patterns
dotnet-msbuild
MSBuild property definition patterns: conditional defaults, composition/concatenation, path normalization, trailing slash handling, TFM detection helpers, and property evaluation order. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: diagnosing and fixing MSBuild property definition issues in .props or .csproj files, reviewing and fixing shared property configuration anti-patterns, fixing DefineConstants or NoWarn being overwritten instead of appended, fixing unconditional property assignments that prevent project-level overrides, fixing unquoted conditions that fail when properties are empty, fixing hardcoded paths that break cross-platform builds, setting property defaults that can be overridden, understanding property evaluation order and last-write-wins semantics. DO NOT USE FOR: props vs targets placement (use directory-build-organization), item operations (use item-management), target structure (use target-authoring), general anti-patterns (use msbuild-antipatterns), non-MSBuild build systems.
resolve-project-references
dotnet-msbuild
Guide for interpreting ResolveProjectReferences time in MSBuild performance summaries. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. Activate when ResolveProjectReferences appears as the most expensive target and developers are trying to optimize it directly. Explains that the reported time includes wait time for dependent project builds and is misleading. Guides users to focus on task self-time instead. Do not activate for general build performance -- use build-perf-diagnostics instead.
target-authoring
dotnet-msbuild
Canonical patterns for writing custom MSBuild targets. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: diagnosing and fixing custom target authoring anti-patterns, reviewing MSBuild target definitions for correctness, diagnosing broken SDK target chains across files (e.g., Directory.Build.targets silently redefining SDK targets), fixing targets that replace CompileDependsOn instead of extending it with $(CompileDependsOn), fixing query targets that return stale results due to Outputs vs Returns misuse, fixing missing Inputs/Outputs causing unnecessary rebuilds, fixing missing FileWrites registration. Covers DependsOnTargets vs BeforeTargets vs AfterTargets, the Build→CoreBuild three-level pattern, hooking into the build pipeline, the $(XxxDependsOn) chain-extension pattern. DO NOT USE FOR: incremental build tuning (use incremental-build), parallelization (use build-parallelism), general anti-patterns (use msbuild-antipatterns), non-MSBuild build systems.
msbuild-modernization
dotnet-msbuild
Guide for modernizing and migrating MSBuild project files to SDK-style format. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: converting legacy .csproj/.vbproj with verbose XML to SDK-style, migrating packages.config to PackageReference, removing Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs in favor of auto-generation, eliminating explicit <Compile Include> lists via implicit globbing, consolidating shared settings into Directory.Build.props. Indicators of legacy projects: ToolsVersion attribute, <Import Project=\"$(MSBuildToolsPath)\">, .csproj files > 50 lines for simple projects. DO NOT USE FOR: projects already in SDK-style format, non-.NET build systems (npm, Maven, CMake), .NET Framework projects that cannot move to SDK-style. INVOKES: dotnet try-convert, upgrade-assistant tools.
maui-theming
dotnet-maui
Guide for theming .NET MAUI apps — light/dark mode via AppThemeBinding, ResourceDictionary theme switching, DynamicResource bindings, system theme detection, and user theme preferences. Use when: "dark mode", "light mode", "theming", "AppThemeBinding", "theme switching", "ResourceDictionary theme", "dynamic resources", "system theme detection", "color scheme", "app theme", "DynamicResource". Do not use for: localization or language switching (see .NET MAUI localization documentation), accessibility visual adjustments (see .NET MAUI accessibility documentation), app icons or splash screens (see .NET MAUI app icons documentation), or Bootstrap-style class theming (see Plugin.Maui.BootstrapTheme NuGet package).
incremental-build
dotnet-msbuild
Guide for optimizing MSBuild incremental builds. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: builds slower than expected on subsequent runs, 'nothing changed but it rebuilds anyway', diagnosing why targets re-execute unnecessarily, fixing broken no-op builds. Covers 8 common causes: missing Inputs/Outputs on custom targets, volatile properties in output paths (timestamps/GUIDs), file writes outside tracked Outputs, missing FileWrites registration, glob changes, Visual Studio Fast Up-to-Date Check (FUTDC) issues. Key diagnostic: look for 'Building target completely' vs 'Skipping target' in binlog. DO NOT USE FOR: first-time build slowness (use build-perf-baseline), parallelism issues (use build-parallelism), evaluation-phase slowness (use eval-performance), non-MSBuild build systems. INVOKES: binlog MCP server tools (overview, search, target details); falls back to dotnet build /bl, binlog replay with diagnostic verbosity.
item-management
dotnet-msbuild
Patterns for managing MSBuild item groups: Include/Remove/Update semantics, item metadata, batching with %(Metadata), transforms, per-item filtering, and cross-product batching pitfalls. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: diagnosing and fixing item group anti-patterns in .csproj files, reviewing item management for correctness, fixing CS2002 duplicate file warnings from SDK globbing, fixing targets that run more times than expected due to cross-product batching, fixing Include vs Update misuse on SDK-globbed items, fixing FileWrites registration for generated file clean support, moving generated files to IntermediateOutputPath. DO NOT USE FOR: target chain architecture (use target-authoring), property patterns (use property-patterns), incrementality (use incremental-build), general anti-patterns (use msbuild-antipatterns), non-MSBuild build systems.
build-parallelism
dotnet-msbuild
Guide for optimizing MSBuild build parallelism and multi-project scheduling. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: builds not utilizing all CPU cores, speeding up multi-project solutions, evaluating graph build mode (/graph), build time not improving with -m flag, understanding project dependency topology. Note: /maxcpucount default is 1 (sequential) — always use -m for parallel builds. Covers /maxcpucount, graph build for better scheduling and isolation, BuildInParallel on MSBuild task, reducing unnecessary ProjectReferences, solution filters (.slnf) for building subsets. DO NOT USE FOR: single-project builds, incremental build issues (use incremental-build), compilation slowness within a project (use build-perf-diagnostics), non-MSBuild build systems. INVOKES: binlog MCP server tools (expensive_projects, expensive_targets, project_target_times); falls back to dotnet build -m, dotnet build /graph, binlog replay + grep.
msbuild-antipatterns
dotnet-msbuild
Catalog of MSBuild anti-patterns with detection rules and fix recipes. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: reviewing, auditing, or cleaning up .csproj, .vbproj, .fsproj, .props, .targets, or .proj files. Each anti-pattern has a symptom, explanation, and concrete BAD→GOOD transformation. Covers Exec-instead-of-built-in-task, unquoted conditions, hardcoded paths, restating SDK defaults, scattered package versions, and more. DO NOT USE FOR: non-MSBuild build systems (npm, Maven, CMake, etc.), project migration to SDK-style (use msbuild-modernization).
extension-points
dotnet-msbuild
Guide for MSBuild extensibility: CustomBefore/CustomAfter hooks, wildcard imports with alphabetic ordering, import gating with control properties, NuGet package build extension layout (build/buildTransitive), and the MicrosoftCommonPropsHasBeenImported guard. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: diagnosing and fixing MSBuild import and hook patterns, reviewing and fixing extension point anti-patterns in Directory.Build files, fixing missing Exists() guards on imports that break fresh clones, fixing NuGet package hooks being silently dropped instead of appended, making build targets extensible for other projects, injecting custom logic into the build pipeline, creating NuGet packages that extend the build, conditionally disabling imports. DO NOT USE FOR: target authoring patterns (use target-authoring), props vs targets placement (use directory-build-organization), general anti-patterns (use msbuild-antipatterns), non-MSBuild build systems.
maui-shell-navigation
dotnet-maui
Guide for implementing Shell-based navigation in .NET MAUI apps. Covers AppShell setup, visual hierarchy (FlyoutItem, TabBar, Tab, ShellContent), URI-based navigation with GoToAsync, route registration, query parameters, back navigation, flyout and tab configuration, navigation events, and navigation guards. Use when: setting up Shell navigation, adding tabs or flyout menus, navigating between pages with GoToAsync, passing parameters between pages, registering routes, customizing back button behavior, or guarding navigation with confirmation dialogs. Do not use for: deep linking from external URLs (see .NET MAUI deep linking documentation), data binding on pages (use maui-data-binding), dependency injection setup (use maui-dependency-injection), or NavigationPage-only apps that don't use Shell.
including-generated-files
dotnet-msbuild
Fix MSBuild targets that generate files during the build but those files are missing from compilation or output. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: generated source files not compiling (CS0246 for a type that should exist), custom build tasks that create files but they are invisible to subsequent targets, globs not capturing build-generated files because they expand at evaluation time before execution creates them, ensuring generated files are cleaned by the Clean target. Covers correct BeforeTargets timing (CoreCompile, BeforeBuild, AssignTargetPaths), adding to Compile/FileWrites item groups, using $(IntermediateOutputPath) instead of hardcoded obj/ paths. DO NOT USE FOR: C# source generators that already work via the Roslyn pipeline, T4 design-time generation that runs in Visual Studio, non-MSBuild build systems. INVOKES: no tools — pure knowledge skill.
eval-performance
dotnet-msbuild
Guide for diagnosing and improving MSBuild project evaluation performance. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: builds slow before any compilation starts, high evaluation time in binlog analysis, expensive glob patterns walking large directories (node_modules, .git, bin/obj), deep import chains (>20 levels), preprocessed output >10K lines indicating heavy evaluation, property functions with file I/O ($([System.IO.File]::ReadAllText(...))), multiple evaluations per project. Covers the 5 MSBuild evaluation phases, glob optimization via DefaultItemExcludes, import chain analysis with /pp preprocessing. DO NOT USE FOR: compilation-time slowness (use build-perf-diagnostics), incremental build issues (use incremental-build), non-MSBuild build systems. INVOKES: binlog MCP server tools (evaluations, evaluation_global_properties, evaluation_properties, imports, properties); falls back to dotnet msbuild -pp:full.xml for preprocessing, /clp:PerformanceSummary.
directory-build-organization
dotnet-msbuild
Guide for organizing MSBuild infrastructure with Directory.Build.props, Directory.Build.targets, Directory.Packages.props, and Directory.Build.rsp. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: structuring multi-project repos, centralizing build settings, implementing NuGet Central Package Management (CPM) with ManagePackageVersionsCentrally, consolidating duplicated properties across .csproj files, setting up multi-level Directory.Build hierarchy with GetPathOfFileAbove, understanding evaluation order (Directory.Build.props → SDK .props → .csproj → SDK .targets → Directory.Build.targets). Critical pitfall: $(TargetFramework) conditions in .props silently fail for single-targeting projects — must use .targets. DO NOT USE FOR: non-MSBuild build systems, migrating legacy projects to SDK-style (use msbuild-modernization), single-project solutions with no shared settings. INVOKES: no tools — pure knowledge skill.
build-perf-baseline
dotnet-msbuild
Establish build performance baselines and apply systematic optimization techniques. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: diagnosing slow builds, establishing before/after measurements (cold, warm, no-op scenarios), applying optimization strategies like MSBuild Server, static graph builds, artifacts output, and dependency graph trimming. Start here before diving into build-perf-diagnostics, incremental-build, or build-parallelism. DO NOT USE FOR: non-MSBuild build systems, detailed bottleneck analysis (use build-perf-diagnostics after baselining).
maui-data-binding
dotnet-maui
Guidance for .NET MAUI XAML and C# data bindings — compiled bindings, INotifyPropertyChanged / ObservableObject, value converters, binding modes, multi-binding, relative bindings, fallbacks, and MVVM best practices. USE FOR: setting up compiled bindings with x:DataType, implementing INotifyPropertyChanged or CommunityToolkit ObservableObject, creating IValueConverter / IMultiValueConverter, choosing binding modes, configuring BindingContext, relative bindings, binding fallbacks, StringFormat, code-behind SetBinding with lambdas, and enforcing XC0022/XC0025 warnings. DO NOT USE FOR: CollectionView item templates and layouts (use maui-collectionview), Shell navigation data passing (use maui-shell-navigation), dependency injection (use maui-dependency-injection), or animations triggered by property changes (use .NET MAUI animation APIs).
check-bin-obj-clash
dotnet-msbuild
Detects MSBuild projects with conflicting OutputPath or IntermediateOutputPath. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: builds failing with 'Cannot create a file when that file already exists', 'The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process', intermittent build failures that succeed on retry, missing outputs in multi-project builds, multi-targeting builds where project.assets.json conflicts. Diagnoses when multiple projects or TFMs write to the same bin/obj directories due to shared OutputPath, missing AppendTargetFrameworkToOutputPath, or extra global properties like PublishReadyToRun creating redundant evaluations. DO NOT USE FOR: file access errors unrelated to MSBuild (OS-level locking), single-project single-TFM builds, non-MSBuild build systems. INVOKES: binlog MCP server tools (overview, projects, evaluations, properties, double_writes); falls back to dotnet msbuild binlog replay + grep when the MCP is unavailable.
exp-test-maintainability
dotnet-experimental
Detects duplicate boilerplate, copy-paste tests, and structural maintainability issues across .NET test suites. Use when the user asks to reduce repetition, consolidate similar test methods, convert copy-paste tests to data-driven parameterized tests, suggest a better test structure, or identify refactoring opportunities. Identifies repeated construction, assertion patterns, copy-paste methods convertible to DataRow/Theory/TestCase, redundant setup/teardown, and shared infrastructure. Produces an analysis report with concrete before/after suggestions. Works with MSTest, xUnit, NUnit, and TUnit. DO NOT USE FOR: writing new tests (use writing-mstest-tests), reviewing test quality or anti-patterns (use test-anti-patterns), or deep mock auditing (use exp-mock-usage-analysis).
build-perf-diagnostics
dotnet-msbuild
Diagnose MSBuild build performance bottlenecks using binary log analysis. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: identifying why builds are slow by analyzing binlog performance summaries, detecting ResolveAssemblyReference (RAR) taking >5s, Roslyn analyzers consuming >30% of Csc time, single targets dominating >50% of build time, node utilization below 80%, excessive Copy tasks, NuGet restore running every build. Covers timeline analysis, Target/Task Performance Summary interpretation, and 7 common bottleneck categories. Use after build-perf-baseline has established measurements. DO NOT USE FOR: establishing initial baselines (use build-perf-baseline first), fixing incremental build issues (use incremental-build), parallelism tuning (use build-parallelism), non-MSBuild build systems. INVOKES: binlog MCP server tools (overview, errors, search, items, properties); falls back to dotnet msbuild binlog replay + grep/cat when the MCP is unavailable.
binlog-generation
dotnet-msbuild
Generate MSBuild binary logs (binlogs) for build diagnostics and analysis. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: adding /bl:{} to any dotnet build, test, pack, publish, or restore command to capture a full build execution trace, prerequisite for binlog-failure-analysis and build-perf-diagnostics skills, enabling post-build investigation of errors or performance. Requires MSBuild 17.8+ / .NET 8 SDK+ for {} placeholder; PowerShell needs -bl:{{}}. DO NOT USE FOR: non-MSBuild build systems (npm, Maven, CMake), analyzing an existing binlog (use binlog-failure-analysis instead). INVOKES: shell commands (dotnet build /bl:{}).
configuring-opentelemetry-dotnet
dotnet-aspnet
Configure OpenTelemetry distributed tracing, metrics, and logging in ASP.NET Core using the .NET OpenTelemetry SDK. Use when adding observability, setting up OTLP exporters, creating custom metrics/spans, or troubleshooting distributed trace correlation.
maui-dependency-injection
dotnet-maui
Guidance for configuring dependency injection in .NET MAUI apps — service registration in MauiProgram.cs, lifetime selection (Singleton / Transient / Scoped), constructor injection, Shell navigation auto-resolution, platform-specific registrations, and testability patterns. USE FOR: "dependency injection", "DI setup", "AddSingleton", "AddTransient", "AddScoped", "service registration", "constructor injection", "IServiceProvider", "MauiProgram DI", "register services", "BindingContext injection". DO NOT USE FOR: data binding (use maui-data-binding), Shell route configuration (use maui-shell-navigation), unit-test mocking frameworks (use standard xUnit and NSubstitute patterns).
dotnet-maui-doctor
dotnet-maui
Diagnoses and fixes .NET MAUI development environment issues. Validates .NET SDK, workloads, Java JDK, Android SDK, Xcode, and Windows SDK. All version requirements discovered dynamically from NuGet WorkloadDependencies.json — never hardcoded. Use when: setting up MAUI development, build errors mentioning SDK/workload/JDK/Android, "Android SDK not found", "Java version" errors, "Xcode not found", environment verification after updates, or any MAUI toolchain issues. Do not use for: non-MAUI .NET projects, Xamarin.Forms apps, runtime app crashes unrelated to environment setup, or app store publishing issues. Works on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
nuget-trusted-publishing
dotnet
Set up NuGet trusted publishing (OIDC) on a GitHub Actions repo — replaces long-lived API keys with short-lived tokens. USE FOR: trusted publishing, NuGet OIDC, keyless NuGet publish, migrate from NuGet API key, NuGet/login, secure NuGet publishing. DO NOT USE FOR: publishing to private feeds or Azure Artifacts (OIDC is nuget.org only). INVOKES: shell (powershell or bash), edit, create, ask_user for guided repo setup.
mcp-csharp-publish
dotnet-ai
Publish and deploy C# MCP servers. Covers NuGet packaging for stdio servers, Docker containerization for HTTP servers, Azure Container Apps and App Service deployment, and publishing to the official MCP Registry. USE FOR: packaging stdio MCP servers as NuGet tools, creating Dockerfiles for HTTP MCP servers, deploying to Azure Container Apps or App Service, publishing to the MCP Registry at registry.modelcontextprotocol.io, configuring server.json for MCP package metadata, setting up CI/CD for MCP server publishing. DO NOT USE FOR: publishing general NuGet libraries (not MCP-specific), general Docker guidance unrelated to MCP, creating new servers (use mcp-csharp-create), debugging (use mcp-csharp-debug), writing tests (use mcp-csharp-test).
dotnet-trace-collect
dotnet-diag
Guide developers through capturing diagnostic artifacts to diagnose production .NET performance issues. Use when the user needs help choosing diagnostic tools, collecting performance data, or understanding tool trade-offs across different environments (Windows/Linux, .NET Framework/modern .NET, container/non-container).
csharp-scripts
dotnet
Run file-based C# apps with the .NET CLI when the user explicitly wants C#/.NET code without creating a project. Use for C# language/API experiments, one-file C# apps, small multi-file C# apps composed with `#:include`/`#:exclude`, or C# file-based apps linked with `#:ref`. Do not use for language-agnostic throwaway scripts, generic computations, Python/PowerShell-style automation, full projects, or existing app integration.
minimal-api-file-upload
dotnet-aspnet
File upload endpoints in ASP.NET minimal APIs (.NET 8+)
exp-mock-usage-analysis
dotnet-experimental
Audits .NET test mock usage by tracing each mock setup through the production code's execution path to find dead, unreachable, redundant, or replaceable mocks. Use when the user asks to audit mock usage, find unused or unnecessary mock setups, check if mocks are needed, reduce mock duplication or over-mocking, simplify test setup, or review whether mock configurations like ILogger/IOptions should use real implementations instead. Supports Moq, NSubstitute, and FakeItEasy.
maui-safe-area
dotnet-maui
.NET MAUI safe area and edge-to-edge layout guidance for .NET 10+. Covers the new SafeAreaEdges property, SafeAreaRegions enum, per-edge control, keyboard avoidance, Blazor Hybrid CSS safe areas, migration from legacy iOS-only APIs, and platform-specific behavior for Android, iOS, and Mac Catalyst. USE FOR: "safe area", "edge-to-edge", "SafeAreaEdges", "SafeAreaRegions", "keyboard avoidance", "notch insets", "status bar overlap", "iOS safe area", "Android edge-to-edge", "content behind status bar", "UseSafeArea migration", "soft input keyboard", "IgnoreSafeArea replacement". DO NOT USE FOR: general layout or grid design (use Grid and StackLayout), app lifecycle handling (use maui-app-lifecycle), theming or styling (use maui-theming), or Shell navigation structure.
android-tombstone-symbolication
dotnet-diag
Symbolicate the .NET runtime frames in an Android tombstone file. Extracts BuildIds and PC offsets from the native backtrace, downloads debug symbols from the Microsoft symbol server, and runs llvm-symbolizer to produce function names with source file and line numbers. USE FOR triaging a .NET MAUI or Mono Android app crash from a tombstone, resolving native backtrace frames in libmonosgen-2.0.so or libcoreclr.so to .NET runtime source code, or investigating SIGABRT, SIGSEGV, or other native signals originating from the .NET runtime on Android. DO NOT USE FOR pure Java/Kotlin crashes, managed .NET exceptions that are already captured in logcat, or iOS crash logs. INVOKES Symbolicate-Tombstone.ps1 script, llvm-symbolizer, Microsoft symbol server.
dotnet-pinvoke
dotnet
Correctly call native (C/C++) libraries from .NET using P/Invoke and LibraryImport. Covers function signatures, string marshalling, memory lifetime, SafeHandle, and cross-platform patterns. USE FOR: writing new P/Invoke or LibraryImport declarations, reviewing or debugging existing native interop code, wrapping a C or C++ library for use in .NET, diagnosing crashes, memory leaks, or corruption at the managed/native boundary. DO NOT USE FOR: COM interop, C++/CLI mixed-mode assemblies, or pure managed code with no native dependencies.
technology-selection
dotnet-ai
Guides technology selection and implementation of AI and ML features in .NET 8+ applications using ML.NET, Microsoft.Extensions.AI (MEAI), Microsoft Agent Framework (MAF), GitHub Copilot SDK, ONNX Runtime, and OllamaSharp. Covers the full spectrum from classic ML through modern LLM orchestration to local inference. Use when adding classification, regression, clustering, anomaly detection, recommendation, LLM integration (text generation, summarization, reasoning), RAG pipelines with vector search, agentic workflows with tool calling, Copilot extensions, or custom model inference via ONNX Runtime to a .NET project. DO NOT USE FOR projects targeting .NET Framework (requires .NET 8+), the task is pure data engineering or ETL with no ML/AI component, or the project needs a custom deep learning training loop (use Python with PyTorch/TensorFlow, then export to ONNX for .NET inference).
binlog-failure-analysis
dotnet-msbuild
Analyze MSBuild binary logs to diagnose build failures. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: build errors that are unclear from console output, diagnosing cascading failures across multi-project builds, tracing MSBuild target execution order, and generally any MSBuild build issues. Requires an existing .binlog file. DO NOT USE FOR: generating binlogs (use binlog-generation), non-MSBuild build systems. INVOKES: binlog MCP server tools (overview, errors, search, items, properties); falls back to dotnet msbuild binlog replay + grep/cat when the MCP is unavailable.
maui-collectionview
dotnet-maui
Guidance for implementing CollectionView in .NET MAUI apps — data display, layouts (list & grid), selection, grouping, scrolling, empty views, templates, incremental loading, swipe actions, and pull-to-refresh. USE FOR: "CollectionView", "list view", "grid layout", "data template", "item template", "grouping", "pull to refresh", "incremental loading", "swipe actions", "empty view", "selection mode", "scroll to item", displaying scrollable data, replacing ListView. DO NOT USE FOR: simple static layouts without scrollable data (use Grid or StackLayout), map pin lists (use Microsoft.Maui.Controls.Maps), table-based data entry forms, or non-MAUI list controls.
dump-collect
dotnet-diag
Configure and collect crash dumps for modern .NET applications. USE FOR: enabling automatic crash dumps for CoreCLR or NativeAOT, capturing dumps from running .NET processes, setting up dump collection in Docker or Kubernetes, using dotnet-dump collect or createdump. DO NOT USE FOR: analyzing or debugging dumps, post-mortem investigation with lldb/windbg/dotnet-dump analyze, profiling or tracing, or for .NET Framework processes.
mcp-csharp-create
dotnet-ai
Create MCP servers using the C# SDK and .NET project templates. Covers scaffolding, tool/prompt/resource implementation, and transport configuration for stdio and HTTP. USE FOR: creating new MCP server projects, scaffolding with dotnet new mcpserver, adding MCP tools/prompts/resources, choosing stdio vs HTTP transport, configuring MCP hosting in Program.cs, setting up ASP.NET Core MCP endpoints with MapMcp. DO NOT USE FOR: debugging or running existing servers (use mcp-csharp-debug), writing tests (use mcp-csharp-test), publishing or deploying (use mcp-csharp-publish), building MCP clients, non-.NET MCP servers.
mcp-csharp-test
dotnet-ai
Test C# MCP servers at multiple levels: unit tests for individual tools and integration tests using the MCP client SDK. USE FOR: unit testing MCP tool methods, integration testing with in-memory MCP client/server, end-to-end testing via MCP protocol, testing HTTP MCP servers with WebApplicationFactory, mocking dependencies in tool tests, creating evaluations for MCP servers, writing eval questions, measuring tool quality. DO NOT USE FOR: testing MCP clients (this is server testing only), load or performance testing, testing non-.NET MCP servers, debugging server issues (use mcp-csharp-debug).