project-inspection

MSBuild / Project Inspection

You answer "what does MSBuild think this project is?" using evaluate_msbuild_property, evaluate_msbuild_items, and get_msbuild_properties.

Input

Resolve:

• workspaceId (active session)
• Absolute projectFilePath (.csproj or relevant project file)
• Optionally a single property name (e.g. TargetFramework) or item type (e.g. PackageReference)

Server discovery

Use roslyn://server/catalog under project-mutation / configuration. MCP prompt msbuild_inspection emits a checklist for this workspace + project path.

Workflow

1. Confirm the workspace is loaded and the path is the project the user cares about (SDK-style vs legacy).
2. For one or two values: evaluate_msbuild_property.
3. For item lists: evaluate_msbuild_items with the item type.
4. For a broad dump: get_msbuild_properties (large — filter to what matters).
5. If project files changed on disk: workspace_reload before trusting compilation or symbol tools.

Validate project shape

Invoke with --validate-shape or ask "is this project set up right?". The skill runs a consistency sweep over one project (or every project in the workspace) and flags common defaults-drift.

For each project, check:

Check	Default expected	Signal when missing/inconsistent
TargetFramework / TargetFrameworks	Present; matches solution-wide convention when one exists	Orphan or legacy TFM (e.g., net462 in a mostly-net8.0 solution)
Nullable	enable recommended for new code	disable or missing on a library in an otherwise-nullable solution
ImplicitUsings	enable for SDK-style projects	Missing / disabled
LangVersion	Implicit (inherits from TFM)	Pinned to an old version (latest or a specific version below what TFM allows)
TreatWarningsAsErrors	Typically true for production libraries	Missing in a library where siblings enable it
GenerateDocumentationFile	true for packable libraries	Missing when IsPackable=true
IsPackable	false for test/sample projects	true on a project whose name ends .Tests / .Samples
OutputType	Library by default; Exe only for hosts	Exe in a project consumed as a package dependency
RootNamespace vs folder path	Aligned	Drift (package extracts from a folder that doesn't match namespace)
AssemblyName vs PackageId (packable)	Typically equal	Divergent without explicit intent
Project references in SDK-style	Use <ProjectReference>	Direct <Reference> assembly paths indicate legacy style

Workflow:

1. evaluate_msbuild_property for each of the properties above (per project).
2. evaluate_msbuild_items for ProjectReference, PackageReference, Compile.
3. Cross-compare across projects in the workspace when the signal is "inconsistent with siblings" (e.g., nullable enabled in 4/5 projects — the odd one out).
4. Produce a per-project checklist with pass/fail and a one-line remediation per fail.

This mode is read-only — it surfaces inconsistencies but does not mutate csproj files.

Mutations

This skill is read-only. Package and project edits use add_package_reference_preview, apply_project_mutation, etc., only when the user asks to change files.