roslyn-codelens

Roslyn CodeLens — Semantic .NET Intelligence

Response shape

All list-returning tools wrap their results in an envelope:

{
  "items": [...],
  "totalCount": 142,
  "truncated": false,
  "limit": 500,
  "summary": { ... }
}

When truncated is true, items are the top N by the tool's natural sort order (severity-first, worst-first, by-project, etc.) — usually that's what you want. Raise limit only if the truncated tail matters for the task.

Tools that include a summary aggregate:

• get_diagnostics — { error, warning, info, hidden } counts
• find_references, find_callers, find_attribute_usages — { byProject: { name: count } }
• search_symbols, find_reflection_usage — { byKind: {...} }
• find_unused_symbols — { byKind: {...}, filteredOut: { testMethod, testContainer, mcpTool, generated, composition, interop } }
• find_naming_violations — { byRule: {...} }
• get_complexity_metrics — { max, avg, overThreshold }
• resolve_stack_trace — { byOrigin: { source, metadata, unresolved }, exceptions, skippedFrameLike } — skippedFrameLike counts frame-like-but-unparseable lines (also present in items as Kind="unknown")

Single-object tools (get_type_overview, get_symbol_context, apply_code_action, etc.) are unchanged — they return their bespoke shape directly.

Error responses

When a tool can't proceed, the response is isError: true with content carrying a JSON body of { code, message, details? }. Switch on code:

Code	Meaning	Common source
SymbolNotFound	type/method/property not resolved	analyze_method, get_symbol_context, get_type_overview, get_type_hierarchy, generate_test_skeleton
SolutionNotTrusted	analyzers blocked until trust_solution is called	get_diagnostics (includeAnalyzers: true), get_code_fixes
AmbiguousMatch	name matched multiple solutions; details.matches lists candidates	set_active_solution, unload_solution
FileNotFound	file path / baseline doesn't exist or isn't in solution	get_file_overview, find_breaking_changes
ProjectNotFound	solution name didn't match	set_active_solution, unload_solution
InvalidArgument	malformed / unsupported caller input	various
Internal	unexpected; message carries exception text	fallback

If code: SolutionNotTrusted, the right next step is calling trust_solution after asking the user. Don't catch and retry blindly — the user has to authorize analyzer execution.

Detection

If find_implementations is not available as an MCP tool, this skill is inert — do nothing, no errors.

If it IS available, every rule below applies. No exceptions.

The Iron Law

On a .NET codebase where roslyn-codelens MCP tools are available:

1. Never use Grep, Glob, or Bash grep/rg to locate C# symbols, types, methods, interfaces, references, callers, implementations, or usages.
2. Never run dotnet build, dotnet msbuild, msbuild, or any build command to surface compiler errors, warnings, or analyzer diagnostics.
3. Never manually read a .cs file to "grep in my head" for who uses a symbol, or to check if code compiles.

The semantic tools (find_callers, find_references, find_implementations, search_symbols, get_diagnostics, go_to_definition, etc.) are always more accurate than text search and always faster than a build. There is no tradeoff to weigh.

Violating the letter of these rules is violating the spirit. If you're about to run a command or tool that substitutes for one of these semantic tools, stop.

Red Flags — STOP and Use the MCP Tool

If any of these thoughts cross your mind, stop and switch to the MCP tool:

Thought / Action	STOP — Use instead
"Let me Grep for class Foo"	search_symbols or go_to_definition
"Let me Grep for Foo\\.Bar\\(" (finding callers)	find_callers
"Who subscribes to this event?" / "Find += sites" / "Are we leaking event subscriptions?"	find_event_subscribers
"What does this method end up calling?" / "Show me the transitive callees" / "What's the blast radius for changing X?"	get_call_graph
"Let me Grep for : IFoo" (finding implementations)	find_implementations
"Let me Grep for new Foo("	find_references
"Let me Grep for [Authorize]"	find_attribute_usages
"What deprecations do we still use?" / "Plan an Obsolete cleanup" / "Find every [Obsolete] call site"	find_obsolete_usage
"I'll run dotnet build to see errors"	get_diagnostics
"I'll run dotnet build -warnaserror to find warnings"	get_diagnostics
"Let me Read the .cs file to see what's defined"	get_file_overview or get_type_overview
"Let me Glob for **/*Service.cs"	search_symbols with a partial name
"Let me Grep for Activator.CreateInstance"	find_reflection_usage
"I'll check if this method is used by reading files"	find_callers / find_unused_symbols
"What overloads does this method have?" / "Show me all signatures of Foo" / "Compare overloads side-by-side"	get_overloads
"What operators does this type define?" / "Does it have a custom == or implicit conversion?" / "List +, -, conversions on this type"	get_operators
"I'll eyeball complexity by reading the method"	get_complexity_metrics
"How is this project doing?" / "Where should I focus?" / "Show me the technical debt picture"	get_project_health
"Which classes are doing too much?" / "Where are my god classes?" / "Worst design smells in this codebase?"	find_god_objects
"Let me Grep for tests that call this method"	find_tests_for_symbol
"Which tests will break if I change this?"	find_tests_for_symbol
"What does this test suite cover?" / "List all tests in MyProj.Tests" / "How many xUnit Theory tests do we have?"	get_test_summary
"What should I write tests for?" / "Where's our testing debt?" / "Show me untested public methods"	find_uncovered_symbols
"Generate a test stub for this method" / "Bootstrap tests for this class" / "Give me a skeleton I can fill in"	generate_test_skeleton
"What's the public API of this library?" / "Show me the API surface" / "I need a PublicAPI.txt-style snapshot"	get_public_api_surface
"Will this break consumers?" / "Show me breaking changes vs the previous release" / "Diff this build's API against baseline"	find_breaking_changes
"Are there async bugs?" / "Find sync-over-async" / "Are we using .Result anywhere?"	find_async_violations
"Are there resource leaks?" / "Find missing using" / "Is this disposable handled?"	find_disposable_misuse
"Rename this class/method everywhere" / "Let me edit N files to change this name"	rename_symbol
"Where did this exception come from?" / user pastes a stack trace / "What method is <M>d__12.MoveNext?"	resolve_stack_trace
"Let me Read the file to see this method's body" / "Show me the source of these 5 methods"	get_method_source

All of these mean: the MCP tool is the correct tool. Use it.

Rationalizations — and why they're wrong

Excuse	Reality
"Just a quick Grep — it's faster."	It isn't. One find_references beats iterating Grep + reading matches + deduping false positives.
"Grep as a sanity check on top of the MCP tool."	Redundant and misleading. Grep finds comments, strings, partial matches. If Roslyn says there are N references, there are N references.
"This is just a string/literal search, so Grep is fine."	If the target is a C# symbol, it's not "just a string" — it has a definition, scope, and binding. Use find_references. String literal searches in comments/docstrings are the only legitimate Grep case.
"dotnet build is how everyone checks errors."	Not here. get_diagnostics returns compiler errors + analyzer results, structured, without rebuilding. A build is minutes; the tool is milliseconds.
"The MCP server might be slow / might fail."	If it fails, report that and ask. Do not silently fall back to Grep — that produces wrong answers that look right.
"I need to see the file contents anyway."	get_file_overview, get_type_overview, and analyze_method give you structure without a Read. Use Read only after you know which lines matter.
"The user asked me to Grep."	If the user asked for a grep specifically, ask if they actually want semantic results. If they asked for information about the code and suggested grep, use the semantic tool and tell them why.
"I'm just looking for TODO comments / string literals."	Fine — Grep is legitimate for comments, string literals, and non-C# files. That's the only free pass.

Pre-Action Checklist

Before calling Grep or Glob on .cs / .csproj / .sln / .slnx / .cshtml files:

1. Is the target a C# symbol (type/member/namespace)? → Use search_symbols or find_references.
2. Is the target an attribute? → Use find_attribute_usages.
3. Is the target a reflection pattern? → Use find_reflection_usage.
4. Is it genuinely a string literal, comment, or non-semantic text? → Grep is OK. State why.

Before running dotnet build / msbuild via Bash:

1. Am I looking for errors, warnings, or analyzer diagnostics? → Use get_diagnostics. Stop.
2. Am I actually trying to produce a binary / run tests / package? → Build is OK. State why.

Before Reading a .cs file:

1. Do I just need structure (what's in it, what's defined)? → get_file_overview / get_type_overview.
2. Do I need a specific method's shape? → analyze_method.
3. Do I need one or more members' actual source bodies? → get_method_source (batch-friendly — pass all the names at once).
4. Do I need the actual source lines to edit? → Read is OK.

When to Use Each Tool

Decision Tree for External Assemblies

I want to...                         Tool / Approach
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Work with types in my source code  → existing tools (unchanged)
Look up an external type by name   → go_to_definition / get_symbol_context /
                                     get_type_overview / get_type_hierarchy
                                     (pass fully-qualified name; returns origin="metadata")
Browse what a package exposes      → inspect_external_assembly
Who in my code uses an ext. type?  → find_references / find_callers / find_implementations
See a method's IL bytecode         → peek_il (pass fully-qualified method name with param types)
Inspect an arbitrary DLL           → add a <ProjectReference> to a throwaway
                                     project, rebuild_solution, then use normally

Understanding a Codebase

• get_project_dependencies — solution architecture, how projects relate.
• get_symbol_context — full context for a type (namespace, base, interfaces, DI deps, public members).
• get_public_api_surface — Enumerate every public/protected type and member declared in production projects; deterministically sorted; suitable for API review or breaking-change baselines. Static analysis; only declared (not inherited) members appear.
• find_breaking_changes — Diff the current public API surface against a baseline (JSON snapshot from get_public_api_surface, or a .dll file). Reports Removed/Added/KindChanged/AccessibilityNarrowed/Widened with Breaking/NonBreaking severity. Static analysis; doesn't currently detect return-type, sealed-ness, or nullable changes.
• get_type_hierarchy — inheritance chains and extension points.
• get_type_overview — one-shot: context + hierarchy + diagnostics (replaces 3 calls).
• get_file_overview — types defined in a file + diagnostics, without reading it.
• analyze_method — signature + callers + outgoing calls, all in one.
• get_method_source — full declaration source (XML docs, attributes, body, original formatting) for one or MANY members by name in a single call: methods (all overloads), constructors (request as Type.TypeName — simple or fully qualified; nested types need full qualification), properties, indexers (Type.this or Type.this[]), fields, events, explicit interface implementations. Per-item statuses (ok/notFound/ambiguous/metadata/unsupportedKind) — a batch never fails wholesale; metadata items carry Origin (assembly name/version for peek_il) and a Note explains non-ok outcomes. StartLine always matches the first line of Source. Whole types are out of scope (get_type_overview / Read).
• get_overloads — Every overload of a method or constructor (source + metadata) with full parameter detail, modifiers, generic type params, XML doc summary, and location. One call instead of N analyze_method calls.
• get_operators — every +, -, ==, <, conversion, etc. on a type, with kind, signature, source location. Includes synthesized record equality. Covers what get_overloads excludes.
• get_call_graph — Transitive caller/callee graph for a method, depth-bounded with cycle detection. Adjacency-list output. Use when you need depth > 1 (analyze_method is depth=1).

Navigating Code (instead of Grep/Glob)

• go_to_definition — jump to the definition.
• search_symbols — fuzzy symbol lookup.
• find_references — every reference across the solution.

Finding Dependencies and Usage

• find_callers — every call site for a method.
• find_event_subscribers — every += / -= site for an event symbol, with resolved handler name and subscribe/unsubscribe tag. Use for UI-event audits or memory-leak hunts (compare subscribe/unsubscribe pairs).
• find_implementations — all implementors of an interface / extenders of a class.
• find_tests_for_symbol — xUnit/NUnit/MSTest methods that exercise a production symbol; opt-in transitive walk through helpers.
• get_test_summary — Per-project inventory of test methods with framework, attribute kind, [InlineData]/[TestCase]/[DataRow] row count, location, and production symbols referenced. Project → tests direction; complements find_tests_for_symbol (test → production).
• find_uncovered_symbols — Public methods and properties no test transitively reaches (≤ 3 helper hops); sorted by cyclomatic complexity for prioritization. Strict reference-based: an override is not marked covered just because its base or interface declaration is reached — a test calling IFoo.Bar does not cover Foo.Bar.
• generate_test_skeleton — Emit a test-class skeleton (parseable C#) for a method or type. Returns framework, suggested file path, class name, full file contents, and TodoNotes (e.g. constructor dependencies). Stubs cover happy-path Fact, Theory + InlineData for primitive-param methods, Assert.Throws<T> per direct-throw exception type, async detection. Tool returns text; agent decides whether to Write it. Pairs with find_uncovered_symbols (find gap → generate stub).
• get_di_registrations — DI wiring and lifetimes.
• find_reflection_usage — hidden/dynamic coupling (Activator.CreateInstance, MethodInfo.Invoke, assembly scanning).
• get_nuget_dependencies — NuGet packages and versions.
• find_attribute_usages — members decorated with a given attribute.
• find_obsolete_usage — Every [Obsolete] call site grouped by deprecation message and severity. Sharper than find_attribute_usages for migration planning. Source AND metadata obsoletes (NuGet) included.

Diagnostics (instead of dotnet build)

• get_diagnostics — compiler errors, warnings, analyzer diagnostics. Replaces dotnet build output.
• get_code_fixes — structured edits for a diagnostic.

Trust model for analyzer diagnostics

get_diagnostics defaults to includeAnalyzers=false (compiler diagnostics only). If the user asks for analyzer warnings (StyleCop, Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Analyzers, CA-prefixed rules, etc.) — OR if you need to call get_code_fixes for an analyzer-rule diagnostic:

1. Call get_diagnostics(includeAnalyzers=true).
2. If the server returns an "untrusted solution" error: ask the user before calling trust_solution. Phrase the question to make it clear that analyzer DLLs run as in-process code with the user's privileges. They should only trust solutions they wrote or fully vetted.
3. Prefer scope="session" for one-off reviews. Use scope="persistent" only when the user confirms they regularly use this solution. Use scope="addRoot" to trust an entire directory tree (e.g., c:\projects\).
4. Use list_trusted_paths to inspect current state when the user asks "is X trusted?". Use revoke_trust to drop entries.

Solutions passed on the CLI at server startup are auto-trusted in session scope — get_diagnostics(includeAnalyzers=true) against them works without an extra prompt.

• get_code_actions — all refactorings/fixes at a position (with optional range).
• apply_code_action — execute a refactoring by title. Preview mode by default.
• rename_symbol — solution-wide safe rename of a type or member (Roslyn Renamer; NOT available via apply_code_action). Preview by default; new-compiler-error conflicts reported; apply refuses unless force=true on: conflicts, a degraded solution load, or files changed on disk since the snapshot (freshness refusal — run rebuild_solution and retry; force does not bypass freshness). After apply the in-memory snapshot updates immediately — follow-up queries see the new name without waiting for a rebuild. Generic types accept the arity-free qualified form (Data.Repository finds Repository<T>).
• resolve_stack_trace — map a pasted .NET stack trace to file/line/symbol; demangles async/iterator state machines, lambdas, and local functions; handles log-prefixed lines, inner-exception chains, and Demystifier-style traces. Source frames get the declaration site (exact location when the trace carries in file:line); external frames resolve with origin="metadata" when the assembly is referenced by the solution — frames outside that closure come back origin="unresolved". Frame-like lines that fail all grammars aren't dropped: they surface as Kind="unknown" items at their original position, and summary.skippedFrameLike counts them. Items stay in trace order.
• analyze_data_flow — variable lifecycle over a statement range (declared/read/written/captured/flows-in/out).
• analyze_control_flow — reachability, returns, unreachable paths.

Code generation is in apply_code_action — do NOT look for dedicated generation tools. Use get_code_actions to find the title, then apply_code_action:

• Implement missing interface/abstract members → "Implement abstract members" / "Implement interface"
• Generate constructor from fields → "Generate constructor"
• Add null checks → "Add null checks for all parameters"
• Generate Equals/GetHashCode → "Generate Equals and GetHashCode"
• Encapsulate field → "Encapsulate field"
• Extract method → "Extract method"
• Inline variable → "Inline variable"

Code Quality Analysis

• find_unused_symbols — dead code (reference-based). Auto-filters test methods, MCP tool entry points, source-generator output, MEF-composed services, and interop-laid-out fields; counts surface in summary.filteredOut.
• get_complexity_metrics — cyclomatic complexity per method.
• find_naming_violations — .NET naming conventions.
• find_async_violations — Detects sync-over-async (.Result/.Wait()/GetAwaiter().GetResult()), async void outside event handlers, missing awaits in async methods, and fire-and-forget tasks. Severity error/warning per violation. Static analysis; no runtime data.
• find_disposable_misuse — Detects IDisposable/IAsyncDisposable instances not wrapped in using/await using/returned/assigned-to-field-or-out-parameter (warning), and bare-expression-statement discards of a disposable creator/factory (error). Static analysis; no runtime data.
• find_large_classes — oversized types.
• find_god_objects — Types crossing all 3 size thresholds (lines/members/fields) AND a coupling threshold (incoming or outgoing namespace count). Sharper than raw size: a large but isolated class isn't flagged; a 200-line class with 15 callers across many namespaces is.
• find_circular_dependencies — project/namespace cycles.
• get_project_health — Composite audit: complexity, large classes, naming, unused, reflection, async violations, disposable misuse — counts + top-N hotspots per dimension, per project. Use when you'd otherwise call 7 separate audit tools.

Source Generators

• get_source_generators — list generators and their outputs.
• get_generated_code — inspect generated source (filter by generator or file path).

Working with External Assemblies (Closed-Source / NuGet)

External symbols have origin.kind = "metadata" in tool results. Supply fully-qualified names (e.g. Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.IServiceCollection) to the Tier-1 tools below — they fall back to metadata lookup automatically when no source match is found.

• inspect_external_assembly — browse a referenced assembly's public API:
  • mode="summary" → namespace tree + type counts (start here to orient yourself)
  • mode="namespace" → full type + member listing for one namespace
• peek_il — read ilasm-style IL for a single method in a referenced assembly:
  • Input: fully-qualified method name with parameter types (e.g. Namespace.Type.Method(ParamType1, ParamType2))
  • For constructors: use ..ctor notation (e.g. Namespace.Type..ctor(ParamType))
  • Output: raw IL instructions (IL_0000: ldarg.0, etc.) — not decompiled C#
  • When to use: after find_callers / get_symbol_context identifies an interesting external method and you want to understand its implementation

Worked example — drill into a NuGet package:

inspect_external_assembly(assemblyName: "Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.Abstractions", mode: "summary")
→ shows NamespaceTree with Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection (15 types)

inspect_external_assembly(assemblyName: "Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.Abstractions",
    mode: "namespace", namespaceFilter: "Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection")
→ returns IServiceCollection, ServiceDescriptor, ServiceLifetime, etc. with members and XML doc summaries

To find where your code uses an external symbol: Use find_references / find_callers / find_implementations with the fully-qualified external symbol name. Results will be source locations in your codebase.

To find all source files using IServiceCollection:

find_references("Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.IServiceCollection")
→ returns source locations (all origin.kind="source") where your code references IServiceCollection

find_callers("Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceCollectionServiceExtensions.AddSingleton")
→ returns source call sites for AddSingleton (pass the extension class + method name)

To read the raw IL of an external method: Use peek_il with the fully-qualified method name including parameter types:

peek_il("Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceDescriptor..ctor(System.Type, System.Type, Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceLifetime)")
→ returns ilasm-style IL text, assembly name, and version

Limitations: abstract methods, interface instance members, and properties-as-whole (target the getter/setter accessor instead) are not supported.

Solution Management

• list_solutions — loaded solutions, which is active. Includes a SkippedProjects array per solution: projects MSBuildWorkspace could not load (legacy non-SDK-style csproj, missing files), with Kind and Reason.
• set_active_solution — switch active solution by partial name.
• load_solution — load a .sln/.slnx at runtime. Returns a confirmation; when projects were skipped, the message summarises them and points to list_solutions for per-project reasons. For very large solutions (hundreds of projects) that take minutes to open, pass background: true to get a taskId back immediately and poll get_task_status instead of blocking — the new solution becomes active only once that task succeeds, so other tools keep working against the current solution meanwhile.
• unload_solution — free memory.
• rebuild_solution — full reload (after Directory.Build.props changes, new analyzers/packages, or stale diagnostics).

Legacy project handling: when a solution contains non-SDK-style projects (<Project ToolsVersion="..." xmlns=".../msbuild/2003">, typically older .NET Framework projects), the server pre-filters them out before MSBuild sees them. Those projects appear in SkippedProjects with Kind: "Legacy". The SDK-style projects in the same solution load normally and remain fully queryable — partial load, not all-or-nothing. If a tool returns "no results" for what should be a legacy project, check list_solutions first.

Planning a Change — standard order

1. get_type_overview — context + hierarchy + diagnostics.
2. analyze_change_impact — blast radius (files, projects, call sites).
3. find_references / find_callers / find_implementations — detailed dependency breakdown.
4. get_project_dependencies — architectural position.
5. get_di_registrations — wiring.
6. find_reflection_usage — dynamic coupling.
7. find_attribute_usages — attribute-driven behavior.
8. get_diagnostics — existing issues.
9. get_code_fixes / get_code_actions → apply_code_action — auto-fixes and refactorings.
10. find_unused_symbols — dead code to delete instead of refactor.
11. get_complexity_metrics — complexity hotspots.

Reference concrete types, interfaces, and call sites in your analysis. Not "the services that implement this" but "These 3 classes implement IUserService: UserService, CachedUserService, AdminUserService."

Tool Quick Reference

Tool	When to Use
find_implementations	"What implements this interface?" / "What extends this class?"
find_callers	"Who calls this method?" / "What depends on this?"
find_event_subscribers	"Who subscribes to this event?"
find_references	"Where is this symbol used?" / "Show all references"
find_tests_for_symbol	"What tests cover this method?" / "Which tests will break if I change X?"
get_test_summary	"What does this test suite cover?"
find_uncovered_symbols	"What should I write tests for?" / "Where's our testing debt?"
generate_test_skeleton	"Generate a test stub for this method" / "Bootstrap tests for this class"
go_to_definition	"Where is this defined?" / "Jump to source"
search_symbols	"Find types/methods matching this name"
get_type_hierarchy	"What's the inheritance chain?"
get_symbol_context	"Give me everything about this type"
get_public_api_surface	"What's the public API of this library?"
find_breaking_changes	"Will this break consumers?"
get_di_registrations	"How is this wired up?" / "What's the DI lifetime?"
get_project_dependencies	"How do projects relate?"
get_nuget_dependencies	"What packages does this project use?"
find_reflection_usage	"Is this used dynamically?"
find_attribute_usages	"What's marked [Obsolete]?" / "Find all [Authorize] controllers"
find_obsolete_usage	"What deprecations do we still use?"
get_diagnostics	"Any compiler errors?" / "Show warnings"
get_code_fixes	"How do I fix this warning?"
get_code_actions	"What refactorings are available here?"
apply_code_action	"Apply this refactoring" / "Extract method"
rename_symbol	"Rename this symbol everywhere" / "Change this name across the solution"
resolve_stack_trace	"Where did this exception come from?" / "Resolve this stack trace"
find_unused_symbols	"Any dead code?"
get_complexity_metrics	"Which methods are too complex?"
find_naming_violations	"Check naming conventions"
find_async_violations	"Are there async bugs?" / "Find sync-over-async"
find_disposable_misuse	"Are there resource leaks?" / "Find missing using"
find_large_classes	"Find classes that need splitting"
find_god_objects	"Which classes are doing too much?"
find_circular_dependencies	"Any circular dependencies?"
get_project_health	"How is this project doing?" / "Top hotspots across all dimensions"
get_source_generators	"What source generators are active?"
get_generated_code	"Show generated code"
inspect_external_assembly	"What does this NuGet package expose?" / "Show me the API of X assembly"
peek_il	"Show IL for this method" / "What does this external method do at bytecode level?"
list_solutions	"What solutions are loaded?"
load_solution	"Load this .sln / .slnx at runtime"
unload_solution	"Free memory for this solution"
set_active_solution	"Switch to project B"
rebuild_solution	"Reload the solution" / "Diagnostics are stale"
start_background_task	"Kick off a long rebuild without blocking"
get_task_status	"Check on a queued background task"
list_running_tasks	"What background work is in flight?"
analyze_data_flow	"What variables are read/written here?"
analyze_control_flow	"Is this code reachable?"
analyze_change_impact	"What breaks if I change this?"
get_type_overview	"Give me everything about this type in one call"
analyze_method	"Show signature, callers, and outgoing calls"
get_method_source	"Show me this method's body" / "Give me the source of these members"
get_overloads	"What overloads does this method have?"
get_operators	"What operators does this type define?"
get_call_graph	"Transitive callers/callees, depth-bounded"
get_file_overview	"What types are in this file?"

Legitimate Grep / Build Exceptions

Grep is the correct tool for:

• Non-C# files (.json, .yaml, .md, .razor template text, shell scripts).
• String literals and comments inside C# code.
• Text that isn't a symbol (log messages, error strings, TODOs).

dotnet build is the correct command for:

• Actually producing a binary.
• Running tests (dotnet test) — not covered by this skill.
• Packaging / publishing.

State the reason when you take the exception. If you're about to type a Grep/Glob/build command and can't state the reason out loud, you're rationalizing — use the MCP tool.

Metadata Support by Tool

Tool	Works on metadata symbols	Caveats	Alternative
go_to_definition	Yes — returns File="", Line=0 with origin block	No source location; use to confirm identity
get_symbol_context	Yes — members, interfaces, base type	InjectedDependencies always empty
get_type_overview	Yes	Diagnostics always empty
get_type_hierarchy	Yes — base chain from metadata; derived types from source only	Cannot enumerate all ecosystem implementors
find_attribute_usages	Yes — resolves metadata attribute type, returns source usages
search_symbols	Yes — includes metadata types (budget heuristic: BCL skipped when source hits exist)	May miss BCL types if source has matches	Use fully-qualified name with go_to_definition
find_references	Yes — finds source usages/references of external symbols
find_callers	Yes — finds source invocations of external methods
find_implementations	Yes — finds source implementors of external interfaces/classes
inspect_external_assembly	Metadata only — this is its purpose	Assembly must be referenced by a project in the solution	get_nuget_dependencies to discover assembly names
peek_il	Metadata only — this is its purpose	Abstract methods and interface instance members not supported	Use go_to_definition to confirm the method exists first
get_diagnostics	No — source only
get_code_fixes	No — source only
get_code_actions	No — source only
apply_code_action	No — source only
rename_symbol	No — source only	Locals/parameters and file renames unsupported
resolve_stack_trace	Yes — external frames resolve when the assembly is referenced by the solution	Metadata frames carry no file/line; frames outside the solution's reference closure come back origin="unresolved"	peek_il to inspect external method bodies
analyze_data_flow	No — source only
analyze_control_flow	No — source only
analyze_change_impact	No — source only
analyze_method	No — source only
get_method_source	No — source only; metadata members reported with status "metadata"		peek_il / inspect_external_assembly for external bodies
get_file_overview	No — source only
find_unused_symbols	No — source only
get_complexity_metrics	No — source only
find_naming_violations	No — source only
find_large_classes	No — source only
find_circular_dependencies	No — source only
get_source_generators	No — source only
get_generated_code	No — source only
get_di_registrations	No — source only
get_nuget_dependencies	Partial — lists referenced packages, not assemblies directly	Use inspect_external_assembly for assembly API
find_reflection_usage	No — source only
find_async_violations	No — source only
find_disposable_misuse	No — source only
find_obsolete_usage	No — source only — but [Obsolete] source/metadata attribute type both detected
find_god_objects	No — source only
find_breaking_changes	Partial — current side is source; baseline can be a .dll from metadata
find_event_subscribers	Yes — accepts metadata event symbols (e.g. System.Diagnostics.Process.Exited); reports source +=/-= sites
find_tests_for_symbol	No — production symbol must be source (test methods are source too)
find_uncovered_symbols	No — source only
generate_test_skeleton	No — source only
get_call_graph	No — source only
get_overloads	Yes — source + metadata overloads, full parameter detail
get_operators	Yes — source + metadata operators and conversions
get_project_dependencies	N/A — project-level graph
get_project_health	No — source only
get_public_api_surface	No — source only (production projects)		Use inspect_external_assembly for external assembly surfaces
get_test_summary	No — source only (test projects)
list_solutions	N/A
set_active_solution	N/A
load_solution	N/A
unload_solution	N/A
rebuild_solution	N/A
trust_solution	N/A — security/lifecycle
list_trusted_paths	N/A — security/lifecycle
revoke_trust	N/A — security/lifecycle