dotnet-xmldocs

name	dotnet-xmldocs
description	Adds and reviews C# XML documentation comments following Microsoft's documentation standards. Use when writing or reviewing C# code that includes public APIs, complex logic, or when documentation is missing or insufficient. Covers <summary>, <param>, <returns>, <exception>, <remarks>, and all standard XML doc tags.

C# Documentation Best Practices

When to Use

• Writing or reviewing XML documentation comments (///) on C# types and members
• Adding documentation to public APIs of a new or existing C# library
• Reviewing missing, insufficient, or non-Microsoft-style XML docs in C# code
• Generating documentation that feeds OpenAPI/Swagger output or NuGet symbols

General Guidelines

• Public members should be documented with XML comments.
• It is encouraged to document internal members as well, especially if they are complex or not self-explanatory.

Guidance for all APIs

• Use <summary> to provide a brief, one sentence, description of what the type or member does. Start the summary with a present-tense, third-person verb.
• Use <remarks> for additional information, which can include implementation details, usage notes, or any other relevant context.
• Use <see langword> for language-specific keywords like null, true, false, int, bool, etc.
• Use <c> for inline code snippets.
• Use <example> for usage examples on how to use the member.
  • Use <code> for code blocks. <code> tags should be placed within an <example> tag. Add the language of the code example using the language attribute, for example, <code language="csharp">.
• Use <see cref> to reference other types or members inline (in a sentence).
• Use <seealso> for standalone (not in a sentence) references to other types or members in the "See also" section of the online docs.
• Use <inheritdoc/> to inherit documentation from base classes or interfaces.
  • Unless there is major behavior change, in which case you should document the differences.

Member-Specific Rules

See member-documentation-rules.md for detailed wording conventions for methods (<param>, <returns>), constructors, properties (<value>, Gets/Sets patterns), and exceptions (<exception cref>).

Related Skills

• dotnet-aspnet — XML docs feed OpenAPI/Swagger output
• dotnet-sdk-builder — Invokes this skill in Step 8 to document generated SDKs
• dotnet-reviewer — Code-quality checklist references these conventions for public-API docs